Llysyfran Reservoir

Llys-y-Frân Lake, also known as Llys-y-Frân Reservoir, is near Clarbeston Road in Pembrokeshire, close to Llysyfran village. The fishery is operated by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and the reservoir first opened back in 1972. A proper established spot, then, with plenty of room to stretch your legs and find your own bit of water.

• 1 lake: Llys-y-Frân Lake / Llys-y-Frân Reservoir
• Fish: trout
• Tickets from: Adult six-fish-bag permit — £38.00
• Find it: Llysyfran · SA63 4RR

Based on how each lake is set up — not a ranking.

Llys-y-Frân Lake, also known as Llys-y-Frân Reservoir, is near Clarbeston Road in Pembrokeshire, close to Llysyfran village. The fishery is operated by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and the reservoir first opened back in 1972. A proper established spot, then, with plenty of room to stretch your legs and find your own bit of water.

This is a sizeable lake, covering about 74 hectares, with roughly 8 km of perimeter to explore. The wider Llys-y-Frân site runs to about 350 acres of woodland, grassland and lake, so it’s not just a case of turning up, sitting in one swim and hoping a trout wanders past. There’s a fair bit of water to get your head around.

Fishing is available from the bank or by boat. From the bank, designated fishing areas allow fly-fishing and ledgered worm. Boat fishing is fly-only, giving you the chance to cover more water and work different areas properly. The reservoir has a mean depth of about 1.3 metres, but drops to around 23 metres in places, so it pays to ask about the best lines, depths and areas for the conditions on the day.

The lake is regularly stocked with rainbow trout, while native brown trout may also be caught. That gives you a couple of angles to think about, depending on how the fish are behaving. On a new water, keep the kit sensible: bring a selection of flies, tackle for the permitted worm approach if fishing the bank, and enough layers to cope with a proper Welsh breeze. A landing net and sturdy footwear are bob on too.

Boat hire is available for fly-fishing, with electric-powered fishing boats available on the reservoir. An accessible Wheelyboat may also be available by prior request, which is a handy option for anglers needing easier access. If you’re hiring a boat, check what’s included before booking, then ask the centre about launch arrangements, recommended areas and any restrictions on where you can fish.

The fishery is advertised as open all year round, but the visitor or activity centre should be contacted for detailed fishing seasons, times and regulations. The site gate opens at 6:00am and last entry is 7:00pm, with seasonal site hours also applying. Night fishing isn’t advertised, so don’t assume you can squeeze in a cheeky after-dark session — give the fishery a bell first.

Permits cover two-, four- or six-fish allowances, with adult, concessionary and youth options available. They can be bought online or from the visitor centre. Away from the fishing, there’s a café, gift shop, walking trails and cycling facilities, plus a campsite, cycle hub, mountain-bike trails and adventure activities. For a new venue, ring the fishery or email llysyfran@dwrcymru.com, check the current rules, and you’ll be far less likely to faff about once you’re on the bank.

Good background reading. Most of it is a few years old, so treat it as a starting point and ask on the day.

Videos linked by the fishery

• Our read

  Checked Sept '26 — “Llys-y-Frân Lake is a big Pembrokeshire reservoir with bank and boat fly fishing for stocked rainbow trout and native brown trout. Permits are available online or from the visitor centre, with proper cracking woodland, trails and café facilities around the wider site.”

This is our own summary of recurring public feedback and the venue details we checked, not a copied customer review or a promise you’ll catch. Feedback changes, so we keep it separate from the Tackle Index score.