Freestone · Limestone · Cumbria / Eden Valley, GB-ENG

River Eden

The River Eden flowing through Appleby-in-Westmorland in summer with tree-lined banks and clear water.

England's finest all-round game river — everything works here, and it works well.

Prime · Sea Trout
Black & Silver Tube · 1-2 inch
Primelive now
Prime conditions — go now
River steady at a fishable height. Settled and taking. Work it methodically.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.56 mLast reading 21h ago
  • Water temp13.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
BS
Black & Silver Tube1-2 inch
In deep pools and dark water, silhouette and contrast do the work colour cannot. A fly that reads as black against depth is enough. Fish it broadside, hold the swing, let it hang at the dangle — that is when the best fish take.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.56 m
Last reading 21h ago
Water temp13.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather16°C
WindSE 35 km/h
Pressure1008 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead3.3 mm

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

Water temperature for Sea Trout
Ideal
14°C est.ideal 8–15°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Sea Trout
When
From dusk into the first half of the night.
Where
Deeper pools and slower glides · hold water and current seams.
Method
Fish dark patterns on a sink-tip or lightly sunk line, especially near structure.
Kit
10 ft #6/7 rod, floating line with a sink-tip option, 8–10 lb fluoro tippet for the swing.
Why this works
Excellent — conditions well-balanced, with water temperature particularly in your favour.
Likely species
Mayflies
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 2 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
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Grayling seasonSeason
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Hawthorn FlyHatch
2
2
GrannomHatch
2
2

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

Ranked for today
Sea Trout fly box

The complete English game river — trout, grayling, salmon, and sea trout in beautiful limestone freestone water. The alkaline flow throws up cracking olive and sedge hatches; fish the dry through the season and Euro-nymph the grayling once the frosts arrive.

Local classics: Grey Wulff·Pheasant Tail Nymph·Red Tag
BS
Black & Silver TubeTop
1-2 inch · Tube
In deep pools and dark water, silhouette and contrast do the work colour cannot. A fly that reads as black against depth is enough. Fish it broadside, hold the swing, let it hang at the dangle — that is when the best fish take.
Medicine Fly
Medicine Fly
8-12 · Streamer
Slim and mobile — fished sunk through the pool when surface work is not producing. Consistently takes fish that will not come to the surface.
SF
Snake Fly (Black)
2-4 inch · Streamer
A mobile eel-like profile that undulates through deep pools — effective when sea trout are lying deep and not responding to conventional wets.
Beats · 3
How to fish the Eden — association waterAccess varies
The Eden is one of England's most natural salmon, sea trout, trout and grayling rivers, and access is mostly through local angling associations rather than private agents.
Visit official site ↗
Penrith Angling Association waterAccess varies
Penrith AA controls over forty miles of fishing across the Eden, Eamont, Lowther, Petteril, Lyvennet, Leith and several becks — predominantly wild brown trout and grayling, with salmon and sea trout encountered occasionally.
Visit official site ↗
Appleby Angling Association waterAccess varies
Appleby AA controls around twenty miles of the Eden and Lyvennet, with trout and grayling the mainstay and a near year-round fishery when the two seasons are combined.
Visit official site ↗
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Irthing
11 km
Brown trout · Grayling
River Eamont
26 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Border Esk
39 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Annan
41 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Tyne
42 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 6
  1. The River Eden flowing through Appleby-in-Westmorland in summer with tree-lined banks and clear water.
    The River Eden, Appleby
  2. The River Eden flowing slowly through the sandstone valley at Armathwaite, wooded banks in summer.
    River Eden at Armathwaite
  3. A placid wide reach of the River Eden through floodplain fields between Lazonby and Armathwaite near Kirkoswald.
    Eden below Kirkoswald
  4. The River Eden in May near Kirkoswald, a wide channel flanked by spring-green vegetation.
    River Eden near Kirkoswald
  5. The River Eden viewed from Eden Bridge at Temple Sowerby in late summer, the clear channel prominent.
    River Eden from Eden Bridge, Temple Sowerby
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

England's finest all-round game river — everything works here, and it works well. Limestone freestone rising in the Pennines and flowing north through the Eden Valley to the Solway Firth. Wild brown trout, superb grayling (one of England's best populations), salmon, and sea trout. The alkaline geology produces reliable hatches — March Browns in spring, Yellow May Duns in late May, sedges in summer, sedges and fall olives through autumn. Varied water: fast riffles in upper reaches, long glides below Appleby. Good club access via day tickets (Appleby, Penrith, Carlisle). A versatile river rewarding a flexible approach. Atlantic salmon are assessed by the Environment Agency against each river's Conservation Limit — many principal rivers are classed 'at risk' with mandatory catch-and-release byelaws; check current rules before fishing.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), nocturnal peak season pattern

  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Fail
Water quality details
  • Dissolved oxygen: High
  • Ammonia (Phys-Chem): High
  • pH: High
  • Phosphate: High
  • Temperature: Good
  • Physico-chemical quality elements: Good
  • Chemical: Does not require assessment
What this classification means

EA waterbody 'Eden - Eamont to tidal' (GB102076073940) — the lower Eden main stem (Lazonby, Kirkoswald, Armathwaite). Latest EA data (Cycle 3, 2022): Moderate ecological status (downgraded from Good in 2019; fish failure under investigation). Chemical 'Fail' reflects the England-wide ubiquitous-substance failure (mercury and PBDE in biota); the 2022 cycle itself records chemical as 'does not require assessment'. Corrected 2026-06-18 from GB102076071020, which is the River Eamont (an Eden tributary), not the main stem; ecological status was also wrong (recorded Good, actually Moderate).

EA (England) · GB102076073940

Why this score · for Sea Trout
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity8518% weight
  • Feeding Time10013% weight
  • Pressure857% weight
  • Insect activity8012% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 15 January → 14 October
  • Trout 22 March → 30 September
  • Grayling 16 June → 14 March

    Statutory window is 16 June – 14 March, but Eden clubs typically sell grayling as a winter product from 1 October. Appleby AA and Brampton AA (Irthing) both list grayling from 1 October to mid-March. Check association rules for methods and access.

    Legally open from 16 June, but access is typically sold from 1 October.

    Prime sport 1 October → 28 February

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Salmon: Negligible (2026) — EA 2024 Salmon Stocks Assessment classifies this river 'at risk' — egg deposition below Conservation Limit. Conservation priority; not a salmon fishing destination. Cumbria's Eden has shown some recent improvement but remains at risk.

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