Yew Tree Tarn

Yew Tree Tarn lies in the English Lake District between Ambleside and Coniston. A small lake formed when a landowner dammed the Yewdale Beck in the 1930s, it was stocked with trout soon after. The Coniston and Torver Angling Association now manages fishing for brown and rainbow trout. A footpath runs around the tarn except where the main road borders it. In July 2010 volunteers from the South Lakes Rivers Trust and the Coniston and Crake Partnership removed most of the fish to prevent them dying in low water during a local drought. The fish were taken to a nearby beck until levels rose again. Visitors find a quiet stretch of water surrounded by gentle fells. The footpath offers easy walking with views across the tarn and the surrounding countryside. The water remains clear enough to see trout near the edges. Fewer anglers fish here than at larger lakes, so the tarn stays peaceful.