Stillwater · Mixed · West / Mayo, IE

Lough Beltra / Newport

The shoreline of Lough Beltra, County Mayo, open lough water.
Tomorrow · Closed season
Bibio
Forecast · Tomorrow
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
40% projected
Today's fly
Bibio
Bibio
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Proxy gauge
Level
Rising
Proxy
via Owenmore at Owenmore Bridge (Erriff system)
Water temp17.2°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather13°C
WindN 33 km/h
Pressure998 hPa
Rain · recent14.6 mm
Rain · ahead8.9 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from Owenmore at Owenmore Bridge (Erriff system). The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
17°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
All day is fishable. Peaks around mid-morning (10-12) and late afternoon (4-6pm). A change in light — cloud passing over the sun, or the first shadow reaching the water — can trigger a take.
Where
Work the classic drift lanes — from upwind shore across the productive zones. Cover the bay edges, underwater reefs, and any areas where the bottom shoals up. Keep the boat moving at drift speed and watch for fish following the fly.
Method
Medium-paced swing, fly fishing just below the surface. Fish are willing to move — a steady broadside presentation across the current is ideal. Vary speed through the swing.. Floating line, possibly slow intermediate in deeper pools. Small-medium: size 8-12 doubles, small tubes. Fish are willing to move — let them come to the fly.
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.
Why this works
Conditions are looking excellent for salmon. Late season — fish are beginning to colour up as spawning approaches. They become more territorial and can take aggressively. Autumnal colours (orange, copper, gold) work well. No historical catch data available for this river — prediction based on current conditions only.
Likely species
Mayflies
Stoneflies
Caddisflies
Chironomids
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 12 Uhr

12 Uhr(now) — Heather Fly

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 68%
Also:Daddy Long Legs43%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost7 food groups active

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

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 5 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
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
1
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Claret DunHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Fly box · Atlantic Salmon
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Lough Beltra and Newport River system
  • Newport Angling Club
  • State rod licence required.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Newport River
7.0 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Burrishoole
10 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Lough Conn / Lough Cullin
16 km
Brown trout · Salmon
Lough Conn / Lough Cullin
16 km
Brown trout · Salmon
Lough Conn / Lough Cullin
16 km
Brown trout · Salmon
Gallery · 4
  1. The shoreline of Lough Beltra, County Mayo, open lough water.
    The shore of Lough Beltra
  2. Lough Beltra with Nephin mountain rising behind the open water, County Mayo.
    Lough Beltra and Nephin
  3. Fishing boats moored on Lough Beltra, County Mayo.
    Fishing boats on Lough Beltra
  4. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD code normalized 2026-06-18: IE_WE_32_452 → IEWE_32_452 (EPA national format → EEA WISE euSurfaceWaterBodyCode; same water body, now joinable to WISE). Status confirmed against EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP). Source: discodata.eea.europa.eu. | Prior note: EPA WFD 2019-2024 (lake layer) — Lough Beltra: Good ecological status. Re-tagged 2026-06-18 from IEWE_32O020100 (a river/stream water body, not the lough) to the lough's own EPA lake water body. Source: EPA Ireland WFD 2019-2024 classification (catchments.ie / EDEN).

EPA (Ireland) · IEWE_32_452

The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal+1.9
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftDropping Too Far Towards Low Clear+1.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate+3.5
Time in seasonLate Season+0.8
ClarityClearing+2.4
Hydrology base9.6
Will they take?Willingcaps the band

Fish should be willing to take — clearing, stained water.

Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowproxy via Owenmore at Owenmore Bridge (Erriff system)proxy
What would change the calculation
No prolonged stable spell before the current rise.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 20 March → 30 SeptemberC&R
  • Sea trout 1 June → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026) — Beltra (Newport system, Co. Mayo) sea-trout stocks have collapsed; killing sea trout is legally prohibited in this western district. Famous as a sea-trout fishery historically; remains fishable but on a strict catch-and-release, conservation-aware basis.

Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureAtlantic Salmonsalmon tactics
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts