Stillwater · Granite · Outer Hebrides / Harris, GB-SCT

Harris Hill Lochs

Calm evening light on Loch Leosavay, a hill loch in North Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.

The mountainous interior of Harris holds dozens of remote hill lochs in some of the most spectacular scenery in Scotland.

Closed season · Trout
Bumble · 10–12
Closed season
Season reopens 15 March. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.

Harris Hill Lochs is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindW 34 km/hFresh breeze · Gusts to 44 km/h
Today's fly
BU
Bumble10–12
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Fresh breeze · Gusts to 44 km/h
W 34 km/h
N
W
from the west
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp7.0°C
Air temp4°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Head to
Wind driftW wind
Western end

A westerly has held for 19 hours, running colder than the water (3°C air against 7°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered western end instead — off the back of the wind, where the undertow returns food along the bottom. That chill sits in the top of the water, though, and the bed is slower to feel it — on a bottom bait it is the undertow, not the temperature, that puts you at this end. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.

How to fish it · for Trout
When
May-September; peak June-August
Where
Work Black Pennell on the bob and Bumble on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Work Black Pennell on the bob and Bumble on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Boat — at anchor

Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · November highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
3
2
Claret DunHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2

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

Buzzer team todayfor the conditions now
Point
Black buzzer, orange thorax
Not in this water's box
#10
How to fish it
Slow-sink line · slow figure-of-eight, pausing to let the flies hang

Fly recommendations

Point fly shown — supporters see the whole team, sizes and why.

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Ranked for today
Trout fly box

Rougher, darker and more traditional. Stronger weighting on dark wets, bushy bob flies and commotion-making patterns.

BU
BumbleTop
10–12 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Permission from relevant Harris estate
  • Some waters available through Rodel Hotel, Amhuinnsuidhe Castle estate, or local clubs
  • FishHebrides for guidance.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
57%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp100%

A reasonable day here, though wind isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 1
Loch Voshimid
3.0 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Calm evening light on Loch Leosavay, a hill loch in North Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
    Evening light on Loch Leosavay, one of the North Harris hill lochs on the Amhuinnsuidhe estate.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

These are granite-basin waters — slightly acidic, moderately peaty, set among the bare rock and heather of the Harris hills. The trout are wild and numerous if not large, typically six to twelve ounces, with occasional fish to a pound and a half. Access requires walking — some lochs are an hour or more from the road — and the rewards are solitude, scenery, and sport in equal measure. The fishing is simple: a team of traditional wet flies drifted on the wind, with the occasional dry fly opportunity when fish rise in the shallows. Harris also holds some low-lying lochs closer to the road that offer easier access.

  • Loch
  • Granite
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for winter fishing.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 15 March → 6 October
Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Harris Hill Lochs is a loch in Outer Hebrides / Harris, Scotland. The catchment geology is recorded as granite, and the water sits at about 108 m above sea level. The species listed for this water is brown trout. The trout season is recorded as running from 15 March to 6 October. Best window recorded for anglers: May-September; peak June-August. Core methods listed: bank fishing with team of wets; dry fly to rising fish; hill loch exploration. Nearby waters in our listings include Loch Voshimid at 3.0 km.