Stillwater · Volcanic · Þingvellir / Suðurland

Þingvallavatn

Panoramic view of Þingvallavatn seen from Road 36, the lake's open water and the rift-valley landscape.
Contributor photo

Þingvallavatn panorama

Villy Fink Isaksen - CC BY-SA 4.0

Iceland's largest natural lake, partly within Þingvellir National Park and famous for trophy brown trout plus multiple Arctic char forms.

Marginal · Trout
Killer · 8-14
A patient day, if you fancy it
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Take your time — read the water before you cast.
33% confidence
limited data

This venue is often best in june september.

What moved it
  • WindS 27 km/hModerate breeze
Today’s fly
KI
Killer8-14
Static, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Moderate breeze
S 27 km/h
N
S
from the south
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp—
Air temp8°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for trout
When
Through the Icelandic season — late April through October on Þingvallavatn. The famous urriði (Þingvallavatn brown trout) average bigger than anywhere in Iceland; long midsummer light extends fishing into the small hours.
Where
Drift lines along the rift cliffs and lava-shore margins. Þingvallavatn is a tectonic-rift lake — fish hold on the structural edges.
Method
Drift on a floater with a team of three — small wets and dabblers; midge-tip when fish hold deeper. Drogue on the bigger drifts.
Kit
10 ft #6/7 boat rod; floating and intermediate lines; 6 to 8 lb fluoro. Drogue and a long-handled net — Þingvallavatn browns run large.
The plan
Plan A

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 — at anchor

Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Trout fly box
RB
Red Buzzer
12-18 · Pattern
Static, sub-surface
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • In the Þingvellir national-park area, the season is 20 April to 15 September
  • From 20 April to 1 June only fly is allowed and all brown trout must be released
  • Fishing is forbidden in Öxará and at its mouth, and Hallvík closes from 1 July to 31 August.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
45%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp60%

Conditions are away from this venue's sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Other water nearby · 1
Villingavatn
9.0 km
Brown trout · Char
Gallery · 6
  1. Panoramic view of Þingvallavatn seen from Road 36, the lake's open water and the rift-valley landscape.
    Þingvallavatn panorama
  2. Panoramic view of Þingvallavatn from the Hakið outlook, Þingvellir National Park, broad open water.
    Þingvallavatn from Hakið
  3. Summer evening light over Þingvallavatn, Iceland's largest natural lake.
    Þingvallavatn evening
  4. Þingvallavatn lake at sunset, Iceland.
    Þingvallavatn at sunset
  5. Panoramic view of Þingvallavatn with mountains, lava fields and rocky shoreline, Iceland.
    Þingvallavatn and lava shore
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Iceland's largest natural lake, partly within Þingvellir National Park and famous for trophy brown trout plus multiple Arctic char forms. Spring-fed, crystal-clear water in a tectonic rift valley. The practical season in the national-park area runs from 20 April to 15 September, with stricter early-season fly-only and brown-trout-release rules.

  • Lake
  • Volcanic
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout20 April → 15 September
  • Char20 April → 15 September
Related guides
Thermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts