Spate · Sandstone · West / Co. Clare, IE

River Doonbeg

River Doonbeg terrain map

A West Clare river rising near Kilmaley and running roughly 22 miles — south for about 7 miles, then turning north-west for around 15 more, passing Cooraclare — to reach the sea at Doonbeg village, where the N67 crosses on a seven-arched stone bridge.

Marginal · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · 10-14
Marginal — persistence required
River lifting fast on the rain. A short window at best — fish the sure lies and move on.
40% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • LevelModerate rain recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp17.1°C
  • ClarityVery coloured
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascade10-14
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Moderate rain recently
No gauge reading
Water temp17.1°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather16°C
WindNW 39 km/h
Pressure1004 hPa
Rain · recent20.2 mm
Rain · ahead2.2 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
17°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.
Why this works
Poor — barometric pressure is working for you, but water clarity is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Mayflies
  • Large dark oliveMost likely
    #14–16 · Emerger
    Dead-drift the emerger — it's sitting in the film.
  • Blue-winged oliveAlso possible
    #16–18 · Dun
    Duns are up; a sherry spinner fall may follow.
Caddisflies
  • GrannomMost likely
    #14–16 · Pupa
    Pupa first, then dries as the adults come off.
  • Satin sedgeAlso possibleLower confidence
    #12–14 · Egg-laying
    Skitter it at dusk — this one's fished, not dead-drifted.
  • Net-spinning caddis (S. Europe)Also possibleLower confidence
    #12–14–16 · Pupa
    Widespread riffle net-spinner; evening emergence.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 4 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

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 · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Autumn DunHatch
2
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
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.
  • No specific season dates could be verified for this river at time of writing — confirm current status (open / catch-and-release / closed) with Inland Fisheries Ireland before planning a trip.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 3
Cashen
29 km
Salmon · Sea trout
Feale
32 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Fergus
39 km
Brown trout
About this water

A West Clare river rising near Kilmaley and running roughly 22 miles — south for about 7 miles, then turning north-west for around 15 more, passing Cooraclare — to reach the sea at Doonbeg village, where the N67 crosses on a seven-arched stone bridge. Renowned for salmon and sea trout, with brown trout also present; the neighbouring Cree and Annageeragh rivers share a similar spate character. Fished at the village bridge and at various points upstream.

Hatches & food

No venue-specific hatch data yet; treat the flies above (from regional consensus) as a starting point rather than an observed hatch calendar.

  • Sandstone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature5430% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity1520% weight
  • Feeding Time5015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Booking & contacts