Spate · Granite · Cornwall

River Camel

Photo of River Camel

The Camel is Cornwall's signature salmon and sea-trout river, draining Bodmin Moor's granite headwaters down through Camelford and Bodmin to the estuary at Padstow.

Marginal · Atlantic Salmon
Shrimp fly theme · small double / treble
Marginallive now
Marginal — persistence required
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. Fish the cool of dawn or dusk, land fish fast, and stop if one struggles to recover.
85% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.15 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp18.2°C
  • ClarityUnfishableColouring up
Today's fly
SF
Shrimp fly themesmall double / treble
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.15 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp18.2°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather17°C
WindSW 14 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
18°C est.ideal 10–14°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.
Why this works
Water at 18.2°C — above the atlantic salmon caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

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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 · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Beats · 1
Wadebridge & District AA — visitor accessAccess varies
Wadebridge controls ten miles of the Camel and one mile of the Allen.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • EA SW byelaws apply
  • Mandatory C&R for salmon
  • Camel Fisheries Association controls most water; check current permit conditions.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 18°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Camel
    River Camel
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Camel is Cornwall's signature salmon and sea-trout river, draining Bodmin Moor's granite headwaters down through Camelford and Bodmin to the estuary at Padstow. Spate-driven granite water — quick to rise, quick to clear, with strong autumn salmon runs and superb summer sea-trout (peal). The Camel Fisheries Association manages most of the freshwater main-river fishing through season tickets and limited day permits. Wild brown trout in the upper reaches, sea trout dominate from June. Atlantic salmon are assessed by the Environment Agency against each river's Conservation Limit — many principal rivers are classed 'at risk' with mandatory catch-and-release byelaws; check current rules before fishing.

Sea trout here

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

  • Granite
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April → 15 December
  • Sea trout 1 April → 30 September
  • Trout 15 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsTrout Near Londonaccess guide
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts