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Fishing Loch of Harray: what the data says
2,433-acre lake near Orkney Islands. The lake tops out around 14 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Loch of Harray draws 2,428 acres inside 18.8 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 2.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory.
Brown Trout fishing at Loch of Harray
When the water first warms, brown trout slide up into 2 to 14 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 4 to 14 ft, winter 2 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 6 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Keep a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
European Perch fishing at Loch of Harray
Start shallow in spring: european perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for european perch in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Deep basin (12 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (12 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Northern Pike fishing at Loch of Harray
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 14 ft before dropping to 4 to 14 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Loch of Harray?
Loch of Harray is about 14 ft (4 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 of Harray?
Anglers target northern pike, european perch, brown trout on Loch of Harray. 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 of Harray?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for european perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Loch of Harray?
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 of Stenness 2 mi · Loch of Hundland 6 mi · Loch of Boardhouse 6 mi · Loch of Kirbister 7 mi · Loch of Swannay 8 mi · Peerie Water 11 mi · Muckle Water 11 mi · Lochs of Geniefea 13 mi · Loch of Tankerness 15 mi · Hoglinns Water 16 mi · Loch of Easter Head 25 mi · St Johns Loch 28 mi
See how Loch of Harray stacks up: best northern pike lakes in United Kingdom · best european perch lakes in United Kingdom · best brown trout lakes in United Kingdom
Browse all United Kingdom fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.