Freestone · Mixed · Ayrshire, GB-SCT

River Irvine

Photo of River Irvine

The Scottish Government grades the River Irvine's salmon Poor (Grade 3) for 2026, so every salmon must be released all season.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level0.85 mLast reading 2h ago
  • Water temp6.9°C
  • ClarityClear
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.85 m
Last reading 2h ago
Water temp6.9°C
ClarityClear
Weather7°C
WindW 19 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead12.0 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
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.
Likely species
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 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
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
Endrick Water
52 km
0
Brown trout · Sea trout · Atlantic salmon
Loch Lomond
54 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Avon Water (Lanarkshire)
37 km
Brown trout
River Kelvin
40 km
Brown trout
Loch Lomond
54 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Irvine
    River Irvine
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Industrial history has been unkind to the lower reaches but the upper and middle river above Kilmarnock fishes respectably for brown trout, and summer sea trout run the system in modest numbers. Most of the fishable water is controlled by local clubs (Kilmarnock Angling Club and others) and day tickets are accessible. Best fishing is mid-season for trout on small wets and spiders, and from mid-July onwards for sea trout after dark. Not a river to travel for, but if you live in central Ayrshire it will give you a lot of honest fishing over a season.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), nocturnal pattern in peak season

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown

SEPA (Scotland) · UKSC010391

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
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 11 February → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingAtlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

River Irvine is a freestone river in Ayrshire, Scotland. It sits at about 12 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 46 km long. Species listed for this water: brown trout, sea trout and atlantic salmon. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from 11 February to 31 October. Best window recorded for anglers: May to June (trout), July to August (sea trout), August to October (grilse). Core methods listed: night fishing (sea trout); upstream wet fly; dry fly. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as moderate. Nearby waters in our listings include Avon Water (Lanarkshire) at 37 km, River Kelvin at 40 km and Endrick Water at 52 km.