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108-acre lake near South Ayrshire. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The depth data here comes from Murray & Pullar's Scottish loch survey of 1903, digitized from the bathymetric atlas published in 1910. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The outline encloses 108 acres, worked by 3 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (2) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Figure 0.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.6 mi at the beam. South Ayrshire claims this one. If the bite dies, Loch Maberry or Loch Mayberry is 1 mi to the southwest.
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 1 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 10 ft covers summer, 1 to 10 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and early morning. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
When the water first warms, european perch slide up into 3 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 33 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Spring northern pike on Loch Dornal hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 10 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 9 ft, is the deepest of them.
Loch Dornal is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from Murray & Pullar's Scottish loch survey of 1903, digitized from the bathymetric atlas published in 1910.
Anglers target brown trout, european perch, northern pike on Loch Dornal. 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.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for european perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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.
Loch Maberry or Loch Mayberry 1 mi · Loch Nahinie or Drumlamford Loch 1 mi · Loch Ochiltree or Loch of Fyntalloch 2 mi · Loch Moan 7 mi · Loch Ronald 8 mi · Loch Trool 8 mi · Kirriereoch Loch 8 mi · Long Loch of Glenhead 10 mi · Loch Valley 10 mi · Round Loch of Glenhead 10 mi · Loch Enoch 11 mi · Loch Dee 11 mi
See how Loch Dornal stacks up: best northern pike lakes in United Kingdom · best european perch lakes in United Kingdom · best brown trout lakes in United Kingdom
More water nearby: South Ayrshire fishing maps (5 charts). Browse all United Kingdom fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.