Lowland · Mixed · Co. Armagh / Lough Neagh Tributaries, GB-NIR

River Blackwater (NI)

The River Blackwater flowing near Maghery, Northern Ireland, close to Lough Neagh

The Blackwater is a major Lough Neagh tributary flowing through Co.

Today · Closed season
Czech Nymph
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. Try elsewhere.
45% projected
Today's fly
Czech Nymph
Czech Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.99 m
Lifting fast
Water temp9.0°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather8°C
WindN 27 km/h
Pressure1007 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead1.3 mm

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

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
9°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.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

12pm(now) — Autumn Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 18%

Low insect activity predicted today

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 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 · November highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2
Large Cinnamon SedgeHatch
2
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Cusher
22 km
0
Brown trout
Annaginny Fishery
12 km
Rainbow trout
Annaginny Fishery
12 km
Rainbow trout
Ballinderry River
13 km
Brown trout · Dollaghan
Lough Neagh
17 km
Brown trout · Pike · Dollaghan
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Blackwater flowing near Maghery, Northern Ireland, close to Lough Neagh
    River Blackwater at Maghery, Northern Ireland
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Armagh — a slow, deep lowland river with excellent brown trout and dollaghan runs. The dollaghan run (July–October) is the main draw. Brown trout are plentiful throughout. The river also holds pike and some coarse fish. Managed by local clubs with day permits. The Blackwater responds slowly to rain — plan for sustained wet weather rather than single showers.

Hatches & food

No venue-specific hatch data yet; as a lowland main-stem river, expect a broad seasonal mix of upwings, sedges and midges typical of these slower Ulster rivers — a general expectation, not an observed hatch.

  • Mixed
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 75%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature77 × 28%21.6
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity53 × 12%6.4
Conditions total= 74
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 March → 30 September
Related guides
ConnemaraIrish fishingEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

River Blackwater (NI) is a lowland river in Co. Armagh / Lough Neagh Tributaries, Northern Ireland. It sits at about 63 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 25 km long. Our data lists brown trout and dollaghan here. The trout season is recorded as running from 1 March to 30 September. Best window recorded for anglers: May–July (brown trout), July–October (dollaghan). Core methods listed: upstream nymph and dry fly (trout); streamer and large wet fly at dusk (dollaghan); across and down wet fly team. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Nearby waters in our listings include Annaginny Fishery at 12 km, Annaginny Fishery at 12 km and Ballinderry River at 13 km.