Spate · Mixed · Gipuzkoa, País Vasco

Deba

Deba venue image
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A western Gipuzkoa trout river offering clear water and productive brown trout habitat across 52 km.

Poor · Brown Trout
Klinkhammer · 14-18
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia Oria
  • Water temp21.1°C
  • ClarityVery colouredColouring up
Today’s fly
Klinkhammer
Klinkhammer14-18
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Rising
Proxy
via Oria
Water temp21.1°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather20°C
WindW 13 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.4 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from Oria. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for brown trout
Warm — slow
21°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
⚠️ Water at 21.1°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots. Otherwise poor — barometric pressure is in the right range.
Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sea trout runRun
1
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
1
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2
Yellow SallyHatch
2
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Gipuzkoa fishing licence required
  • Treat the Deba as a trout river first; check any named managed sections locally before travel.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 21°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A western Gipuzkoa trout river offering clear water and productive brown trout habitat across 52 km. While historically significant for salmon, contemporary stocks are lower, making it a specialist trout destination. Spate character with rapid 4-hour response ensures good winter and spring trout fishing. Mixed geology creates varied pool and run habitat for resident and migratory sea trout (though numbers modest). Moorland and woodland catchment maintains excellent water quality and cool temperatures. Less crowded than salmon-focused neighbours, appealing to those seeking trout fishing without permit complexity. Predominantly wild habitat with water-level fluctuations requiring adaptive tactics.

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD ecological status Moderate → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody ES017MSPFES111R034010 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

WFD classification · ES017MSPFES111R034010

The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 80%
How the 21 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature13 × 28%3.6
Flow15 × 22%3.3
Clarity15 × 18%2.7
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity50 × 12%6.0
Limiting factor: Water temperature (21.1°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 26
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowproxy via Oriaproxy
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
A drop and clear would lift the flow and clarity scores.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Sea trout1 May → 31 July
  • Troutthird Sunday of March → 31 July

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Salmon: Heritage only (2026) — Heritage salmon river. In practical angling terms, salmon are not a target species — focus on trout and sea trout.

Related guides
Pyrenees PlaybookSpanish riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts