Spate · Slate · North Wales / Conwy, GB-WLS

Conwy

The Afon Conwy flowing through its broad valley near Betws-y-Coed in summer.
Today · Slow going — better windows ahead
Black Gnat
Forecast · Today
Slow going — better windows ahead
Little in your favour today. Fish the certain lies, or leave it for a better one.
45% projected
Today's fly
Black Gnat
Black Gnat
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.68 m
Lifting fast
Water temp15.3°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather16°C
WindN 29 km/h
Pressure1007 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead1.1 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Sea Trout
Warm — slow
15°C est.ideal 8–15°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Sea Trout
When
June through September; July into August prime. Night fishing from full dark when water rises above 13°C. NRW classifies the sewin stock 'At Risk' across Wales — fish carefully if at all, treat C&R as a default. Run timing is highly rain-dependent; windows after summer spates are the practical time.
Where
Lower Conwy pool tails through to the Conwy estuary tidal limit.
Method
Across-and-down on a floating line with small wets — Medicine, Teal Blue and Silver, Stoat's Tail. Steady swing through the tail-outs, never hurry.
Kit
10 ft #6/7, floating line, 8 to 10 lb fluoro tippet. Spare leader on a wrist spool. Headlamp sparingly; let your eyes adjust.
Why this works
Fair — barometric pressure is working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12 Uhr

12 Uhr(now) — Heather Fly

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 68%
Also:Reed Smut51%Autumn Dun32%Cinnamon Sedge27%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost11 food groups active

Peak activity at 12 Uhr — Heather Fly (Heather Fly, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Autumn DunHatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Sea Trout
BS
Black & Silver TubeTop
1-2 inch · Tube
In deep pools and dark water, silhouette and contrast do the work colour cannot. A fly that reads as black against depth is enough. Fish it broadside, hold the swing, let it hang at the dangle — that is when the best fish take.
Medicine Fly
Medicine Fly
8-12 · Streamer
Slim and mobile — fished sunk through the pool when surface work is not producing. Consistently takes fish that will not come to the surface.
SF
Snake Fly (Black)
2-4 inch · Streamer
A mobile eel-like profile that undulates through deep pools — effective when sea trout are lying deep and not responding to conventional wets.
Beats · 1
River Machno — National Trust (Ysbyty Ifan)Enquiry
The Conwy's first major tributary, running through the slate-quarrying Penmachno valley past Pandy Falls and Machno Falls — a distinct National Trust fishery, separate from Betws-y-Coed Anglers Club's water on the Conwy/Llugwy/Lledr.
Visit official site ↗
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 6
  1. The Afon Conwy flowing through its broad valley near Betws-y-Coed in summer.
    Afon Conwy near Betws-y-Coed
  2. The River Conwy surging through the narrow Fairy Glen gorge below Betws-y-Coed.
    River Conwy at Fairy Glen
  3. The River Conwy flowing through open countryside near Dolgarrog in the Conwy Valley.
    River Conwy near Dolgarrog
  4. The Afon Conwy at Tal-y-Cafn, the wide tidal lower reach below the main fishing beats.
    Afon Conwy at Tal-y-Cafn
  5. A wide view of the River Conwy at Llanrwst, the broad gravel-bedded channel with wooded valley sides.
    River Conwy, Llanrwst
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown

NRW (Wales) · UKGB110066060030

The full read · show the working · for Sea Trout · confidence 65%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightVery Low-3.4
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftDropping Too Far Towards Low Clear+1.1
Water temperatureCool To Moderate+3.5
Time in seasonLate Season+1.9
ClarityClearing+2.4
Hydrology base5.5
Will they take?Neutralcaps the band

Taking mood is fair — clearing, stained water, very low flow.

Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
What would change the calculation
No prolonged stable spell before the current rise.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 20 March → 17 October
  • Trout 3 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026) — NRW At Risk classification. North Wales spate river with sea trout present but stocks in decline. Run timing is highly rain-dependent; windows after summer spates are the productive periods.

Salmon: Negligible (2026) — NRW / EA 2024 Salmon Stocks Assessment classifies this Welsh principal salmon river 'at risk' — egg deposition below Conservation Limit. All Wales byelaws (in force 2020-2030) make catch & release mandatory. Conservation priority; not a salmon fishing destination. The Conwy holds North Wales salmon interest but stocks are at risk.

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