Ullswater(Cumbria) Pike

[wellyphant]

A bit misleading this topic title I know but can anyone explain why Ullswater seems to be completely void of pike or at least nobody seems to fish for them here?

Can anyone explain why this is so,seeing as most of the lakes in Cumbria hold pike.

 

[Andy_1984]

There is one large loch here that seemingly has no pike which is surrounded by other large lochs that have lots of good pike fishing. Its weird for sure given how close the other lochs are.

 

One thing its got going for it is there are some impressive perch in it.

[Phone]

Andy,

 

Usually it is because of 1. water temperature; 2. structure; and 3. dissolved oxygen. Pike have unique enough requirements to cause the situation you describe.

 

Phone

[Andy_1984]

there all much alike Phone, temps, structure and id have to hazard that dissolved oxygen would never ever be a problem on this Scottish loch with burns and rivers feeding in to it and also very windy for surface agitation. Arctic char present in this one unlike the others too. pike here thrive in some right shiteholes.

 

sorry to hijack topic welly, might be relevant though ?

[Steve Walker]

Andy - deep, cold, oligotrophic? Brown trout, char and perch? Steep sides, not much marginal habitat?

[Tigger]

I think ullswater has lots of shallow parts Steve I can remember walking out quite a long way before casting into any depth of water.

I was told many years ago that the water has something in it (out of the ground) that pike can't live with and that's why there isn't any in there.

[Andy_1984]

broonies, char, roach, perch (3lb +), eels, oh aye brooke lamprey too..... so plenty to sustain. sides are not steep and its deepest part is 150ft with about 50% being 100ft+ and no more or less marginal habitat than the others surrounding it, probably more than one of the other waters that does 20's (or used to) quite regularly.

[Steve Walker]

Ullswater does have a history of lead pollution, but I wouldn't have thought that would be an issue. It's a long time since I fished there, caught perch and brownies on maggots and minnows, but I seem to remember the shallows being pretty bare and stony?

[lutra]

I think ullswater has lots of shallow parts Steve I can remember walking out quite a long way before casting into any depth of water.

I was told many years ago that the water has something in it (out of the ground) that pike can't live with and that's why there isn't any in there.

There are pike in Ullswater, even some nice ones, just not many I'm told. Not sure why there isn't many, but trout tend not to like low oxygen and pollutants more than pike IMO and loads of steep sided, rocky, very deep and cold waters have a good head of pike.

[Tigger]

There are pike in Ullswater, even some nice ones, just not many I'm told. Not sure why there isn't many, but trout tend not to like low oxygen and pollutants more than pike IMO and loads of steep sided, rocky, very deep and cold waters have a good head of pike.

 

 

I'm only repeating what I was told Brian, (personally) I haven't gbot a clue about the lack of pike in Ullswater.