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Fishing Widdop Reservoir: what the data says
89-acre lake near West Yorkshire. The lake tops out around 45 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 89 acres wrapped in 1.8 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.3) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. About 48% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone.
Brown Trout fishing at Widdop Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 14 to 45 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 20-ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
European Perch fishing at Widdop Reservoir
When the water first warms, european perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 8 to 28 ft game here, winter a 12 to 33 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (38 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Northern Pike fishing at Widdop Reservoir
Spring northern pike on Widdop Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Arctic Char fishing at Widdop Reservoir
Spring puts arctic char in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 14 to 45 ft, wintering in 10 to 40 ft. Summer arctic char concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 38 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | dawn | Deep basin (38 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (38 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 38 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 20 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 11 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Widdop Reservoir?
Widdop Reservoir is about 45 ft (14 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 Widdop Reservoir?
Anglers target northern pike, european perch, brown trout, arctic char on Widdop Reservoir. 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 Widdop Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 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 Widdop Reservoir?
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
White Holme Reservoir 8 mi · Stocks Reservoir 19 mi · Malham Tarn 21 mi · Gouthwaite Reservoir 26 mi · The Flash or Pennington Flash 28 mi · Wyresdale Park Lake 28 mi · Scar House Reservoir 28 mi · Derwent Reservoir 30 mi · Ladybower Reservoir 32 mi · Rostherne Mere 32 mi · Semer Water 34 mi · The Mere 34 mi
See how Widdop Reservoir 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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