Spate · Granite · Easter Ross, GB-SCT

River Alness / Averon

Fast-flowing rapids on the River Averon, also known as the River Alness, in the Scottish Highlands.

A compact Easter Ross salmon river — also known as the Averon — with a clearer beat structure than many west-coast systems.

Today · Closed season
Partridge and Orange
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
40% projected
Today's fly
Partridge and Orange
Partridge and Orange
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.48 m
Lifting fast
Water temp7.7°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather6°C
WindN 21 km/h
Pressure1003 hPa
Rain · recent5.2 mm
Rain · ahead1.7 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
Cool — slow
8°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
Stoneflies
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11am

12pm(now) — Autumn Needle Fly

Stage: Creeping nymphsApproach: Heavy nymphActivity: 37%
Peak emergence window

Peak activity at 11am — Autumn Needle Fly (Autumn Needle 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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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

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

Through the year
0–3 scale · November highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
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
Atlantic Salmon fly box

A balanced Scottish river profile. Early season nymphs and spiders, then more dry-fly and emerger fishing as hatches strengthen on steadier glides and richer water.

Beats · 3

A small Easter Ross salmon river where beat-aware content matters. The Novar six-beat rotation is the premium anchor — six rotating beats of double-bank water booked through FishPal or the estate — while Alness Angling Club holds the affordable lower and tidal water, its permits also on FishPal. The Alness is graded Moderate for 2026.

Novar FishingsAgent booking
The structured premium anchor — about 6.
Visit official site ↗
Alness Angling ClubMembers
The ordinary-angler value lane — productive tidal water near the A9 road bridge plus river beats, with permits historically available locally and via FishPal.
Loch Morie / Upper Alness (context)Enquiry
Spate-source and flow-regulation context above the main beats — Loch Morie buffers the headwaters and shapes how quickly the river runs off.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Conon
23 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon
Beauly
27 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Alness / Averon
< 1 km
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
River Alness / Averon
< 1 km
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
River Ness
24 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Fast-flowing rapids on the River Averon, also known as the River Alness, in the Scottish Highlands.
    Rapids on the River Averon (Alness), Easter Ross.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Scottish Government grades its salmon Moderate (Grade 2) for 2026: catch and release is strongly encouraged, and every salmon caught before 1 April must be released by law. The Novar Fishings rotation is the obvious premium anchor: six rotating beats over upper and lower sections, fly-only, with anglers rotating through beats during a week. A separate club/estuary access layer exists but needs current verification. Granite-based upland geology shapes this river.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), nocturnal pattern in peak season

  • Granite
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature5030% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time1015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingAtlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Booking & contacts
At a glance

River Alness / Averon is a spate river in Easter Ross, Scotland. Its recorded elevation is about 21 m above sea level and the catchment geology is granite. The river is described as roughly 30 km long. Our data lists salmon, sea trout and brown trout here. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from 1 April to 31 October. Best window recorded for anglers: July-October on fresh water. Core methods listed: fly only. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Access is recorded as day tickets on a private estate. Nearby waters in our listings include River Alness / Averon at < 1 km, River Alness / Averon at < 1 km and River Conon at 23 km.