Stillwater · Clay · Co. Down / Hillsborough

Hillsborough Lake

Hillsborough Lake terrain map

Hillsborough Lake is a year-round stocked rainbow-trout venue in an urban-park setting, quite different from the upland and forest reservoirs found elsewhere.

Fair · Rainbow
Buzzer patterns (12–14) · 10–14
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
45% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • WindSW 29 km/hFresh breeze
Today's fly
BP
Buzzer patterns (12–14)10–14
Static or slow on a long leader — the staple stillwater chironomid.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Fresh breeze
SW 29 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp—
Air temp22°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1013 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Year-round, especially cool months
Where
Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph 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

Watch for Silverhorn towards evening — this could be the best window of the day.

Bank

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

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 with Pro.

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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
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
Rainbow fly box
BP
Buzzer patterns (12–14)Top
10–14 · Buzzer
Static or slow on a long leader — the staple stillwater chironomid.
SS
Small streamers (8–10)
8–10 · Streamer
Strip it for fish chasing fry or in coloured water.
BS
Blob-style attractors (10–12)
10–12 · Lure
Pull it for fresh stock fish or when nothing is rising.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
45%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp60%

Conditions are away from Hillsborough Lake's sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Other water nearby · 5
River Lagan
17 km
Brown trout
Six Mile Water
23 km
Brown trout · Dollaghan
Castlewellan Forest Lake
25 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
River Cusher
25 km
Brown trout
Lough Money
27 km
Rainbow trout
About this water

Hillsborough Lake is a year-round stocked rainbow-trout venue in an urban-park setting, quite different from the upland and forest reservoirs found elsewhere. It is a practical accessibility venue with straightforward DAERA rules and broad local appeal. In plain angling terms, it gives you a useful trout water close to where people actually live, near Belfast.

  • Lough
  • Clay
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Damsel Nymph is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 February → 31 December
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingSmall Stillwater Playbookstillwater tacticsThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts