Spate · Granite · North West / Donegal

Gweebarra

Gweebarra Apartments venue image
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Noted Donegal salmon and sea trout fishery — under the 2026 tagging scheme (S.

Fair · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · 10-14
Fairlive now
Decent — worth a look
River dropping into shape after a lift. Cover the heads and tails before the river drops away.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia River Owenea
  • Water temp16.1°C
  • ClarityColouredClearing
Today’s fly
Cascade
Cascade10-14
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Falling
Proxy
via River Owenea
Water temp16.1°C
ClarityColoured
Weather13°C
WindNW 16 km/h
Pressure1024 hPa
Rain · recent11.1 mm
Rain · ahead16.2 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from River Owenea. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for atlantic salmon
Warm — slow
16°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for atlantic salmon
When
Spring from March; grilse from late June; main run summer through September. Donegal spate-driven — fish 12 to 24 hours after rain.
Where
Lower Gweebarra beats below Doochary. Heads, tails, and the named lies through the salmon stretches.
Method
Small doubles 10 to 12 across-and-down on a floating line; small tubes on a sink-tip in spring water. Catch-and-release encouraged across most Irish salmon water.
Kit
10 ft #7 single-hander on the smaller spate rivers; 11 ft switch where the river opens out. Floating line plus light sink-tip. 10 to 12 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Fair conditions based on river hydrology and migration patterns.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour 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 · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • 2026: catch-and-release only until 31 May, open for harvest from 1 June (S.I
  • 129/2026)
  • Salmon and sea trout 40cm+ on barbless single/double hooks only; no worm or bait
  • State rod licence required.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Owenea
10 km
50
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Eske / Lough Eske
22 km
50
Brown trout · Char · Salmon
Clady (Gweedore)
23 km
50
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Bungosteen River
21 km
Salmon · Sea trout
Eany Water
22 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Noted Donegal salmon and sea trout fishery — under the 2026 tagging scheme (S.I. 129/2026) it is catch-and-release only until 31 May, then open for harvest from 1 June under tag and the bag limit. An estuary and river system that holds fish well through the season when conditions align. Fish the estuary on early tides as salmon move upriver, and the brief river sections as they settle in pools. Consistent sport when water conditions cooperate. Spate-river approach — fish the drop when the water clears after rain. Spring fish (April–May), grilse from late June, summer salmon in August.

  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD ecological status Good → Moderate corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody IENW_38G020300. Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

EPA (Ireland) · IENW_38G020300

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 / flowproxy via River Oweneaproxy
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Booking & contacts