Spate · Granite · Moray, GB-SCT

Findhorn

The River Findhorn churning through the narrow rock channel at Randolph's Leap in late summer.
Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · 4 6 / small tube
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level0.22 mLast reading 16h ago
  • Water temp14.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascade4 6 / small tube
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.22 m
Last reading 16h ago
Water temp14.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather16°C
WindSE 30 km/h
Pressure1004 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead7.1 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
15°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
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 14 Uhr

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 12 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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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
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 · Atlantic Salmon
Beats · 4

The Findhorn does not fish like a lowland prestige river — it is a steep, gorge-influenced Highland spate river where a good window can be brief and timing matters more than beat fame. Access is a mix of Forres Angling Association ordinary-angler water on the lower river, private estate and FishPal beats through the Darnaway–Altyre corridor, and the gorge itself, which is a tactics-and-safety story as much as a booking one. The useful question here is not just 'which beat?' but 'what height, and has it had the right water?' — low clear water can make salmon and sea-trout fishing extremely hard. Conservation context is real: confirm the current Findhorn DSFB code, season and method rules with the individual controller before travelling.

Forres Angling AssociationMembers
The ordinary angler's route into the lower Findhorn — FishPal describes about four miles of salmon and sea-trout water from Red Craig down to the Sea Pool where the river enters Findhorn Bay.
Darnaway, Altyre, Logie & LethenSeason rods
The main bookable beat corridor of the middle-lower river — estate water through Darnaway, Altyre, Logie and Lethen, mostly let by the day or week through estate offices and FishPal, often with a ghillie advised.
Findhorn GorgeEnquiry
The river's defining feature — a steep granite gorge where the Findhorn is forced through narrow rock and the fishing is a stealth-and-agility game.
Upper FindhornEnquiry
More specialist, water-dependent and less obviously public than the lower beats — wild mountain water above the gorge that holds and runs fish on rising water.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 6
  1. The River Findhorn churning through the narrow rock channel at Randolph's Leap in late summer.
    River Findhorn at Randolph's Leap
  2. Looking downriver towards the deep Sluie Pool, gorge walls rising on both sides of the River Findhorn.
    Looking towards Sluie Pool, River Findhorn
  3. The River Findhorn flowing through open woodland beside the Logie Estate in late-season colour.
    River Findhorn near Logie House
  4. The River Findhorn in full brown spate below Randolph's Leap, water filling the gorge bank to bank.
    Findhorn in spate below Randolph's Leap
  5. A wide view of the River Findhorn running through open moorland at Tomatin in the upper reaches.
    River Findhorn at Tomatin
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown

SEPA (Scotland) · UKSC023000

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
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 11 February → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts