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779-acre lake near Cumbria. The lake tops out around 151 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Traced from the shoreline, Thirlmere runs 777 acres with 8.7 miles of edge. An index of 2.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 16% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 3.7 mi, about 0.6 mi across. You'll find it in Cumbria. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Blea Tarn, 2 mi southwest of here.
Early season brown trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 25 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 35 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 38 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| 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 | Main-lake point (38 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (38 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Spring puts european perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 28 ft, wintering in 12 to 33 ft. Spring european perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) covers the summer program.
| 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 | open water | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| 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 |
When the water first warms, arctic char slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 20 to 60 ft game here, winter a 10 to 40 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates good come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) rigged through the warm months.
| 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 | open water | 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 | open water | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 128 ft.
Thirlmere is about 151 ft (46 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.
Anglers target brown trout, european perch, northern pike, arctic char on Thirlmere. 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.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for european perch in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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.
Blea Tarn 2 mi · Red Tarn, Helvellyn 2 mi · Dock Tarn 3 mi · Grisedale Tarn 3 mi · Derwent Water 5 mi · Brothers Water 6 mi · Grasmere 6 mi · Ullswater 7 mi · Elter Water or Elterwater 8 mi · Buttermere 8 mi · Bowscale Tarn 10 mi · Crummock Water 10 mi
See how Thirlmere 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: Cumbria fishing maps (32 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.