A base-poor chain of three Old Red Sandstone loughs — Upper, Middle and Lower Cloonee — on the northern flank of the Caha Mountains above Tuosist, draining via a short outlet river into the Kenmare River estuary. The bedrock is Devonian Old Red Sandstone (the Caha Mountain Formation). This is a low-key wild-fishing system rather than a headline salmon river: the mainstay is wild brown trout, with sea trout ('white trout'), a notable head of Arctic char in the cold, oligotrophic water, and only an occasional grilse. For 2026 the Cloonee carries a zero salmon harvest quota and is catch-and-release only — sensible given how light the salmon run is here. Most fishing is from a boat on the loughs, which buffer the flashy mountain catchment and hold a fishable level longer than a bare spate river. Come for the character of the place and the wild brown trout and sea trout; treat a salmon as a bonus. Old Red Sandstone, blanket bog and crag give clean, acidic, nutrient-poor water — fish are not large on average but the setting is exceptional.
EPA freshwater monitoring of the Cloonee Loughs system confirms mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, aquatic diptera and freshwater crustaceans are present in the invertebrate community. This reflects food presence from kick sampling rather than any confirmed hatch timing.
- Old red sandstone
