Stillwater · Mixed · Co. Antrim / Carrickfergus hills, GB-NIR

Lower South Woodburn Reservoir

Woodburn Lower South Reservoir near Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland -- a stocked trout fishery.

Lower South Woodburn is the smaller shore-fishing member of the Woodburn cluster.

Good · Rainbow
Perch Fry · 8-10_long_shank
Goodlive now
Reasonable autumn fishing likely at Lower South Woodburn Reservoir
Good wave on — drift country. Drift fishing weather — three flies on a long leader.
65% confidence

Lower South Woodburn Reservoir is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSE 17 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
Perch Fry
Perch Fry8-10_long_shank
Retrieve
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Gentle breeze
SE 17 km/h
N
SE
from the south-east
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp10.3°C
Air temp11°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Head to
Wind driftSE wind
North-western end

A southeasterly has held for 13 hours at much the same temperature as the 10°C water. No thermal steer either way, but the drift still stacks food against the north-western end — the bank it is blowing into — so start there. This reads the upper water, though — a bottom bait at range feels it far less than a floater or a fish in the margins. 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 Rainbow
When
Conditions are not ideal but fishable at Lower South Woodburn Reservoir. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently.
Where
Start with Perch Fry (8-10_long_shank) — on the point. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Perch Fry (8-10_long_shank) — on the point. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.

Plan B

A fry-imitating pattern stripped through the margins can save a blank in autumn.

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 · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
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.

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
59%
Cloud50%
Wind65%
Temp60%

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

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. Woodburn Lower South Reservoir near Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland -- a stocked trout fishery.
    The eastern shore of Woodburn Lower South Reservoir, near Carrickfergus, County Antrim.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Lower South Woodburn is the smaller shore-fishing member of the Woodburn cluster. Brown and rainbow trout, no boats, and straightforward DAERA access make it a useful local stillwater rather than a headline destination. It helps complete the east Antrim public-estate picture and makes most sense when viewed alongside the other Woodburn/Copeland waters.

  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish well at this time of year.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 March → 31 October
Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts