Spate · Mixed · Gipuzkoa, País Vasco

Deba

Deba fishing venue photo

A western Gipuzkoa trout river offering clear water and productive brown trout habitat across 52 km.

Poor · Brown Trout
Klinkhammer · 14-18
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.25 m
  • Water temp22.2°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Klinkhammer
Klinkhammer14-18
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.25 m
Water temp22.2°C
ClarityClear
Weather18°C
WindNW 23 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent9.6 mm
Rain · ahead18.3 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
22.2°Cideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 22.2°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 7 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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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
Sea trout runRun
1
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
1
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
Late March BrownHatch
2
3
2
Large Brook DunHatch
2
3
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Gipuzkoa fishing licence required
  • Treat the Deba as a trout river first; check any named managed sections locally before travel.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here at 22.2°C. Nothing cooler within range.
Gallery · 2
  1. The Deba River as seen from Elgoibar
    The Deba River as seen from Elgoibar
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A western Gipuzkoa trout river offering clear water and productive brown trout habitat across 52 km. While historically significant for salmon, contemporary stocks are lower, making it a specialist trout destination. Spate character with rapid 4-hour response ensures good winter and spring trout fishing. Mixed geology creates varied pool and run habitat for resident and migratory sea trout (though numbers modest). Moorland and woodland catchment maintains excellent water quality and cool temperatures. Less crowded than salmon-focused neighbours, appealing to those seeking trout fishing without permit complexity. Predominantly wild habitat with water-level fluctuations requiring adaptive tactics.

Hatches & food

In the steep, often pressured Atlantic rivers of the Basque Country, trout opportunities centre on spring olives and other up-wings when flows and colour briefly line up, with caddis and buzzers helping to sustain sport into early and mid-summer, and terrestrials from grassy, wooded margins adding surface food in quieter, recovering reaches.

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD ecological status Moderate → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody ES017MSPFES111R034010 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

WFD classification · ES017MSPFES111R034010

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 2 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature1 × 28%0.3
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time70 × 13%9.1
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity70 × 12%8.4
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22.2°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 58
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Sea trout 1 May → 31 July
  • Trout 1 April → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Salmon: Heritage only (2026) — Heritage salmon river. In practical angling terms, salmon are not a target species — focus on trout and sea trout.

Related guides
Booking & contacts