Fishing Loch Awe

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

Scotland’s longest freshwater loch runs for around 25 miles through Argyll, and you can fish it for £10 a day. That price buys a lot of water, but the permit comes with bye-laws that are easy to break by accident.

Loch Awe fishing is managed by the Loch Awe Improvement Association (LAIA). The loch holds wild brown trout, ferox trout, pike, perch and other coarse fish, and salmon pass through the Awe Barrage fish pass on their way to the River Orchy. Pike fishing is open all year, while brown trout run from 15 March to 6 October.

The sections below cover permits, the bye-laws that matter, pike and trout tactics that stay inside them, then boats and safety. For nearby waters, see our guide to the Highlands and Argyll lochs.

Loch Awe at a Glance: Size, Depth and What Lives There

Loch Awe averages 32m deep and drops to 93.6m at its deepest, so it fishes like two different waters. The species you target decides which one you fish.

Fact	Detail
Length	Around 25 miles (41km)
Average depth	32m
Maximum depth	93.6m
Main species	Brown trout, ferox trout, pike, perch, other coarse fish
Salmon	Pass through via the Awe Barrage fish pass to the River Orchy
Fishery manager	Loch Awe Improvement Association (LAIA)

The deep open water is the domain of ferox trolling specialists. Most general pike and perch fishing happens in the shallower bays, along the margins and over the drop-offs where depth changes quickly.

Three places are worth knowing by name before you go. Kilchurn Castle has its own pike permit and an exclusion zone (see the permits section below), while Ardbrecknish and Dalavich are the bases for boat hire. Like Loch Ness, this is deep, cold Highland water where reading depth matters more than casting distance.

Loch Awe Fishing Permits: Prices, Types and Where to Buy

The easiest way to fish Loch Awe illegally is not poaching. It is buying a day permit and carrying on after midnight beside your tent.

Permits are cheap and there are two types: trout, and pike/coarse. Both cost the same.

Permit	Adult price
Day	£10
3-day	£20
Weekly	£30
Annual	£90 (£60 for anglers aged 60 or over)

The annual permit runs for 12 months from a date you choose. Prices are from the LAIA permits page and annual permit page.

Junior pricing is unclear. The LAIA pike page lists junior rates, but its permits page says concessionary permits were abolished and that under-12s fish free alongside a permit-holding adult. Check with the LAIA before you book for a youngster.

Permits are sold online through booking links on the LAIA site. To buy a Loch Awe fishing permit:

Choose the permit type (trout or pike/coarse) and the length.
Pick your start date on the calendar.
Enter your name, address, phone number and car registration.
Read the bye-laws before you confirm.

Then watch for the three traps:

Day permits run midnight to midnight. If you are camping overnight, you need a 3-day permit.
Kilchurn Castle needs its own permit. Pike fishing near the castle requires a separate Kilchurn Pike Fishing permit, and there is an exclusion zone marked on the LAIA map.
Loch Avich is not covered. Coarse and pike permits are not valid there, and Loch Avich has its own trout permit.

If you are staying more than one night, start with the 3-day permit. Prices change, so check with the LAIA before you travel.

Loch Awe Seasons and the Rules That Catch Visitors Out

Pike season never closes on Loch Awe. So why could a 4in spinner get you into trouble in November?

Species	Open season
Brown trout	15 March to 6 October
Coarse fish (other than pike)	15 March to 6 October
Pike	All year

The dates come from the LAIA seasons page. For how close seasons work elsewhere in the UK, see our guide to fishing seasons.

From 7 October to 14 March, the LAIA bye-laws turn the loch into a pike-only water with extra restrictions:

Only pike may be targeted.
Trolling is banned.
Baits that attract trout are banned.
Lures and pike flies under 5in are banned.

The trout are out of season but still in the water, and these rules are there to stop them being caught by accident while you fish for pike.

Scottish law adds a rule of its own. Using a pike gag or a knotted keepnet is an offence under section 5A of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003. Separately, the LAIA bye-laws require knotless landing nets for pike and trout.

Sunday fishing is the other question visitors ask. The LAIA bye-laws contain no Sunday rule for trout or pike. Salmon are different: section 13 of the same Act prohibits fishing for salmon on a Sunday. If you plan to target salmon, confirm the current position with the LAIA or the local district salmon fishery board before you fish.

Visiting between 7 October and 14 March? Pack pike lures and flies of 5in or more, and leave the trolling gear at home until the trout season reopens on 15 March.

Loch Awe Pike Fishing: Tackle Rules, Methods and Handling

Pack to the bye-laws and your kit check is done. The LAIA rules for Loch Awe pike double as a tackle list, and they set you up properly for fish care.

The bye-laws set these minimums and bans:

A wire trace of at least 30lb.
Main line of at least 20lb mono or 50lb braid.
A maximum of three rods, with the outer butts no more than 3m apart, and rods never left unattended.
Rod rests and run indicators when deadbaiting.
No livebait.
No pike gags.
Forceps, long-nose pliers and an unhooking mat, carried at all times.
Knotless landing nets.

That leaves deadbaits and lures. Static deadbaits fished on the margins and over drop-offs, and lures worked through the shallower bays, are the standard approaches. Trolling is a boat option only during the trout season, as covered in the seasons section above.

The LAIA’s handling advice is blunt. Strike quickly so the pike does not take the bait deep, and kneel over your mat for photos rather than standing. The association also advises anglers who are not confident unhooking and handling pike not to fish for them at all.

Pike fishing on Loch Awe suits predator anglers who already own full unhooking kit. If you have never unhooked a pike, skip it for now and book a guide instead (see the boats section below).

Loch Awe Trout and Ferox: Bag Limits, Line Strengths and Trolling

On Loch Awe you return the big brown trout as well as the small ones. Anything under 25cm or over 36cm goes back.

The Loch Awe trout season runs from 15 March to 6 October, and the LAIA bye-laws set these rules:

Keep only brown trout between 25cm and 36cm.
Bag limit of 4 fish per day.
Rainbow trout must be removed, not returned.
Minimum line of 4lb, or 15lb when fishing for ferox.
No livebait, and a maximum of two baited hooks.
One rod only, unless trolling from a boat.
No keepnets, and knotless landing nets only.

For wild browns, the traditional approach is loch-style fly fishing: a team of wet flies fished from a drifting boat. You can also fish from the bank.

Ferox are a different game. They live in the deep water described in the at-a-glance section above, and you reach them by trolling on 15lb line or heavier. For a smaller trout water, see our guide to Loch Watten.

Ferox trolling is a specialist hunt for one big fish, with a real chance of a blank. Drifting for Loch Awe trout is the better bet for steady sport and a fish for the table within the 25cm to 36cm slot.

Boat Hire, Guides and Staying Safe on Loch Awe

A long, deep and very cold loch is the wrong place to learn boat handling on the job.

Two boat hire operators are listed by the LAIA on its things to do page:

Loch Awe Boat Hire, based at Ardbrecknish.
Lochaweside Marine Boat Hire, based at Dalavich.

Prices are not published on the LAIA listing, so contact the operator for current rates. For guided fishing, the LAIA lists Fishinguide Scotland, which runs catch-and-release trips including pike.

The LAIA safety code is short:

Wear a life jacket.
Keep to 5 knots within 100m of the shore and 10 knots elsewhere.
Remember the water is very cold.

If it is your first visit and you are unsure about handling pike or running a boat, book the guide for day one. Check with the operator before you travel.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a licence to fish Loch Awe?

You need an LAIA permit to fish Loch Awe, bought online through the LAIA website. For national licensing rules, check the Scottish Government's guidance. Our fishing licence guide explains how the rules differ across the UK.

Can you fish Loch Awe on a Sunday?

Yes for trout and pike, as the LAIA bye-laws have no Sunday rule. Salmon are different: section 13 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003 prohibits fishing for salmon on a Sunday. If you plan to target salmon, confirm the position with the LAIA or the local district salmon fishery board.

Can you use livebait for pike on Loch Awe?

No. Livebait is banned on Loch Awe for both pike and trout, all year round. Deadbaits and lures are allowed, but from 7 October to 14 March any lure or pike fly must be 5in or longer, and trolling is banned in that period.

How much is a Loch Awe fishing permit?

An adult permit costs £10 a day, £20 for three days, £30 for a week or £90 for a year (£60 for anglers aged 60 or over). Trout and pike/coarse permits cost the same. Prices change, so check with the LAIA.