Spate · Sandstone · Wester Ross, GB-SCT

River Carron (Wester Ross)

Photo of River Carron (Wester Ross)

A west-coast salmon and sea-trout river with a strong restoration and monitoring story.

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
0.95 m
Lifting fast
Water temp8.1°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather7°C
WindN 22 km/h
Pressure1003 hPa
Rain · recent9.9 mm
Rain · ahead4.4 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 window4 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.

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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
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 · 5 · 4 reaches

A west-coast salmon/sea-trout river with a strong restoration and monitoring story. The angling page must be conservation-first: strict catch-and-release, the current local marking/inspection protocol (keep-net from the hut, contact Bob Kindness), and sober wording around sea-trout decline. Distinguish clearly from the Easter Ross and Spey Carrons.

AttadaleSeason rods
One of three practical permit beats on the Carron (with New Kelso 1 and 2), under the River Carron proprietors with active conservation and stocking work.
New Kelso beats · 2 beatsDay rods
New Kelso 1, New Kelso 2
The 2 beats
New Kelso 1Day tickets
River Carron proprietors (permit)
One of the Lochcarron permit beats on the lower river near Strathcarron — practical, permit-based access under the River Carron proprietors, with the same conservation/marking regime as the rest of the river.
Strict C&R; keep-net inspection/marking protocol (contact Bob Kindness). C&R mandatory across Scotland until 31 March.
New Kelso 2Day tickets
River Carron proprietors (permit)
The second Lochcarron New Kelso permit beat — permit-based access under the River Carron proprietors, sharing the river's restoration story and strict conservation regime.
Strict C&R; keep-net inspection/marking protocol (contact Bob Kindness). C&R mandatory across Scotland until 31 March.
Glencalvie and GruinardsSeason rods
Premium estate/hosted salmon water — let weekly with a ghillie.
River Carron restoration (context)Members-only
A restoration-and-monitoring honesty module, not a beat.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Ewe / Loch Maree
37 km
0
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
River Snizort
53 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Carron (Wester Ross)
< 1 km
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
River Carron (Wester Ross)
< 1 km
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
Loch Maree
29 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Carron (Wester Ross)
    River Carron (Wester Ross)
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

It rises around Ledgowan Forest / Glen Carron, runs via Loch Dughaill and enters Loch Carron near Strathcarron, broadly followed by the A890 and the Kyle railway. The angling page must be conservation-first: strict catch-and-release, a specific local marking/inspection protocol, and sober wording on sea-trout decline. Sandstone freestone bedrock underlies this river. Its salmon are graded Poor (Grade 3) for 2026, so every salmon must be released all season.

Sea trout here

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

  • Sandstone
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature5630% weight
  • Flow8025% weight
  • Clarity1520% weight
  • Feeding Time1515% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

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

River Carron (Wester Ross) is a spate river in Wester Ross, Scotland. Its recorded elevation is about 7 m above sea level and the catchment geology is sandstone. The river is described as roughly 25 km long. Our data lists salmon, sea trout and brown trout here. It is classed as a salmon river. Best window recorded for anglers: Summer and early autumn on fresh water. Core methods listed: fly. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Nearby waters in our listings include River Carron (Wester Ross) at < 1 km, River Carron (Wester Ross) at < 1 km and Loch Maree at 29 km.