Spate · Granite · North West / Donegal, IE

Gweebarra

Wide view of the tidal Gweebarra River estuary with sandbars and hills in the distance, County Donegal, Ireland

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

Today · Closed season
Black Gnat
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
50% projected
Today's fly
Black Gnat
Black Gnat
Conditions on the water · Today
Proxy gauge
Level
Falling
Proxy
via River Owenea
Water temp14.5°C
ClarityClearing
Weather13°C
WindN 37 km/h
Pressure998 hPa
Rain · recent3.0 mm
Rain · ahead5.1 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
Ideal
15°C est.ideal 10–16°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
Very few salmon are historically caught on this river in September (based on guide reports and fishery knowledge). Current conditions matter, but expectations should be modest. Conditions are reasonable, though not ideal. Late season — fish are beginning to colour up as spawning approaches. They become more territorial and can take aggressively. Autumnal colours (orange, copper, gold) work well.
Likely species
Mayflies
Stoneflies
Caddisflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) — Heather Fly

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 95%
Also:Reed Smut85%Autumn Dun51%Cinnamon Sedge46%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost11 food groups active

Peak activity at 12pm — Heather Fly (Heather Fly, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 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
1
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Autumn DunHatch
2
3
2

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.
  • 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
9.0 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Eske / Lough Eske
22 km
0
Brown trout · Char · Salmon
Bungosteen River
21 km
Salmon · Sea trout
Eany Water
22 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Clady (Gweedore)
23 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Wide view of the tidal Gweebarra River estuary with sandbars and hills in the distance, County Donegal, Ireland
    The Gweebarra River, County Donegal
  2. 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.

Hatches & food

EPA monitoring confirms the Gweebarra carries a solid aquatic food base — mayflies, stoneflies, caddis and chironomid/blackfly larvae are all recorded in kick samples from the river — but this is presence evidence only, with no data on hatch timing or rise reliability.

  • 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 heightLow But Fishable-0.7
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftStill Rising Hard-0.6
Water temperatureCool To Moderate+3.5
Time in seasonLate Season+0.4
ClarityClearing+2.4
Hydrology base5.0
Will they take?Neutralcaps the band

Taking mood is fair — clearing, stained water.

Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowproxy via River Oweneaproxy
What would change the calculation
No prolonged stable spell before the current rise.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts