Stillwater · Peat · Scottish Borders

West Water Reservoir

West Water Reservoir terrain map
Terrain map

A high, bleak Scottish Water reservoir in the upper Tweed catchment near West Linton, on the southern fringe of the Pentlands and a short drive from Peebles.

Fair · Trout
Kate McLaren · 12-14
Fairlive now
Good summer conditions for West Water Reservoir
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
64% confidence
What moved it
  • WindSW 6 km/hLight breeze
Today’s fly
Kate McLaren
Kate McLaren12-14
Retrieve, in the film
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
SW 6 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
WaveRipple
Water temp—
Air temp11°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for trout
When
May to July and September
Where
Start with Marabou Damsel (8-12) — on the point. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Marabou Damsel (8-12) — on the point. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.

Plan B

Fish early and late, try deeper during the heat of the day with a fast-sinking line.

Watch for

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

Either bank or boat

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

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
2
2
1
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
Trout fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
73%
Cloud50%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A good match for this venue — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Loganlea Reservoir
10 km
Brown trout
Harperrig Reservoir
12 km
Brown trout
Glencorse Reservoir
13 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Threipmuir Reservoir
13 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Allandale Tarn Fisheries
15 km
Trout
About this water

A high, bleak Scottish Water reservoir in the upper Tweed catchment near West Linton, on the southern fringe of the Pentlands and a short drive from Peebles. Wild brown trout only — no stocking, no rainbows, and a permit scheme that keeps the fishing low-pressure. The reservoir is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its upland geese and moorland bird community, which limits casual use and is half the reason it still feels like proper wild water. Bank fishing, fly only. The trout are modest in size and plentiful in the right conditions, and they fish like wild hill-loch browns everywhere: honest, eager on a ripple, impossibly hard on a flat calm. Bring waterproofs. The weather here is the weather.

  • Reservoir
  • Peat
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.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout15 March → 6 October
Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingBig Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatch
Booking & contacts