Spate · Mixed · Newfoundland (Central), CA

Exploits

Whitewater cascading over dark rock ledges on the Exploits River, with a small dam structure and building among trees in the background.
Today · Closed season
Pheasant Tail Nymph (18-20)
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
40% projected
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph (18-20)
Pheasant Tail Nymph (18-20)
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
70.90 m
Lifting fast
Water temp11.4°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather12°C
WindN 17 km/h
Pressure1008 hPa
Rain · recent42.4 mm
Rain · ahead0.1 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Ideal
11°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Morning into early afternoon.
Where
Pool tails, steadier runs, and any water with pace.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
13 ft #8/9 double-hander in spate, 10 ft #8 single in low water. Floating line plus a fast-sink tip. 12–15 lb fluoro tippet.
Likely species
Mayflies
Caddisflies
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) — Eastern Blue-Winged Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 29%
Also:Reed Smut22%
Peak emergence window4 food groups active

Peak activity at 12pm — Eastern Blue-Winged Olive (Eastern Blue-Winged Olive, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

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

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
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Early Black StoneflyHatch
2
3
2
Eastern Golden StoneHatch
2
2
Slate Drake / IsonychiaHatch
2
3
3
3
3
2
Yellow SallyHatch
2
3
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Beats · 6

The Exploits is public, scheduled salmon water rather than a beat-let river — you fish it on a provincial licence with tags, and what changes along its length is the DFO river class, which sets what you may keep. Retention falls away as you move up the system: the lower main stem is class 6 (retention with tags), the lower tributaries class 4, the mid main stem above Grand Falls drops to class 2 (a single tag), and the upper watershed above Red Indian Lake Dam is class 0, catch-and-release only. A special-management section sits around the Red Indian Lake Dam fishway with its own date-split rules. Always confirm the current class, tags and any closures for your stretch in the DFO Newfoundland & Labrador Anglers' Guide before fishing.

Lower Exploits main stem (Class 6)Public
The main stem of the lower Exploits, from Stoney Brook downstream to Exploits Bay, is the system's class-6 retention water — public salmon fishing on a provincial licence, with the lower-river holding water that benefits from Grand Falls concentrating the run below the barrier.
Lower Exploits tributaries below Grand Falls (Class 4)Public
The tributaries entering below Grand Falls — Stoney Brook, Little Rattling Brook, Great Rattling Brook, Three Brooks and Greenwoods Brook — are scheduled class-4 water.
Mid-Exploits main stem (Class 2)Public
The mid main stem, from the Grand Falls fishway up to Red Indian Lake Dam, is class-2 water — public salmon fishing where retention is cut back to a single tag.
Exploits watershed above Red Indian Lake Dam (Class 0, C&R only)Public
The watershed above Red Indian Lake Dam — including Victoria River, Mary March Brook, Lloyds River and the tributaries draining into Red Indian Lake — is scheduled class-0 water.
Red Indian Lake Dam special-management sectionPublic
A short special-management section runs from 25 m below the fishway down to the former Abitibi-Bowater steel bridge, around the Red Indian Lake Dam.
Exploits outfitter & guided access (context)Guide / lodge
A handful of outfitters, including Victoria Outfitters, offer guided and accommodation-based Atlantic salmon service on the Exploits.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Newfoundland scheduled-river rules apply
  • Provincial salmon licence is required, and access on the lower river is shaped by the concentration of fish below Grand Falls.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Gallery · 2
  1. Whitewater cascading over dark rock ledges on the Exploits River, with a small dam structure and building among trees in the background.
    White water
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 June → 7 September
  • Trout 15 January → 15 September
  • Brook trout varies by zone (earliest 1 February) → 7–15 September (zone-specific)

    Newfoundland (Island) brook trout (speckled trout) — zone-specific dates. Earliest Zone opener is Feb 1; Zone 2 opens Mar 1; Zone 1 has a split season (Feb 1–Apr 15 and May 15–Sep 7). Close dates range Sep 7–Sep 15 by zone. Check NL Anglers' Guide 2026-27 for the specific zone covering this water. Coastal waters allow year-round trout angling. This is primarily an Atlantic salmon river — brook trout present throughout, especially in headwaters and smaller tributaries.

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts