Pike Fishing at Loch Leven
Our pike fishing season ends on 14th March and starts again on 1st May.
This is to protect the welfare of our pike population during their spawning season and to let them get back into condition; improving the quality of pike at Loch Leven for years to come.
Recent years have seen a significant recovery in the pike population, to the extent that pike anglers are now fishing the Loch again and catching specimens of up to 26lbs.
To ensure we protect the integrity of Loch Leven and the welfare, longevity and quality of the Pike for years to come, we ask all anglers to read our rules before fishing.
We would prefer not to, but we will consider imposing bans on anyone caught breaching these rules and codes of conduct.
Equipment/Code of Conduct
- Proper equipment – Please turn up with equipment suitable for pike fishing e.g. tools to unhook fish – forceps, longnose pliers, hook cutters
- Life jackets – must be worn at all times
- Anchoring – no anchoring 100 metres from jetties or boat yards and in depths over 30 feet
- Strike as quickly as possible if your float moves or goes under the fish to avoid deep hooking
- Distance between boats – Please allow a minimum of 50 yards between boats
- Other species – No deliberate fishing for other species
- Catch and Return – All fish including trout should be returned
- Hooks – Try to unhook smaller fish at the side of the boat and always wet your hands
- Safe Return of Pike – please refrain from retaining fish for any longer than is necessary
- Weighing – when weighing fish, please wet the mat and weigh sling
- Photos – when photographing fish, please wet both hands and return fish as quickly as possible to the water
Dead Bait Fishing
- Sea dead baits only – no lamprey, smelt or pollan and no freshwater species
- Minimum bait size – 4 inches
- Rods – we allow a maximum of two rods per angler
- Breaking strain minimum mainline – 50lb braid or 25lb monofilament
- Breaking strain of trace – minimum 30lbs plus
- Hook size and type – maximum 4 and de-barbed hooks only
- Trace length – recommended minimum of 24 inches
- Lead size – minimum 1 oz/28 grams
- Float size – minimum 4 inches/35 grams – no dead baiting without using floats
- Anchoring – avoid anchoring a minimum of 50 yards from another boat
- Float ledgering – if float ledgering, please ensure stops are no more than 2 foot over depth for adequate depth indication (re-check each time you move swims)
Lure Fishing
- Braids – minimum of 50lb braid or 25lb monofilament
- Wire traces – must always be used
- Fluorocarbon – as a trace material is not permitted
- Lure sizes – minimum lure size 5 inches
- Treble sizes – maximum treble size 2/0
- Hooks – maximum of two hooks per lure (to reduce damage)
Here are some photos of pike caught recently but you can also see more on our Instagram posts on the right hand side of this page.
