Limestone · North West / Sligo, IE

Easkey River

The Easkey River in County Sligo, Ireland, viewed upstream towards Easkey village.

A north Sligo spate river with a stronger limestone influence than most west-coast systems — the Carboniferous bedrock moderates its flashiness, improves water clarity recovery after rain, and sustains better insect life than typical blanket-bog drainages.

Good · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · 10-14
Goodlive now
A good day — worth the effort
Low and clear — careful approach country. Small, sparse flies, long leader, careful approach.
70% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelLight rain recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp15.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascade10-14
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Light rain recently
No gauge reading
Water temp15.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather14°C
WindNW 25 km/h
Pressure1023 hPa
Rain · recent8.2 mm
Rain · ahead7.1 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
16°C est.ideal 1014°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
Good — water clarity is working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 12 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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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
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1

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.
  • North Western Fisheries District
  • Local club permits in Easkey town
  • State rod licence required.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. The Easkey River in County Sligo, Ireland, viewed upstream towards Easkey village.
    Looking upstream on the Easkey River, Co. Sligo, with Easkey village in the distance.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A north Sligo spate river with a stronger limestone influence than most west-coast systems — the Carboniferous bedrock moderates its flashiness, improves water clarity recovery after rain, and sustains better insect life than typical blanket-bog drainages. Salmon and sea trout run from June; grilse dominate. Local club-managed access, with day permits available. The town of Easkey has a functioning angling infrastructure. Worth choosing over some smaller Connacht rivers precisely because the limestone backbone makes it more forgiving of marginal conditions. 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 river-invertebrate monitoring on the Easkey confirms mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, chironomids and other aquatic diptera, and freshwater crustaceans are present across its monitored reaches - food-presence evidence only, not a record of when or how strongly any of them hatch.

  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyUnknown
  • ChemicalUnknown
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature6230% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time4015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 February30 SeptemberC&R

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts