Stillwater · Mixed · West / Dunbartonshire

Loch Lomond

Balmaha Pier on Loch Lomond with boats moored alongside, open loch water stretching to wooded islands and hills.
Contributor photo

Balmaha Pier, Loch Lomond

Tony Webster - CC BY 2.0

Scotland's largest loch by surface area — a complex system offering multiple fisheries.

Fair · Atlantic Salmon
Ally's Shrimp · 8-12
Fairlive now
Decent — worth a look
Low and clear — careful approach country. Low water tactics — small singles, riffling hitch in the smooth glides.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.15 mLast reading 11h ago
  • Water temp15.6°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
Ally's Shrimp
Ally's Shrimp8-12
Summer and autumn shrimp for Lomond-system salmon running through to the Endrick and Fruin — swing it in the river mouths and feeder streams.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.15 m
Last reading 11h ago
Water temp15.6°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindE 9 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent11.8 mm
Rain · ahead16.2 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for atlantic salmon
Warm — slow
16°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for atlantic salmon
When
All day — lough fishing is best in a good wave. Early morning and evening can produce in calm conditions.
Where
Work the drift lanes from the upwind shore across the productive zones. Cover bay edges, underwater reefs, and any areas where the bottom shoals.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
10 ft #7/8 single-hander, floating line, 10–12 lb fluoro leader. Boat seat and waterproofs for the drift.
Why this works
Fair conditions based on river hydrology and migration patterns.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 9 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalModerate confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Loch Lomond Fishing Map
Click to expand

Loch Lomond Map

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What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Upper Forth
38 km
50
Brown trout · Sea trout · Atlantic salmon
River Irvine
42 km
50
Brown trout · Sea trout · Atlantic salmon
Endrick Water
8.0 km
Brown trout · Sea trout · Atlantic salmon
River Kelvin
14 km
Brown trout
River Teith
37 km
Brown trout · Atlantic salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 6
  1. Balmaha Pier on Loch Lomond with boats moored alongside, open loch water stretching to wooded islands and hills.
    Balmaha Pier, Loch Lomond
  2. Wide shoreline view of Loch Lomond at Balmaha with open water and distant hills under an overcast sky.
    Balmaha, Loch Lomond
  3. Panoramic view of Loch Lomond and its scattered islands from the slopes of Ben Lomond, the loch stretching south.
    Loch Lomond from Ben Lomond
  4. Ultra-wide stitched panorama of Loch Lomond showing the full breadth of open water, wooded islands and surrounding hills.
    Loch Lomond panorama
  5. Open water of Loch Lomond north of Luss village, the western shoreline hills reflected in the calm surface.
    Loch Lomond north of Luss
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Scotland's largest loch by surface area — a complex system offering multiple fisheries. Mandatory catch-and-release applies. Declining Atlantic salmon populations are Category 3 under Scottish Government classification; every fish returned matters. Southern basin is broad and shallow, productive for sea trout drifting in summer. Northern part is deep and narrow, home to salmon. Island fishing for sea trout in summer evenings is special. Tributary rivers (Endrick, Fruin) provide wading trout fishing. The loch's scale means boats, strategy, and timing matter; fish concentrate in particular areas depending on season and wind. Powan (freshwater herring) also present. Complex management — check local regulations.

  • Loch
  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

SEPA WFD 2022 (loch layer) — Loch Lomond (South basin): Moderate status. Re-tagged 2026-06-18 from Finlas Water (a tributary), a river/burn waterbody, to the loch's own SEPA water body. Source: SEPA WFD 2022 classification (spatialdata.gov.scot / SEPA Aquatic Classification Hub).

SEPA (Scotland) · UKSC100257

The full read · show the working · for atlantic salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmoncheck local (typically February) → check local (typically October)
Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureAtlantic Salmonsalmon tactics
Booking & contacts