Spate · Mixed · Newfoundland (Central)

Exploits

Whitewater cascading over dark rock ledges on the Exploits River, with a small dam structure and building among trees in the background.

Newfoundland's longest river and a major Atlantic salmon system.

Marginal · Atlantic Salmon
Bomber · sizes 4 8
Marginallive now
Slow going — pick your moments
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. Fish dawn or dusk if you go at all, and handle everything with extra care.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelLight rain recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp18.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Bomber
Bombersizes 4 8
River-specific pack, filled from the regional salmon default.
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Light rain recently
No gauge reading
Water temp18.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather16°C
WindSW 9 km/h
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent5.9 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
19°C est.ideal 10–14°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
Water at 18.7°C — above the atlantic salmon caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 9pm

Hatch predictions

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Early Black StoneflyHatch
2
3
2
Eastern Golden StoneHatch
2
2
Slate Drake / IsonychiaHatch
2
3
3
3
3
2
Yellow SallyHatch
2
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Beats · 6

The Exploits is public, scheduled salmon water rather than a beat-let river — you fish it on a provincial licence with tags, and what changes along its length is the DFO river class, which sets what you may keep. Retention falls away as you move up the system: the lower main stem is class 6 (retention with tags), the lower tributaries class 4, the mid main stem above Grand Falls drops to class 2 (a single tag), and the upper watershed above Red Indian Lake Dam is class 0, catch-and-release only. A special-management section sits around the Red Indian Lake Dam fishway with its own date-split rules. Always confirm the current class, tags and any closures for your stretch in the DFO Newfoundland & Labrador Anglers' Guide before fishing.

Lower Exploits main stem (Class 6)Public
The main stem of the lower Exploits, from Stoney Brook downstream to Exploits Bay, is the system's class-6 retention water — public salmon fishing on a provincial licence, with the lower-river holding water that benefits from Grand Falls concentrating the run below the barrier.
Lower Exploits tributaries below Grand Falls (Class 4)Public
The tributaries entering below Grand Falls — Stoney Brook, Little Rattling Brook, Great Rattling Brook, Three Brooks and Greenwoods Brook — are scheduled class-4 water.
Mid-Exploits main stem (Class 2)Public
The mid main stem, from the Grand Falls fishway up to Red Indian Lake Dam, is class-2 water — public salmon fishing where retention is cut back to a single tag.
Exploits watershed above Red Indian Lake Dam (Class 0, C&R only)Public
The watershed above Red Indian Lake Dam — including Victoria River, Mary March Brook, Lloyds River and the tributaries draining into Red Indian Lake — is scheduled class-0 water.
Red Indian Lake Dam special-management sectionPublic
A short special-management section runs from 25 m below the fishway down to the former Abitibi-Bowater steel bridge, around the Red Indian Lake Dam.
Exploits outfitter & guided access (context)Guide / lodge
A handful of outfitters, including Victoria Outfitters, offer guided and accommodation-based Atlantic salmon service on the Exploits.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Newfoundland scheduled-river rules apply
  • Provincial salmon licence is required, and access on the lower river is shaped by the concentration of fish below Grand Falls.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 19°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. Whitewater cascading over dark rock ledges on the Exploits River, with a small dam structure and building among trees in the background.
    White water
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Newfoundland's longest river and a major Atlantic salmon system. Enormous catchment producing long-lasting spates (14 hours). Salmon runs from June with July–August strongest. Sea-run brook trout are an important secondary fishery — these are genuine sea-run brookies, not the European sea trout (brown trout). Brook trout average 0.5–1.5 kg with occasional larger specimens. Bomber and Blue Charm standard. Grand Falls blocks upstream migration, concentrating salmon below the falls. Atlantic salmon are managed under DFO conservation rules — mandatory catch-and-release of large (multi-sea-winter) salmon applies in most areas, with any grilse retention strictly limited by zone; check current regulations before fishing.

  • Mixed
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature1730% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time1015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 June → 7 September
  • Trout 15 January → 15 September
  • Brook trout varies by zone (earliest 1 February) → 7–15 September (zone-specific)

    Newfoundland (Island) brook trout (speckled trout) — zone-specific dates. Earliest Zone opener is Feb 1; Zone 2 opens Mar 1; Zone 1 has a split season (Feb 1–Apr 15 and May 15–Sep 7). Close dates range Sep 7–Sep 15 by zone. Check NL Anglers' Guide 2026-27 for the specific zone covering this water. Coastal waters allow year-round trout angling. This is primarily an Atlantic salmon river — brook trout present throughout, especially in headwaters and smaller tributaries.

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
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