Stillwater · Sandstone · South West / Somerset, GB-ENG

Hawkridge Fishery

Wessex Water's small reservoir on the slopes of the Quantock Hills, run as a fly fishery (this is the same water sometimes listed as Hawkridge Reservoir).

Closed season · Rainbow
Daddy Long Legs · 10–12
Temporary closureReported 20 Oct 2026

Closed for the rest of the season

Wessex Water has closed Hawkridge early because of low water and deep mud.

Wessex Water — fishing at Hawkridge ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date. Always confirm locally before travelling.

Closed season
Season reopens 25 February. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • WindS 10 km/hLight breeze · Gusts to 16 km/h
Today's fly
Daddy Long Legs
Daddy Long Legs10–12
Upstream dry, on top
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze · Gusts to 16 km/h
S 10 km/h
N
S
from the south
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp7.1°C
Air temp-2°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
April–June
Where
Start with Floating Fry (8–10) on a Fish as a single fly. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Floating Fry (8–10) on a Fish as a single fly. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.

Plan B

Slow down everything. A booby on a fast-sinking line, left static, can pick up deep fish.

Watch for

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

Bank

Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.

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 5 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
2
1
Reservoir BuzzerHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
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.

Buzzer team todayfor the conditions now
Point
Bloodworm
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
Rainbow fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
88%
Cloud100%
Wind100%
Temp60%

Conditions are ideal for Hawkridge Fishery — wind, cloud and temperature all line up.

Other water nearby · 5
Hawkridge Fishery
< 1 km
Rainbow trout
Clatworthy Reservoir
18 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
River Tone
21 km
Brown trout
Wimbleball Lake
24 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Exe Valley Fly Fishing
30 km
Rainbow trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The species list is the longest of any trout water in England: rainbow, brown, blue, tiger, golden, and sparctic — Hawkridge was the first water in the UK to stock sparctic hybrids in 2018, and the surprise doubles that show up from any of these crosses are the appeal. Quiet, intimate, and reliably stocked. The kind of place where the fish you don't expect is the one you remember.

Surface area
13 ha (32 acres)
Mean depth
about 6.7 m (22 ft)
Area, mean depth (volume ÷ area): Wikipedia, Hawkridge Reservoir
  • Fishery
  • Sandstone
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Cloud cover (cloud) suits the fishery well.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 25 February → 31 October
Related guides
Small Stillwater Playbookstillwater tacticsFly Fishing for Beginnersnew to fly fishing? start hereThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Hawkridge Fishery is a stillwater fishery in South West / Somerset, England. The catchment geology is recorded as sandstone, and the water sits at about 91 m above sea level. The species listed for this water is rainbow trout. The trout season is recorded as running from 25 February to 31 October. Best window recorded for anglers: April–June. Core methods listed: Nymph; buzzer; small lure. Nearby waters in our listings include Hawkridge Fishery at < 1 km, Clatworthy Reservoir at 18 km and River Tone at 21 km.