Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch Depth Map & Fishing Spots (UK)

Skip to interactive depth chart

Lake depth chart

Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch, UK

Max 68 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Sedge season & the Murrough window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Sedge season & the MurroughActive window

Typical here: Jun 1 – Sep 30 · the Murrough and Green Peter are lough patterns from July, peaking the last weeks of August; evening sedge fishing runs to the season close

pupawarm summer evenings as the light fades
adultlate evening into dark, on calm water — the great red sedge is large enough to provoke explosive surface takes from big trout — fished dry off the shorelines and on the drift

Big-fish-on-top fishing in the last two hours of light — the sedge weeks of late August produce some of the best days of the lough year.

The evening sedge pulls big trout to the shorelines in low light — exactly when small surface plugs and slow-twitched 4–5cm minnowbaits shine along the rocky shores and weed edges; or run a bubble float with a dry Murrough behind it, twitched on the pause.

The event happens over lough shorelines, rocky shallows and weed edges on warm, calm summer evenings

Daddy-Long-Legs (crane fly)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Oct 15 · dapped daddies documented from early July on Corrib; the famous window is mid-August through September, with grasshopper dapping in the same weeks

adultdaytime, on a drift with a wave — best on the breezy days that blow craneflies off the banks — the documented method is dapping: a natural or artificial daddy on a long rod and floss line, skipping across the surface ahead of the drifting boat; a dry daddy on the drift is the modern equivalent

The autumn wake-up: big trout that ignored everything through June and July suddenly become aggressive — often the largest browns of the season on a dry fly.

Fish the windward drifts where the terrestrials land — surface plugs twitched on a wave, or a bubble float trailing a daddy skipped on the surface (dapping with spin gear, effectively). The late-season big-fish window before the September close.

The event happens over windward shorelines, island shallows and drift lines on breezy August–September days

Next on this water

Buzzers & Duckfly (chironomids) · midgeMar 15 – Jun 30 · in ~6 months

Spring roach spawn (predator event) · baitfishApr 15 – Jun 15 · in ~7 months

Hawthorn Fly · terrestrialsApr 18 – May 15 · in ~7 months

The Mayfly (Ephemera danica) · mayflyApr 25 – Jul 5 · in ~7 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

Loading bounded depth chart…

Recent catches at Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch

Recent public catches load as you reach this section.

Fishing Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch: what the data says

326-acre lake near Highland. The lake tops out around 68 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

On the chart, Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch draws 325 acres inside 6.5 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 2.6, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 19% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.6 mi with a 0.8-mi widest point. The water lies in Highland. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Loch Bràigh Horrisdale, 3 mi west of here.

Brown Trout fishing at Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch

Spring brown trout on Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 25 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 58 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run after dark and early morning. The summer box starts with a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night).

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	25 to 60 ft	night & dawn	Deep basin (58 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dawn	open water	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

European Perch fishing at Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch

In spring, european perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 28 ft before dropping to 12 to 33 ft for winter. Spring european perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) most summer days.

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	open water	Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats
Winter	12 to 33 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig

Northern Pike fishing at Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch

In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.

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	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (17 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

Arctic Char fishing at Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch

Come spring, look for arctic char tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 20 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 40 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 58 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) is the honest summer answer here.

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	Deep basin (58 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	open water	Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic

Notable structure

Count 5 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 58 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 58 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 17 ft
Secondary point: point, around 17 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft

Common questions

How deep is Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch?

Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch is about 68 ft (21 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.

What fish are in Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch?

Anglers target brown trout, european perch, northern pike, arctic char on Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch. 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.

Where is the best fishing spot on Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 58 ft of water that rates prime for arctic char in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch?

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.

Nearby waters

Loch Bràigh Horrisdale 3 mi · Loch a Ghobhainn 3 mi · Loch Bad a Chròtha 4 mi · Loch a Bhealaich 4 mi · Loch na h-Oidhche 4 mi · Loch Tollaidh 5 mi · Lochan on Eilean Subhainn 5 mi · Loch Maree 6 mi · Loch Kernsary or Loch na h-Airde Bige 6 mi · Loch Ghiuragarstidh 7 mi · Fionn Loch or Dubh Loch 8 mi · Loch Coire Mhic Fhearchair 9 mi

See how Loch Bad an Sgalaig or Dubh Loch 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: Highland fishing maps (242 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.