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224-acre lake near Cumbria. The lake tops out around 94 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Buttermere maps at 223 acres behind 3.1 miles of shoreline. With a 1.5 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. About 7% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 1.3 mi, about 0.4 mi across. Cumbria claims this one. If the bite dies, Crummock Water is 2 mi to the northwest.
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 42 ft, rated prime for summer brown trout. Time it for after dark and early morning. You won't need more than a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (24 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (42 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (24 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (42 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Spring european perch on Buttermere hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 28 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 33 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — feeding flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Break off the point (42 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a feeding flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: arctic char sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 20 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 42 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Break off the point (42 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (42 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 80 ft, is the deepest of them.
Buttermere is about 94 ft (29 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target brown trout, european perch, northern pike, arctic char on Buttermere. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 42 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Crummock Water 2 mi · Scoat Tarn 4 mi · Low Tarn 4 mi · Ennerdale Water 5 mi · Loweswater 5 mi · Greendale Tarn 6 mi · Dock Tarn 6 mi · Derwent Water 6 mi · Wast Water 6 mi · Blea Tarn 7 mi · Burnmoor Tarn 7 mi · Thirlmere 8 mi
See how Buttermere stacks up: best northern pike lakes in United Kingdom · best european perch lakes in United Kingdom · best brown trout lakes in United Kingdom · best arctic char lakes in United Kingdom
More water nearby: Cumbria fishing maps (32 charts). Browse all United Kingdom fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.