Spate · Granite · North West / Donegal

Clady (Gweedore)

Clady (Gweedore) terrain map
Terrain map

A flashy granite spate river in Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore), West Donegal, that runs to the Atlantic via Bloody Foreland.

Fair · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · 10-14
Fairlive now
Decent — worth a look
River dropping into shape after a lift. Cover the heads and tails before the river drops away.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia River Finn
  • Water temp16.2°C
  • ClarityColouredClearing
Today’s fly
Cascade
Cascade10-14
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Falling
Proxy
via River Finn
Water temp16.2°C
ClarityColoured
Weather14°C
WindN 24 km/h
Pressure1024 hPa
Rain · recent19.2 mm
Rain · ahead14.8 mm

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

Water temperature for atlantic salmon
Warm — slow
16°C est.ideal 1014°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
Fair conditions based on river hydrology and migration patterns.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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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
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
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • IFI rod licence (RoI)
  • Public access to most of river
  • Granite geology means water clears quickly — fish windows are brief but productive
  • 2026 brown-tag scheme: any angler harvesting salmon or sea trout over 40cm must hold a brown tag.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Fishing better nearby · 5
About this water

A flashy granite spate river in Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore), West Donegal, that runs to the Atlantic via Bloody Foreland. Clady responds rapidly to rainfall (2–3 hours) and fishes best as a river rises and clears. Spring salmon from February; grilse and sea trout from June. The river runs through wild Donegal moorland and has a reputation for good-quality sea-trout fishing. Multiple named pools; public access available to most sections. (Slugged `clady_gweedore` in Rise Daisy to distinguish from the Co. Londonderry Clady tributary of the Lower Bann.). For 2026 this is a catch-and-release fishery under the Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme — all salmon and grilse must be returned.

  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyUnknown
  • ChemicalUnknown
The full read · show the working · for atlantic salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowproxy via River Finnproxy
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon1 April → 30 SeptemberC&R
Related guides
Booking & contacts