Loch Venechar Association

Loch Venachar is primarily a pike fishery, and for good reason. There are fish from anywhere up to 20, 30 and 40lb. The record on the loch is 43 and there was a 42.5lb caught too. A lady caught a 39lb pike on Venachar, bigger than the one caught on the Lake of Menteith also by a lady recently too. Lure, fly and dead bait fishing for pike in Venachar are all as popular as each other with a great atmosphere on the loch, 100% catch and release, and lately the problem with anglers killing so many pike against the rules, has all but disappeared. Loch Venachar is the Pike stronghold of the Trossachs, the Forth District, and the country and it can be fished very cheaply from bank and boat. We re-open on 1st May after resting the pike for a month during their peak spawning time. On the first two weekends after opening we averaged 30 little pike per day, but then two weeks later we started getting the big ones. Between nine anglers they caught 280lb of pike in 2.5 days, 5x 20’s, 3x 19’s and many more. From that we knew we had closed and reopened at the right time. Another smaller group over 24 hours caught 180lb in weight.

Loch Venachar, Loch Bheannchair, is set between Callander and Brig o’Turk on the Loch Katrine road in the heart of the Trossachs. The loch that used to be a river prior to the dam has strong Pictish, Roman, Rob Roy drover and Victorian history, and the relics are being found even to the present day. There is a Pictish Fort and a Roman Camp just below it. The Lochside Restaurant is 4.5 miles, 10 minutes drive, from Callander.

The North shore is very much the majority of the fishing. There is a little bit of fishing on the South shore from the start of the dam up to what is known as the Invertrossachs Wall locally. This wall and barrier stops cars going beyond here. Walkers and cyclists can use this old railway line path. The fishing stops here too. The North shore Restaurant and East to the stream is no fishing. There is a little bit of the North shore at the head of the loch which is no fishing also. Refer to the map for accurate details of this.

The fishing on Venachar is summarised as a big Pike water, with very healthy specimen that offer a great fight. The scenery and location is breathtaking at times and in any weather it is still quite remarkable. The loch is shallow so it warms up quickly in the sun meaning that hatches of Sedge and Mayflies can be great on still days and evenings for trout fly anglers. The sunsets are some of the best in the country due to the views of Ben Lomond in the West and the loch is high up. Often a dead calm, the loch offers one of the most scenic spots in the country to fish. There are Perch in the lower end of the loch that stay away from the bigger Pike in the upper loch. Trout are found anywhere and they move with the fly life and wind. South Shore. This small section of fishing from the Dam up to the Invertrossachs Wall and car park is tree lined along the loch edge but there is no problem fishing here amongst the trees. If anything there is a thicker habitat for smaller fish to hide from the large Pike that are mostly up the other end of the loch. Perch and Trout fishing is great here by fly, lure or swim feeder or ledgering. Access is very easy. North Shore. “Farm Swim” area, as it is known by locals, is the top of the loch opposite where the Black Water comes in. This section is very popular for boat anglers and parts are not permitted to fish from the bank, camping is not permitted here. There is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, SSSI, protected area marked here at the top of the loch, however it is very shallow and difficult for boats to get into by accident. No access is permitted at all here. If you rent or launch your own boat, you will be informed of this area. Bank Pike anglers will be delighted with both car parks. They are excellent Pike fishing areas so parking and fishing only a few meters away is ideal for those with quite a bit of kit. The area of shoreline at the Lochside Restaurant and East to the stream is no fishing, otherwise there is so much great shoreline for fishing.

There are good places to park depending on where you would like to fish. There are tracks and roads along most of the fishing. The Lochside Restaurant or Cafe is open at 10am every day. It serves mainly lunches and great coffee. There are plenty of cafe, bakery, shops for meals and snacks and a petrol station in Callander only 4.5 miles away. There are holiday lets, pods etc. on the loch, Achray Hotel, and accommodation throughout Callander if you do not want to camp or if you don’t book and there is no space left. Park rangers will move you on if you are camping illegally.