Anyone know how Usk Reservoir is fishing and where the best places to fish there are. Only been there once before and fished the dam end but fancy trying the top end and may go for a day next week. Is it still coins in the machine for a permit there?

I'll take that as a 'no-one has fished it' and I'll let you know how I get on.

Well I did fish it yesterday and I didn't get on very well. The lower end where casting is okay is full of worm anglers. Parked the car on the Main Road at the south side and walked to the reservoir along the forestry road to the south side where a few casting areas were available but nothing caught. Not very much moving either. Further west looked like difficult casting. There looked to be a few casting areas on the North shore however, on the North side you can only take your car as far as the Tower. By this stage time was running out and the long walk in waders wasn't appealing so tried some of the southern areas where worm fishers had now left. Again nothing to floating or intermediate lines.

Anyone know of access to the North end that doesn't involve such long hikes in waders and whether there are areas to cast when you get there?

I've fished it twice this year. Ask to see if they've recently stocked and if so, the fish will be patrolling as a shoal around the bottom by the ticket booth (and along that shore) and dam. Having fished this venue for donkey's years, both fly and worm I may add, the best fishing is to the top of the lake which involves a 20 min hike along a road. Go to the top of the lake where its fly only and you should have good sport with overwintered fish - very nice brownies too!. If you want to "stocky bash" then keep to the bottom end along the shore where the ticket booth is or near the disabled area which you pass on the way to buy your ticket. Get in amongst the bubble-floaters and you should have a few stocked fish. Final tip, the reservoir has always been either very good or extremely poor. Fish usually are moving between 6 and 10am, after which it goes dead as a do-do until about 5pm where the fish start to take in interest again. In between 10am and 5pm you may as well not bother in my experience.


As far as casting at the top of the reservoir is concerned, if you go to the tower and walk along the shore past the tower it'll take you 20 mins or so to get to the very top of the reservoir. Get to there and there are plenty of places to cast with grass going down to the shoreline. Its worth the walk and it may well be worth taking trainers with you as well as waders for the walk (put in rucksack etc). Its worth it up the top end, but although accessible by walking, you cant get up there by car. Had 5 x 2lb+ brownies one day there last year!!

Thanks Welsh Rune, Unfortunately my fishing partner couldn't make an early start and by the time we faffed about trying to find the access to the top end it was well past 10am. Sounds like we decided on the wrong access anyway and fished the opposite bank to the one the Tower was on (South bank?). I won't give up on Usk yet and will try the walk past the Tower although and early start next time will be a certainty. I've had two visits to this reservoir and only one small fish between those visits and that was a fluke to a Viva on the drop. I mean even take the mountain bike up there one day to reccy the walk and fishing areas first. Shame it goes dead from 10-5pm considering no morning or evening ticket is available.

Thanks for the info though. I thought for a moment nobody on here bothered fishing it at all.

Thanks Osprey, yeah I fish it often and will be going next week too - probably will bring the ledger rod and some lobworms with me, although i'll fish the early morning and late evening on the fly. Its worth you trying up top on the fly but like i said walk or cycle up the top and take the mrs with you on a nice day, its well worth it. The Usk although regularly stocked can be difficult to fly fish, catching isn't easy there and often the deadliest method is the bubble float, so unless you're a fanatical fly-fisher, take the ledger rod, a bubble or two and some lobworms - you'll find it's often deadlier than the fly and will often catch when the fly runs blank, but beware of the fly only parts of the lake.

Best of luck. Will give you an update next week when I go.