Trout Fishing We extend a warm welcome to all trout anglers. The range of fishing we offer ensures excellent sport for all abilities. Our still water fisheries are among the best in the west and vary in size from around 50 to over 900 acres! Our fisheries are picturesque and atmospheric lakes, including countless secluded bays, weedy shores and tree line margins to explore. We boast rainbows, browns and a large number of blues of the highest quality. Traditional fly fishing is the rule at our stocked fisheries, although other methods can be used at our free wilderness trout waters. Young People and Newcomers We are working hard to encourage young people and newcomers to take up the sport. Under 18 fish for free with a paying adult and part of their bag limit. Throughout the season, we host open days and events where we offer free fly fishing tuition for all. Boat Fishing Boats are available at most of our waters which provide an alternative to bank angling. These must be pre-booked, either by calling 01566 771930 (8.30am - 5.00pm 7 days a week) or online by scrolling to the bottom of your chosen lake page. You will need to sign a disclaimer before you can take a boat out. Once a year you will need to complete a boat induction – please watch the induction video here. Access for All Most of the waters benefit from facilities designed for disabled or wheelchair anglers, either by platforms or Wheelyboats. These boats must be booked at least 48 hours in advance. Clubs A number of the fisheries have associated local clubs. These are a great way to meet fellow anglers, as well as participating in competitions and social events. We run several competitions during the season - more details of each of these are available on our competitions page. Environment Agency Rod Licence Anglers on all our waters must have a valid Environment Agency rod licence which are available from post offices or via the Environment Agency. The only exception may be when attending a bona fide course or a coaching session with a qualified coach – please check beforehand. South West Lakes Trust South West Lakes Trust is the managing charity of SW Lakes Trust Fishing. The charity is a member of The Angling Trust. In 2014, the South West Lakes Trust fisheries hosted the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships; Scotland took gold and England won silver. Reporting an Incident: South West Lakes Trust manages a portfolio of nearly 50 lakes and other natural resources so it is not always possible for our wardens to be on the scene when issues occur. The very remote and rural nature of our estate, the thing that makes them so special, also means that modern mobile communications don’t always cover the areas we would like them to. This makes getting an immediate response to ongoing incidents very challenging. Please use this form to report any incidents of poaching, illegal fishing or any other form of antisocial behaviour to the management team so that we are able to take appropriate action. Complete Form Waters Prices Competitions and Events News and Results Catch Returns About us Contact Fishing Trout Fishing Trout Fisheries Report November 2025 The Trust’s Brown Trout fisheries have now closed for the 2025 season, while the Rainbow waters will stay open until the end of the year – check the South West Lakes Trust website for current ticket price offers. The drop in temperatures and the recent winds and rains have meant that water temperatures continue to fall, while levels continue to rise, except for at Kennick, where South West Water has lowered the levels for operational reasons. Kennick The level here is now down to 15% capacity, which means that there are a lot of newly exposed muddy banks – anglers should check for the latest information regarding boat availability and any bank closures (due to soft mud). The East Bank, The Lawns, Kennick Bay and Boat Bay have continued to produce some good sport, with either floating, sink-tip lines and long leaders, or intermediate lines with a slow retrieve producing the best results. Anglers were averaging 1.6 fish per visit. Small Black Buzzers, Coch-y-bondhus, Damsels and Diawl Bachs have all caught well, as have Silver Butchers, Whiskey Flies, Cats Whiskers, Vivas, Yellow Blobs and Fry Imitations. Siblyback The sport really picked up this month at Siblyback, with anglers reporting catch averages of 3.4 fish per visit. The favoured tactic was a floating line fished with a medium or slow retrieve. Rainbows rose to Foam Daddies and Hopper patterns, with sub-surface feeders taking Black Buzzers, sunk Daddies, Orange Fritz Blobs, Kennick Killers and Black and Red Cormorants. The best locations included West Bank, Stocky Bay, Crylla, The Meadows and The Stones. Water levels remained at around 38% capacity throughout the month. Burrator The excellent fishing at Burrator continued throughout the month, with anglers averaging 2.7 fish per visit. Productive locations included Discovery Bay, Longstone, Pig Trough, Back Bay and Narrator; fishing a sub-surface pattern with a slow retrieve on a floating, sink-tip, or intermediate line proved to be the most successful tactic. A selection of nymph patterns (Damsels, Buzzers, Diawl Bachs and Montanas) as well as lures (Viva, Orange Streamer, Baby Doll, Yellow Blob, Cats Whisker and Tadpole) all caught fish. The level is at 53% capacity at the time of writing. Stithians Anglers averaged 1.9 fish per visit over the month, with the best of the fishing to be found at Yellowort, Pub Bay, Mossops, Golden Lion Point and Sailing Club Banks. Floating line tactics proved to be the most productive, with most fish feeding within a foot of the surface. Popular patterns included dry Foam Daddies, Deer Hair Sedge patterns and Dry Grizzle Mink, or sub-surface Hares Ears, Black Spiders, Whiskey Flies, Orange Muglers and Orange Nomads. The water level remained at around 46% throughout the month. Please see the Trust’s website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events. Chris Hall (November 2025) Manage Cookie Preferences