Fly fishing at Buttermere, Lake District, England

About this water

Laying underneath Haystacks mountain and to the southeast of Crummock rests the crystal clear lake of Buttemere. Set in beautiful surroundings, this is the most photographed lake in Lakeland.

Popular with tourists due to its position and a circuit path close to the water's edge, you'll most certainly be the subject of a few holidaymakers' snaps whilst you fish. Be prepared for questions.

Unfortunately, there are no longer any boats on Buttermere; she cries out to be fished from a boat.
There are no launching facilities, but you can launch your own boat.

More forgiving than Crummock, it fishes best from May until July but in the right conditions, will fish as early as April.
Traditional wets are an excellent place to start, and you'll need a decent wind to give you cover; like Crummock, the water is crystal clear.

There is a Mayfly hatch in June which can bring out the bigger fish over 1lb.

A late run of Salmon and Sea trout pass through the lake but not in any numbers to make it worth targeting them.

Location

Photos

Day permits cover Buttermere, Crummock Water and Loweswater, and a short stretch of the River Cocker.
Tickets are £10 and can be purchased from the car park machine at the National Trust car parks in Buttermere and Lanthwaite Wood.

You can pay for parking and fishing on your phone using Paybyphone, but you can't do this in advance, only on the day.

Some will struggle with limited reception at the carparks, so I recommend paying using the app before you leave home or bring plenty of pound coins for your fishing ticket.

The Paybyphone location number for fishing is 804482