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 · Closed season
Hare's Ear Nymph
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
45% projected
Today's fly
Hare's Ear Nymph
Hare's Ear Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.66 m
Lifting fast
Water temp7.6°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather5°C
WindN 19 km/h
Pressure1012 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead9.3 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
Cool — slow
8°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.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11am

12pm(now) — Autumn Needle Fly

Stage: Creeping nymphsApproach: Heavy nymphActivity: 36%
Peak emergence window

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 3 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

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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
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.
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
Ogwen
18 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Dwyryd
25 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Glaslyn
25 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Clwyd
26 km
0
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

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 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 / flowon-river gaugeobserved
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.

Related guides
Fly Fishing in North and Mid Walesfeatured in this guideYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Boards & regulators
At a glance

Conwy is a spate river in North Wales / Conwy. Its recorded elevation is about 25 m above sea level and the catchment geology is slate. The river is described as roughly 44 km long. Our data lists brown trout, salmon and sea trout here. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from 20 March to 17 October. The trout season is recorded as running from 3 March to 30 September. Best window recorded for anglers: May to September. Core methods listed: upstream nymph; dry fly; small wet fly. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as moderate. Nearby waters in our listings include Ogwen at 18 km, Dwyryd at 25 km and Glaslyn at 25 km.