Freestone · Mixed · Borders, GB-SCT

Ettrick Water

Photo of Ettrick Water

The Scottish Government grades the Ettrick Water's salmon Good (Grade 1) for 2026, as part of the River Tweed SAC.

Tomorrow · Slow going — better windows ahead
Partridge and Orange
Forecast · Tomorrow
Slow going — better windows ahead
Little in your favour today. Fish the certain lies, or leave it for a better one.
40% projected
Today's fly
Partridge and Orange
Partridge and Orange
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.55 m
Lifting fast
Water temp6.5°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather4°C
WindN 19 km/h
Pressure1009 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.6 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
Cool — slow
7°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
Fair conditions based on river hydrology and migration patterns.
Hatch timeline · tomorrowQuiet day

12pm(now) — Autumn Needle Fly

Stage: Creeping nymphsApproach: Heavy nymphActivity: 16%

Low insect activity predicted today

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

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

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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 · November 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
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
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.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of Ettrick Water
    Ettrick Water
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Every salmon caught before 1 April must be released by law; after that, follow the district board's and the beat's policy, and many ask for all fish to be returned. The upper reaches above Ettrickbridge are classic wild trout water — stony, fast, full of character, and demanding the proper small-stream approach of short rod, short line, and a willingness to walk. The lower river from Selkirk down to the Tweed confluence is the salmon water, particularly productive on the autumn run in September and October when fresh fish push up from the main river. The Ettrick shares the famous Tweed autumn timing and a sinking-tip line with a small tube will find fish from the end of August onwards. Day tickets are accessible through local clubs and the Selkirk & District Angling Association.

  • Mixed
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 February → 30 November
Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Ettrick Water is a freestone river in Borders, Scotland. It sits at about 165 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 50 km long. Our data lists brown trout and atlantic salmon here. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from 1 February to 30 November. Best window recorded for anglers: April to June (trout), September to November (salmon). Core methods listed: Spey casting; small double (salmon); upstream wet fly (trout). Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Nearby waters in our listings include Yarrow Water at 6.0 km, Leader Water at 23 km and River Teviot at 31 km.