Spate · Mixed · Lancashire, GB-ENG

River Hodder

The River Hodder flowing beneath Hodder Bridge near Hurst Green, Lancashire, in the Forest of Bowland.

The Hodder runs through the Forest of Bowland — moorland and limestone country in Lancashire, the kind of landscape that looks most itself in poor weather, which it gets reliably.

Marginal · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · size 10–12 doubles
Marginal — persistence required
River lifting fast on the rain. A short window at best — fish the sure lies and move on.
40% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • Level0.83 mLifting fast
  • Water temp11.0°C
  • ClarityVery colouredColouring up
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascadesize 10–12 doubles
Hodder all-rounder for salmon and sea trout on this Bowland Forest spate river. The recovering salmon population means careful handling; Cascade in size 12 on a barbless single hook is the sensible choice.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.83 m
Lifting fast
Water temp11.0°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather12°C
WindW 23 km/h
Pressure1022 hPa
Rain · recent8.2 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 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
Ideal
11°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
Poor — water temperature is working for you, but water clarity is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

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

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

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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 · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
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

Ally's Shrimp variants — fished swing

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • EA NW byelaw + mandatory C&R.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 4
River Lune
40 km
30
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Ribble
7.0 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
River Wharfe
40 km
Brown trout · Grayling
River Ure
56 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Hodder flowing beneath Hodder Bridge near Hurst Green, Lancashire, in the Forest of Bowland.
    The River Hodder and Hodder Bridge near Hurst Green, Lancashire.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Hodder runs through the Forest of Bowland — moorland and limestone country in Lancashire, the kind of landscape that looks most itself in poor weather, which it gets reliably. Brown trout hold throughout the river, in the riffle edges and pool tails where the current concentrates the hatches. The Forest has a wildness that the farms and stone walls don't diminish. Atlantic salmon and sea trout run from the Ribble, entering the Hodder in autumn and pushing towards the moors. When the leaves are off the alders and the river is dropping after October rain, this is good country to be in. 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

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
Water quality details
  • Dissolved oxygen: High
  • Ammonia (Phys-Chem): High
  • pH: High
  • Phosphate: High
  • Temperature: High

EA (England) · GB112071065560

Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature10030% weight
  • Flow8025% weight
  • Clarity1520% weight
  • Feeding Time9015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 February → 31 October
  • Trout 22 March → 7 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsTrout Near Londonaccess guide
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts