Spate · Mixed · North West / Donegal, IE

Crana

Still, dark water of the Crana River reflecting trees and sky near Buncrana, Co. Donegal, Ireland.

A compact spate river on the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal that flows into Lough Swilly.

Fair · Atlantic Salmon
Ally's Shrimp · 8-12
Fairlive now
Decent — worth a look
Low and clear — careful approach country. Low water tactics — small singles, riffling hitch in the smooth glides.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.37 m
  • Water temp15.2°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Ally's Shrimp
Ally's Shrimp8-12
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.37 m
Water temp15.2°C
ClarityClear
Weather16°C
WindSE 41 km/h
Pressure999 hPa
Rain · recent8.5 mm
Rain · ahead5.7 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Ideal
15°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Early morning and late evening are best by far. Low, clear water makes fish spooky in daylight. The first and last hour of light are worth more than the entire middle of the day.
Where
Fish are concentrated in the deeper pools and under any available cover. Focus on the deepest lies — pool hearts and tail croys. Approach very carefully, avoid silhouetting yourself against the sky. Dawn and dusk are your windows.
Method
Surface or just sub-surface. Consider a riffling hitch or Portland hitch to skate the fly across the surface — devastating in warm, low water. Alternatively, dead-drift a small fly upstream like a nymph.. Floating line. Tiny: size 12-16 singles or doubles, hitch tubes. Ultra-discreet presentation for spooky fish in warm, clear 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
The river is in textbook shape. River dropping nicely into shape after a lift — textbook conditions. Clearing nicely — classic taking conditions. 15.2°C — close to ideal for autumn salmon. This is the window experienced salmon anglers wait for — if you can get to the river, go now.
Likely species
Mayflies
Stoneflies
Caddisflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 2pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 12 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 4 guilds as a supporter.

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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
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
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

Connemara/Mayo low water: a lightly-dressed shrimp on a floating line with sink tip, sized down from 8s in cold spring water to 12s and 14s as summer water warms and clears. Where the current runs faster, a slim tube or hairwing swung through tracks better than a shrimp.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • IFI rod licence (RoI)
  • Public access to most beats
  • Low angler pressure — few beats booked
  • Estuary subject to tidal influence; check tide tables for optimal fishing windows.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Lackagh / Lough Beagh
35 km
49
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Lennon
16 km
44
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Faughan
24 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Roe
34 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Deele
34 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Still, dark water of the Crana River reflecting trees and sky near Buncrana, Co. Donegal, Ireland.
    Crana River
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A compact spate river on the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal that flows into Lough Swilly. The Crana is tidal through Buncrana estuary and fishes as a sea-trout and salmon river. Highly responsive to rainfall (3–4 hours to peak), it is at its best in the 12–36 hours after a spate. Spring salmon; grilse from June; sea trout abundant and large (2–4 lb not uncommon). A gem for anglers seeking a productive small system with low angler pressure. 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 monitoring on the Crana confirms mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, chironomids and blackfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp (Gammarus) are all present in the river, though this is food-presence evidence from kick sampling rather than a record of emergence timing or a reliable hatch.

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightLow But Fishable-0.7
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftDropping Nicely Into Shape+4.5
Water temperatureCool To Moderate+3.5
Time in seasonLate Season+0.4
ClarityClearing+2.4
Hydrology base10.1
Will they take?Willingcaps the band

Fish should be willing to take — clearing, stained water.

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 1 March → 30 SeptemberC&R
  • Sea trout 1 March → 12 OctoberC&R
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts