Loch Tay Depth Map & Fishing Spots (UK)

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Lake depth chart

Loch Tay, UK

Max 508 ft

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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

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Recent catches at Loch Tay

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Fishing Loch Tay: what the data says

6,525-acre lake near Perth and Kinross. The lake tops out around 508 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

The outline encloses 6,510 acres, worked by 32.5 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.9) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. 0% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 14.2 mi, about 2.6 mi across. Perth and Kinross claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lochan nan Cat, is 3 mi to the northwest.

Brown Trout fishing at Loch Tay

Spring puts brown trout in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 25 to 60 ft, wintering in 5 to 35 ft. Summer brown trout concentrate at Sharp break, a prime-rated drop-off around 43 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	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	25 to 60 ft	night & dawn	Sharp break (43 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dawn	Sharp break (43 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

European Perch fishing at Loch Tay

Early season european perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 28 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 33 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 6 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	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	Sharp break (43 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats
Winter	12 to 33 ft	midday & dawn	Offshore hump (42 ft)	Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig

Northern Pike fishing at Loch Tay

Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 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 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

Arctic Char fishing at Loch Tay

The spring pattern is a shallow one: arctic char in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 20 to 60 ft before dropping to 10 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Offshore hump, an offshore hump in about 42 ft of water that rates prime for arctic char in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) gets it done.

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	Offshore hump (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	Offshore hump (42 ft)	Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic

Atlantic Salmon fishing at Loch Tay

Start shallow in spring: atlantic salmon sit in 5 to 30 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 20 to 70 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Sharp break, a drop-off in the 43 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a trolling spoon or a flasher + fly until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Slim coastal spoon, Trolling spoon
Summer	20 to 70 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (43 ft)	Trolling spoon, Flasher + fly
Fall	4 to 28 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Casting spoon, Large streamer
Winter	10 to 45 ft	midday	Sharp break (43 ft)	Slow coastal spoon

Notable structure

The chart marks 12 structure features on Loch Tay; the deepest is Deep basin at about 432 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 432 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 127 ft
Secondary point: point, around 127 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 117 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 82 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 78 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 43 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 42 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 42 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 42 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft

Common questions

How deep is Loch Tay?

Loch Tay is about 508 ft (155 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 Tay?

Anglers target brown trout, european perch, northern pike, arctic char, atlantic salmon on Loch Tay. 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 Tay?

Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 43 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Loch Tay?

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

Lochan nan Cat 3 mi · Lochan Breaclaich 6 mi · Loch Earn 10 mi · Lochan Lairig Cheile 10 mi · Loch Turret Reservoir 11 mi · Loch Hoil 12 mi · Loch Freuchie 12 mi · Loch Fender 13 mi · Loch Rannoch 13 mi · Loch na Craige 13 mi · Loch Monzievaird or Loch Monviezard 14 mi · Loch Kennard 15 mi

See how Loch Tay 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: Perth and Kinross fishing maps (40 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.