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Fishing Loch of Tankerness: what the data says
158-acre lake near Orkney Islands. The lake tops out around 7 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Loch of Tankerness maps at 158 acres behind 2.4 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.4), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout.
Brown Trout fishing at Loch of Tankerness
Spring puts brown trout in skinny water — 1 to 7 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 7 ft. Summer brown trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (7 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 7 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (7 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 7 ft | dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
European Perch fishing at Loch of Tankerness
Early season european perch use the shallows, holding in 2 to 7 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 7 ft through summer, 2 to 7 ft in winter. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Northern Pike fishing at Loch of Tankerness
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 7 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 7 ft through summer, 2 to 7 ft in winter. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Loch of Tankerness?
Loch of Tankerness is about 7 ft (2 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 Tankerness?
Anglers target northern pike, european perch, brown trout on Loch of Tankerness. 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 Tankerness?
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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Loch of Tankerness?
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 Kirbister 9 mi · Peerie Water 14 mi · Loch of Harray 15 mi · Loch of Stenness 15 mi · Muckle Water 15 mi · Loch of Hundland 17 mi · Loch of Swannay 17 mi · Loch of Boardhouse 19 mi · Lochs of Geniefea 19 mi · Hoglinns Water 20 mi · Loch of Easter Head 28 mi · St Johns Loch 29 mi
See how Loch of Tankerness stacks up: best northern pike lakes in United Kingdom · best european perch lakes in United Kingdom · best brown trout lakes in United Kingdom
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