Fishing at Meldon Reservoir, Devon, England

• Overview

  Look for Meldon Reservoir in the Devon part of England. What surrounds it is mixed woodland. At about 53 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline comes to about 1.5 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Compared with other England water on our list, it sits high. Okehampton sits 2.9 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Exeter is the closest city, 22 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Meldon Reservoir

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Devon records list brown trout, Atlantic salmon and European eel among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Meldon Reservoir the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 15°C and February about 4°C. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. On Meldon Reservoir that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. Picnic facilities are recorded some 70 yards out. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Fernworthy Reservoir at 7.9 miles is the nearest alternative. For Meldon Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.