Stillwater · Sandstone · South West / Somerset-Devon border, GB-ENG

Wimbleball Lake

Open water of Wimbleball Lake seen from the circular path, looking toward Berrow Bridge.

A 150-hectare reservoir on the edge of Exmoor with a wild, moorland character.

Fair · Rainbow
Minkie · 6–10
Fairlive now
Good winter conditions for Wimbleball Lake
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
54% confidence
What moved it
  • WindS 17 km/hGentle breeze · Gusts to 27 km/h
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6–10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Gentle breeze · Gusts to 27 km/h
S 17 km/h
N
S
from the south
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp7.6°C
Air temp7°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure—
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Reservoir levelas of 8 Nov
18% full
Very low
Source: South West Water, via South West Lakes Trust (weekly)
How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Current conditions suit Wimbleball Lake 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
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.

Buzzer team todayfor the conditions now
Point
Bloodworm
Not in this water's box
#10
How to fish it
Slow-sink line · slow figure-of-eight, pausing to let the flies hang

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
77%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp100%

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

Other water nearby · 5
Clatworthy Reservoir
7.0 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Exe Valley Fly Fishing
8.0 km
Rainbow trout
River Tone
15 km
Brown trout
Hawkridge Fishery
24 km
Rainbow trout
Hawkridge Fishery
24 km
Rainbow trout
Gallery · 5
  1. Open water of Wimbleball Lake seen from the circular path, looking toward Berrow Bridge.
    Wimbleball Lake, Exmoor
  2. Broad northward view across Wimbleball Lake with Bessom Bridge at the far end of the reservoir.
    Wimbleball Lake, Exmoor
  3. Wimbleball Lake viewed from Berrow Bridge looking back toward the sailing club on the wooded shoreline.
    Wimbleball Lake, Exmoor
  4. Aerial view looking down on Wimbleball Lake and Haddon Hill in Somerset, the full extent of the reservoir.
    Wimbleball Lake
  5. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Boat and bank; the sheltered arms provide good bank fishing. Stocked with rainbows and brown trout; wild browns from feeder streams add quality. The Exmoor setting means clean water and genuine solitude. Buzzer and olive hatches from April; mayfly in places. The trout fishing is run by Wimbleball Fly Fishery, which stocks rainbows from its own trout farm in the Exe valley; South West Lakes Trust runs the lake's activity centre, campsite and car parks.

Surface area
1.5 km² (372 acres)
Mean depth
about 14 m (46 ft)
Area © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mean depth: South West Water's published capacity ÷ area.
  • Reservoir
  • Sandstone
Why this score
  • Temperature (moderate) is in the sweet spot for winter fishing.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish hard at this time of year.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 26 February → 31 December
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Wimbleball Lake is a reservoir in South West / Somerset-Devon border, England. The catchment geology is recorded as sandstone, and the water sits at about 351 m above sea level. Species listed for this water: brown trout and rainbow trout. The trout season is recorded as running from 26 February to 31 December. Best window recorded for anglers: April–June, September. Core methods listed: Boat drifting; bank buzzer fishing; dry fly. Nearby waters in our listings include Clatworthy Reservoir at 7.0 km, Exe Valley Fly Fishing at 8.0 km and River Tone at 15 km.