Colliford Lake

Colliford Lake is Cornwall’s largest inland water, a 911 acre reservoir on Bodmin Moor just off the A30, a couple of miles south of Jamaica Inn. South West Lakes Trust runs it as a brown trout fishery for traditional fly fishing, with wild and stocked fish. Grown on fish of over 2lb are caught often, fish up to 5lb now and then, and the largest on record is a 9lb 8oz brown from 2018.

Fishing is fly only and from the bank, and wading is not advised. Up to four fish over 10 inches may be taken in a day, or you can fish catch and release with barbless hooks. The Trust points to sedge patterns, soldier palmer, hoppers and bibios, and suggests walking the banks and fishing the margins, with an eye out for big browns chasing fry. The season runs from 15 March to 15 October.

There are car parks and toilets around the lake. Parking is £2 for one hour, £3 for three hours or £6 for the day, and the car parks have height barriers of about 2m. Day, evening and season tickets are sold online or by phone through South West Lakes Trust, and Colliford is also covered by the Castabout brown trout season permit. Under 18s fish free with a paying adult.