Spate · Slate · North Wales / Conwy, GB-WLS

Conwy

The Afon Conwy flowing through its broad valley near Betws-y-Coed in summer.

North Wales spate river draining Snowdonia to Conwy Bay.

Today · Slow going — better windows ahead
Black Gnat
Forecast · Today
Slow going — better windows ahead
Little in your favour today. Fish the certain lies, or leave it for a better one.
45% projected
Today's fly
Black Gnat
Black Gnat
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.68 m
Lifting fast
Water temp15.3°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather16°C
WindN 29 km/h
Pressure1007 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead1.1 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Sea Trout
Warm — slow
15°C est.ideal 8–15°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Sea Trout
When
June through September; July into August prime. Night fishing from full dark when water rises above 13°C. NRW classifies the sewin stock 'At Risk' across Wales — fish carefully if at all, treat C&R as a default. Run timing is highly rain-dependent; windows after summer spates are the practical time.
Where
Lower Conwy pool tails through to the Conwy estuary tidal limit.
Method
Across-and-down on a floating line with small wets — Medicine, Teal Blue and Silver, Stoat's Tail. Steady swing through the tail-outs, never hurry.
Kit
10 ft #6/7, floating line, 8 to 10 lb fluoro tippet. Spare leader on a wrist spool. Headlamp sparingly; let your eyes adjust.
Why this works
Fair — barometric pressure is working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Caddisflies
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) — Heather Fly

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 68%
Also:Reed Smut51%Autumn Dun32%Cinnamon Sedge27%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost11 food groups active

Peak activity at 12pm — Heather Fly (Heather Fly, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 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 · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
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
Sea Trout fly box

Wild-river first principles. Early-season nymphs and practical searching, then dry flies, emergers and spiders as hatches and surface activity improve.

BS
Black & Silver TubeTop
1-2 inch · Tube
In deep pools and dark water, silhouette and contrast do the work colour cannot. A fly that reads as black against depth is enough. Fish it broadside, hold the swing, let it hang at the dangle — that is when the best fish take.
Medicine Fly
Medicine Fly
8-12 · Streamer
Slim and mobile — fished sunk through the pool when surface work is not producing. Consistently takes fish that will not come to the surface.
SF
Snake Fly (Black)
2-4 inch · Streamer
A mobile eel-like profile that undulates through deep pools — effective when sea trout are lying deep and not responding to conventional wets.
Beats · 1
River Machno — National Trust (Ysbyty Ifan)Enquiry
The Conwy's first major tributary, running through the slate-quarrying Penmachno valley past Pandy Falls and Machno Falls — a distinct National Trust fishery, separate from Betws-y-Coed Anglers Club's water on the Conwy/Llugwy/Lledr.
Visit official site ↗
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Glaslyn
25 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Clwyd
26 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Ogwen
28 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Dwyryd
25 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Afon Prysor
27 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 6
  1. The Afon Conwy flowing through its broad valley near Betws-y-Coed in summer.
    Afon Conwy near Betws-y-Coed
  2. The River Conwy surging through the narrow Fairy Glen gorge below Betws-y-Coed.
    River Conwy at Fairy Glen
  3. The River Conwy flowing through open countryside near Dolgarrog in the Conwy Valley.
    River Conwy near Dolgarrog
  4. The Afon Conwy at Tal-y-Cafn, the wide tidal lower reach below the main fishing beats.
    Afon Conwy at Tal-y-Cafn
  5. A wide view of the River Conwy at Llanrwst, the broad gravel-bedded channel with wooded valley sides.
    River Conwy, Llanrwst
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

North Wales spate river draining Snowdonia to Conwy Bay. Fast response (4 hours) to rain; fish it on the rise and falling water. Salmon (spring and autumn) and sea trout. Dark peaty water in spate favors darker flies and bolder presentation. Fish sinking-tip with medium tubes for salmon, smaller wets for sea trout. Tight timing window when conditions are right; patience and planning reward. Slate and schist bedrock underlie this river. Atlantic salmon are under serious conservation pressure — Natural Resources Wales mandates catch-and-release for salmon on all rivers, so all fish must be returned.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), primarily nocturnal

  • Slate
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown

NRW (Wales) · UKGB110066060030

The full read · show the working · for Sea Trout · confidence 65%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightVery Low-3.4
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftDropping Too Far Towards Low Clear+1.1
Water temperatureCool To Moderate+3.5
Time in seasonLate Season+1.9
ClarityClearing+2.4
Hydrology base5.5
Will they take?Neutralcaps the band

Taking mood is fair — clearing, stained water, very low flow.

Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
What would change the calculation
No prolonged stable spell before the current rise.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 20 March → 17 October
  • Trout 3 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026) — NRW At Risk classification. North Wales spate river with sea trout present but stocks in decline. Run timing is highly rain-dependent; windows after summer spates are the productive periods.

Salmon: Negligible (2026) — NRW / EA 2024 Salmon Stocks Assessment classifies this Welsh principal salmon river 'at risk' — egg deposition below Conservation Limit. All Wales byelaws (in force 2020-2030) make catch & release mandatory. Conservation priority; not a salmon fishing destination. The Conwy holds North Wales salmon interest but stocks are at risk.

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