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Fishing Rutland Water: what the data says
2,993-acre lake near Leicestershire. The lake tops out around 91 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Traced from the shoreline, Rutland Water runs 2,987 acres with 23.3 miles of edge. A development index of 3 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. About 15% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone.
Brown Trout fishing at Rutland Water
Spring brown trout on Rutland Water hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 41 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in 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 (23 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (41 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (10 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Sharp break (17 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
European Perch fishing at Rutland Water
In spring, european perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 28 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 33 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring european perch. Time it for early morning. 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 | Sharp break (17 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Sharp break (17 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (17 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Northern Pike fishing at Rutland Water
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 | Weed flat (8 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 Rutland Water
Come spring, look for arctic char tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 20 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 10 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is 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 | Rock reef (10 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Break off the point (41 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Rock reef (10 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (17 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 77 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 41 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 23 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 23 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 17 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 10 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 5 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Rutland Water?
Rutland Water is about 91 ft (28 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 Rutland Water?
Anglers target northern pike, european perch, brown trout, arctic char on Rutland Water. 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 Rutland Water?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for european perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
When is the best time to fish Rutland Water?
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
Eyebrook Reservoir 8 mi · Tallington Lakes 12 mi · Thrapston Lake 18 mi · Cropston Reservoir 23 mi · Groby Pool 24 mi · Stanford Reservoir 25 mi · Hollowell Reservoir 25 mi · Attenborough NR 30 mi · Draycote Water 36 mi · Stewartby Lake 41 mi · Decoy Lake, Arlington 43 mi · Great Lake or Welbeck 46 mi
See how Rutland Water 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
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