Draycote Water

Draycote Water
A lake with pleasure craft docked in the foreground
Draycote Water
Draycote Water is located in Warwickshire
Draycote Water
Draycote Water
LocationWarwickshire
Coordinates52°19′02″N 1°20′29″W / 52.31727°N 1.34127°W / 52.31727; -1.34127
Lake typeReservoir
Basin countriesUnited Kingdom
Managing agencySevern Trent Water
First flooded1969 (1969)
Surface area240 hectares (590 acres)
Average depth70 feet (21 m)
Water volume5 billion gallons (23 million m³)

Draycote Water is a 240-hectare (590-acre) reservoir and country park near the village of Dunchurch, 3.75 miles (6 km) south of Rugby in Warwickshire, England, owned and operated by Severn Trent Water. It draws its water from the River Leam, and supplies drinking water to Rugby and Coventry. It is named after the nearby hamlet of Draycote and is the largest body of water within Warwickshire.

The reservoir was created in the 1960s and was opened in 1970, with a new pipe and pump installed in 2012. It has a capacity of up to 5 billion gallons (23 million m³) and a maximum depth of 70 feet (21 m).

It is a site for birdwatching and has a bird hide, with a feeding station sponsored by the West Midland Bird Club. Severn-Trent manage an adjacent 20 acres (8 ha) country park. Draycote is used by cyclists, runners, windsurfers, fly fishers and for boating. Fishing is for brown trout and rainbow trout from the banks or from boats. A farm to the north east of the site has a herd of alpacas.