Saw 4 sea trout making this while out shooting pheasants, with water barely covering their gills. Went back this week and took this picture, fish were gone unfortunately but at least I know they are there now, for sure.

Ace.

Remarkable what sea trout will find to spawn in.

Although reducing year on year the Sussex Ouse still supports a sea trout run.
Various videos of spawning and weir jumping antics can be seen here:

www.youtube.com/user/ModelCitizen100#p/u

The run is dwindling for various reasons, a main factor being the numbers of impassable weirs that prohibit the fish from accessing their traditional spawning grounds (I suspect that the weir you mention on the stream by your lake might be one of these). Another major factor is the reducing levels of water in the feeder streams. The Brighton aquifer, which is the main source of water for at least one of the main Sea Trout spawning streams is being gradually drunk by Brighton residents. It is thought by long term users of a particularly important stream that the overall flow has reduced by well over two thirds during the last 30 years.

I'd be exceptionally interested to know if you saw those fish on January 9th, the same day that the video of the trout jumping the weir was taken (and a good proportion of these fish will have been on the way up to your stream). I am beginning to think that the majority of Sussex Ouse sea trout fly up the Ouse, spawn and return to sea in a single day and this year the 9th of January was the day of the largest run.

Thanks for any feedback.