Willoughby’s Charr
Willoughby's charr — also called Windermere charr — is one of Britain's rarest freshwater fish, surviving only in a handful of deep, cold lakes in Cumbria's Lake District.
A relic of the last ice age, it has been isolated in these waters for around 12,000 years. Fishing for it carries real cultural weight in the region, but its Critically Endangered status means any angling must be approached with exceptional care.
Scientific Name: Salvelinus willoughbii
Also known as Windermere charr, charr
- Slender, torpedo-shaped salmonid with a small mouth; dark olive or blue-grey on the back, fading to grey along the flanks, with a white or pale belly.
- Distinctive pale pink or cream spots run along the flanks above and just below the lateral line — a reliable field mark that separates it from brown trout sharing the same lakes.
- Paired fins (pelvic, anal, pectoral) show muddled pink to orange colouration, especially vivid during autumn and winter spawning condition.
- A small fish by salmonid standards; most run well under a pound, and anything approaching a pound is a notable specimen in these waters.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Endemic to England — found nowhere else on earth. All known populations are confined to deep, cold, low-nutrient lakes in the Lake District, Cumbria.
- Confirmed lakes include Windermere, Coniston Water, Wast Water, Ennerdale Water, Buttermere, Crummock Water, and Loweswater.
- Requires cold, well-oxygenated water at depth; these are classic glacially-carved lakes, deep and clear, with little agricultural run-off in the best-condition sites.
- Populations are genetically isolated from one another — each lake effectively holds its own distinct form, making local losses irreversible.
Key Locations
- Windermere — the largest and best-known charr lake in England, with a long tradition of boat fishing for charr dating back centuries.
- Coniston Water — another historically important charr lake in the southern Lake District, with populations studied alongside Windermere.
- Wast Water — England's deepest lake and one of the coldest, holding charr in good condition in its deep, clear basin.
- Ennerdale Water, Buttermere, and Crummock Water — remote western Lake District lakes with charr populations, less fished but ecologically significant.
Specific Spots
- Deep, open water is the key — charr spend most of the year well below the surface, often at 20–40 metres, where temperatures stay cold and oxygen levels are adequate.
- During spawning, fish move into shallower areas and onto clean gravel or rocky lake margins, making them briefly more accessible to anglers.
- On Windermere, traditional charr fishing has always been done from a boat over the deepest basins, where fish school in the cold mid-water column.
Willoughby’s Charr FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Willoughby’s Charr?
Small traditional charr spinners, slim, silver or copper blades around 2–3 cm, are the historically established lure for this species on Windermere and Coniston Water, fished slowly at depth from a drifting or slowly rowed boat.
What flies work for Willoughby’s Charr?
Small wet flies and soft-hackle patterns, sizes 12–16, fished on a slow swing or retrieve imitate the small invertebrates charr feed on; dark patterns with a hint of red or orange work well in the clear, cold water.
When is the best time to fish for Willoughby’s Charr?
Autumn and winter bring charr into shallower water as they approach spawning condition, this is when fish are most accessible and most vividly coloured. Spring and summer fish retreat to depth as the lake surface warms; deep trolling or plumb-line methods are needed to reach them during these months.
How do you catch Willoughby’s Charr?
Most charr fishing on these lakes is done from a rowing boat, drifting or moving slowly over deep water using the traditional plumb-line or whiffing method, a long line set to fish at a fixed depth with small spinners or flies on droppers.
What do Willoughby’s Charr eat?
Feeds mainly on small invertebrates, zooplankton, freshwater shrimps, and aquatic insect larvae, which drives the traditional use of small, lightly dressed flies or tiny spinners fished slowly at depth.
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