Spate · Old Red Sandstone · South West / Cork, IE

River Coomhola

River Coomhola terrain map

A West Cork spate river draining the uplands above Bantry Bay, running south through Kealkil to enter the Bantry estuary east of Bantry town.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · 8–10 doubles
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia River Sullane
  • Water temp6.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascade8–10 doubles
Universal SW Ireland salmon fly. Works on everything from the Cork Blackwater to the small Kerry spate rivers. Fish on a relaxed swing through the main pools; downsize for low summer water.
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via River Sullane
Water temp6.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather9°C
WindS 28 km/h
Pressure1011 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead22.3 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Cool — slow
6°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 · todayPeak at 11am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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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
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
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.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • South Western Fisheries District
  • Coomhola Salmon and Trout Anglers Association — daily and weekly permits available
  • Designated catch-and-release for 2026 under IFI conservation measures (verify before trip)
  • State rod licence required.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Glengarriff
6.0 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Sheen
18 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Adrigole River
19 km
0
Salmon · Sea trout
Cloonee Loughs
20 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Roughty
21 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
About this water

Old Red Sandstone geology gives the water a peaty, amber character that clears quickly after rain. Sea trout and grilse run from June on high water. Not a large river by Irish standards, but genuine migratory fish use it, and the brown trout in the upper reaches are wild and willing on the dry fly through spring. Local club access. The Bantry Bay setting — mountains, sea inlets, southwest light — makes this worth visiting even on a quiet day. For 2026 this is a catch-and-release fishery under the Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme — all salmon and grilse must be returned.

Hatches & food

EPA freshwater monitoring on the River Coomhola confirms mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, aquatic diptera and freshwater shrimp are present in the riverbed community. The records establish food presence rather than emergence timing or a dependable rise.

  • Old red sandstone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature2430% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time4015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 17 March → 30 SeptemberC&R

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

River Coomhola is a spate river in South West / Cork, Ireland. Its recorded elevation is about 32 m above sea level and the catchment geology is old red sandstone. The river is described as roughly 20 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 17 March to 30 September. Best window recorded for anglers: June–September for migratory; April–June for resident trout. Core methods listed: across and down (salmon, sea trout); upstream dry fly (brown trout, upper reaches); spate fishing after rain. Nearby waters in our listings include River Glengarriff at 6.0 km, River Sheen at 18 km and Adrigole River at 19 km.