Stillwater · Limestone · South West / Somerset-Dorset border, GB-ENG

Sutton Bingham Reservoir

Sutton Bingham Reservoir venue image

A 56-hectare Wessex Water reservoir south of Yeovil with boat and bank fly fishing.

Closed season · Rainbow
Minkie · 6–10
Closed season
Season reopens 4 February. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.

Peak season here starts around March — worth planning ahead.

What moved it
  • WindSE 7 km/hLight breeze · Gusts to 8 km/h
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6–10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze · Gusts to 8 km/h
SE 7 km/h
N
SE
from the south-east
WaveRipple
Water temp9.0°C
Air temp0°C
CloudClear
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Reservoir levelas of 28 Sep
▼ Dropping
34% full
Low & dropping
▼-3 ptsthis week
Source: Wessex Water, via Stream open data (CC BY 4.0)
How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Current conditions suit Sutton Bingham Reservoir well for winter tactics. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently.
Where
Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. 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 Minkie (6-10) — on the point. 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.

Either bank or boat

Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.

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
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
Black buzzer, orange thorax
In this water’s box: Black Buzzer
#10
How to fish it
Intermediate line · let the breeze drift the team, then hang it 15–30 s

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
79%
Cloud70%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A good match for Sutton Bingham Reservoir — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Flowers Farm Trout Lakes
12 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
River Frome (Dorset)
25 km
Brown trout · Grayling
River Brue
29 km
Brown trout
Wessex Fly Fishing
30 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
River Piddle
37 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

From 2026, Sutton Bingham runs a split season: trout fly fishing from April to June, then carp on the fly from June through September. The carp-on-fly season has specific bank and boat windows — this is one of very few English reservoirs with an explicit, managed carp-on-fly programme. Compact and productive water in a sheltered setting.

Surface area
40 ha (98 acres)
Mean depth
4–5 m (12–18 ft)
Area © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mean depth: Wessex Water's published capacity ÷ area.
  • Reservoir
  • Limestone
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish hard at this time of year.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 4 February → 30 June
  • Carp 1 June → 30 September
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Sutton Bingham Reservoir is a reservoir in South West / Somerset-Dorset border, England. Its recorded elevation is about 54 m above sea level and the catchment geology is limestone. Our data lists rainbow trout and carp here. The trout season is recorded as running from 4 February to 30 June. The carp season is recorded as running from 1 June to 30 September. Best window recorded for anglers: April–June (trout); June–September (carp on fly). Core methods listed: Boat drifting (trout); bank buzzer and lure (trout); sight_fishing_carp (June–September). Nearby waters in our listings include Flowers Farm Trout Lakes at 12 km, River Frome (Dorset) at 25 km and River Brue at 29 km.