Stillwater · Acidic · North East / Northumberland

Sweethope Lough

Sweethope Loughs venue image
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Two natural loughs in the Northumberland moors at the headwaters of the Wansbeck — Great Lough (140 acres) and Little Lough (12 acres) — managed as a trout fishery.

Good · Rainbow
Diawl Bach · 12-14
Goodlive now
Buzzer on Sweethope Lough
Good wave on — drift country. Drift fishing weather — three flies on a long leader.
68% confidence
What moved it
  • WindNW 5 km/hCalm
Today’s fly
Diawl Bach
Diawl Bach12-14
Washing-line, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Calm
NW 5 km/h
N
NW
from the north-west
WaveRipple
Water temp—
Air temp15°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for rainbow
When
May–September
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. 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

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
100%
Cloud100%
Wind100%
Temp100%

Conditions are ideal for Sweethope Lough — wind, cloud and temperature all line up.

Other water nearby · 5
Langley Dam Fishery
23 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Blue trout
Thrunton Long Crag Trout Fishery
28 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Knitsley Mill Trout Fishery
31 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Blue trout
Kielder Water
35 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Aldin Grange Fishery
42 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Blue trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Two natural loughs in the Northumberland moors at the headwaters of the Wansbeck — Great Lough (140 acres) and Little Lough (12 acres) — managed as a trout fishery. The moorland setting and peaty water give both waters a character closer to a Scottish loch than an English commercial fishery. Rainbows here fight hard in the cold, low-nutrient water, and the chance of a fish of a lifetime — the kind that earns an immediate retelling — is real enough that regulars plan trips around it rather than treating it as a quick-visit water.

  • Loch
  • Acidic
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 summer fishing.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingSmall Stillwater Playbookstillwater tacticsThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
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