Lowland · Limestone · South / Limerick, IE

Castleconnell (Lower Shannon)

Castleconnell (Lower Shannon) terrain map

The Castleconnell beats on the Lower Shannon, near Limerick and below the Parteen weir, were once among Ireland's great spring-salmon fisheries.

Tomorrow · Closed season
Czech Nymph
Forecast · Tomorrow
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
40% projected
Today's fly
Czech Nymph
Czech Nymph
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.51 m
Lifting fast
Water temp10.3°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather3°C
WindN 4 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent5.6 mm
Rain · ahead0.3 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
Ideal
10°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 6pm

12pm(now) — Autumn Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 21%

Peak activity at 6pm — Caperer (Caperer, Weather boost)

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

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

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
Salmon runRun
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
Atlantic Salmon fly box

Munster Blackwater and neighbouring SW spring rivers: when the water is cold or running high, a tube fly fished deep on a Skagit head or sinking shooting head with a heavier leader finds fish that a floating line can't reach. Comes down to a 9'-10' single-handed rod and small flies on an 8lb tippet once the river drops into summer trim.

Munroe Killer
Munroe Killer
10–14 doubles · Salmon fly
Traditional Irish salmon fly with long local history. Popular on the Munster rivers; the black/yellow combination has worked reliably for grilse fishing throughout the summer.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Mulkear
5.0 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Maigue
27 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Fergus
35 km
Brown trout
River Drish
48 km
Brown trout
River Drish
48 km
Brown trout
About this water

The river here is hydro-regulated, and the angler reads the water on the flows he is given. For 2026 it is catch-and-release. Note that the upper Shannon above Parteen carries a separate status. Castleconnell and district clubs hold the water; the State Licence is required.

Hatches & food

EPA river-invertebrate monitoring confirms mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, aquatic diptera and freshwater crustaceans are present through this reach's monitored segments. This is food-presence evidence only, not a hatch record, and says nothing about when or how strongly any of these groups emerge on the day.

  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature10030% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time1015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 March → 30 SeptemberC&R
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Permits & access
At a glance

Castleconnell (Lower Shannon) is a lowland river in South / Limerick, Ireland. The catchment geology is recorded as limestone, and the water sits at about 10 m above sea level. The species listed for this water is salmon. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from 1 March to 30 September. Core methods listed: floating/sink-tip line across-and-down; big spring flies deep early season; small summer doubles near the surface. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Nearby waters in our listings include Mulkear at 5.0 km, River Maigue at 27 km and Fergus at 35 km.