Stillwater · Mixed · Peak District / Derbyshire, GB-ENG

Howden Reservoir

Howden Reservoir — Howden Reservoir and Dam

The uppermost of the Derwent Valley chain — remote and atmospheric.

Fair · Trout
Minkie · 6–10
Fairlive now
Good winter conditions for Howden Reservoir
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
60% confidence
What moved it
  • WindW 11 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6–10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze
W 11 km/h
N
W
from the west
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp6.4°C
Air temp2°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1018 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 Trout
When
May–June
Where
Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. 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 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
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
Trout fly box
Bays & launches · 1

Howden and Derwent are club water: the Birchinlee Fly Fishing Club, run with Ladybower Fisheries, holds the fishing. There are no day tickets — you join the club, or fish as a member's guest.

Howden Reservoir — Birchinlee club waterMembers
Howden and Derwent reservoirs, about 100 acres between them, are fished by members of the Birchinlee club for wild brown trout, alongside the River Derwent and the River Ashop.
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What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
100%
Cloud100%
Wind100%
Temp100%

Conditions are ideal for Howden Reservoir — wind, cloud and temperature all line up.

Other water nearby · 5
Derwent Reservoir
3.0 km
Brown trout
Ladybower Reservoir
6.0 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Barnsley Trout Club
13 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Wharncliffe Fly Fishery
13 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Arnfield Fly Fishery
16 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Howden Reservoir — Howden Reservoir and Dam
    Howden Reservoir and Dam
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Fished by members of the Birchinlee Fly Fishing Club (run with Ladybower Fisheries) together with Derwent Reservoir, the River Derwent and the River Ashop: wild brown trout with a distinctive darker colouring, artificial fly only, strictly catch and release, and no wading at the reservoir. Members only — there are no day tickets, though members may bring up to four guests a season. Bank fishing.

Surface area
62 ha (153 acres)
Mean depth
about 15 m (48 ft)
Area © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mean depth: Severn Trent's published capacity ÷ area.
  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Cloud cover (cloud) suits the fishery well.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for winter fishing.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish hard at this time of year.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout Season dates are not stated by the club; no season gate applied.
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Howden Reservoir is a reservoir in Peak District / Derbyshire, England. It sits at about 343 m above sea level. The species listed for this water is brown trout. Best window recorded for anglers: May–June. Core methods listed: Dry fly; Wet fly (artificial fly only). Nearby waters in our listings include Derwent Reservoir at 3.0 km, Ladybower Reservoir at 6.0 km and Barnsley Trout Club at 13 km.