Fishing at Loch a' Chrathaich, Highland, Scotland

• Overview

  Set in Highland, Scotland, this is Loch a' Chrathaich. Height above sea level is 1,673 feet. It measures about 163 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 2.5 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Compared with other Scotland water on our list, it sits high. Some 11 miles away sits Drumnadrochit, the nearest settlement. For a city, Dundee is 85 miles off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Loch a' Chrathaich

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Highland names brown trout, Atlantic salmon, European eel and Arctic charr. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Work Loch a' Chrathaich in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 13°C and February near 2°C. Whether it freezes depends on the year. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. It holds true on Loch a' Chrathaich more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Loch nan Eun, 3.1 miles away. For Loch a' Chrathaich, the notice at the access point is the final word.