Stillwater · Peat · West Lothian

Harperrig Reservoir

Harperrig Reservoir venue image
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A high, exposed Scottish Water reservoir on the West Lothian flank of the Pentlands, ten minutes off the A70 and a world away from everything.

Fair · Trout
Kate McLaren · 12-14
Fairlive now
Reasonable summer fishing likely at Harperrig Reservoir
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
56% confidence
What moved it
  • WindSW 5 km/hCalm
Today’s fly
Kate McLaren
Kate McLaren12-14
Retrieve, in the film
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Calm
SW 5 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
WaveRipple
Water temp
Air temp10°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for trout
When
Late April to June and September
Where
Start with Marabou Damsel (8-12) — on the point. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Marabou Damsel (8-12) — on the point. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.

Plan B

Fish early and late, try deeper during the heat of the day with a fast-sinking line.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Either bank or boat

Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Trout fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
73%
Cloud50%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A good match for this venue — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A high, exposed Scottish Water reservoir on the West Lothian flank of the Pentlands, ten minutes off the A70 and a world away from everything. Wild brown trout run the place, with some modest stocking on top, and the fish here have the small-headed look of browns that have worked for a living. Fly only. Bank fishing mostly; the wind decides whether a boat is a good idea or a bad one, and most days it has an opinion. Harperrig is the reservoir you come to when you want to be alone with the hills and the water and the occasional buzzard, and to catch trout that have not been photographed by anyone else this week.

  • Reservoir
  • Peat
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout15 March → 6 October
Related guides
Booking & contacts