Spate · Mixed · North West / Donegal, IE

Bungosteen River

Bungosteen River terrain map

A small Donegal Bay spate river that rises in the Crockanpeast Mountains north-west of Killybegs and enters Donegal Bay at the north of Killybegs Harbour.

Tomorrow · Closed season
Stonefly Nymph
Forecast · Tomorrow
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
85% projected
Today's fly
Stonefly Nymph
Stonefly Nymph
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via River Owenea
Water temp8.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather6°C
WindN 14 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead1.0 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from River Owenea. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Cool — slow
9°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
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 11am

12pm(now) — Autumn Needle Fly

Stage: Creeping nymphsApproach: Heavy nymphActivity: 76%
Also:Autumn Olive49%Black Midge33%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost5 food groups active

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 4 guilds as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

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
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.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Ballyshannon Fishery District
  • 2026: CLOSED to salmon and sea-trout angling, zero quota
  • Listed for regulatory completeness only — not a fishable venue this season.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Oily River
4.0 km
0
Salmon · Sea trout
Eany Water
8.0 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Owenea
12 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Glen River (Donegal)
14 km
0
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
River Eske
22 km
0
Brown trout · Char · Salmon
About this water

It is CLOSED to salmon and sea-trout angling for 2026 (zero harvest quota, Ballyshannon district) and is listed here only for regulatory completeness — it is not a confident angling recommendation. A flashy spate system on Dalradian metamorphic bedrock (the Termon Formation — banded semi-pelitic and psammitic schist), typical of south-west Donegal. Do not surface this as a salmon destination; monitor IFI bulletins for any future change. Atlantic salmon and sea trout are managed under IFI's Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme — many rivers are catch-and-release and harvest is allowed only where a confirmed surplus exists, so check the river's current status before fishing.

Hatches & food

No venue-specific hatch data yet; as a Donegal spate river, expect a flashy, largely stonefly, olive and sedge food base typical of the region's spate systems — a general expectation for this water type, not an observed hatch.

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature1830% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time1015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon _closed_2026 → _closed_2026Closed

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Bungosteen River is a spate river in North West / Donegal, Ireland. It sits at about 12 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 10 km long. Our data lists salmon and sea trout here. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from _closed_2026 to _closed_2026. Best window recorded for anglers: Closed to salmon and sea-trout angling in 2026. Nearby waters in our listings include Oily River at 4.0 km, Eany Water at 8.0 km and River Owenea at 12 km.