Spate · Granite · North West / Donegal, IE

Lackagh / Lough Beagh

View across Lough Beagh with heather-covered hills and rocky outcrops, Glenveagh National Park, County Donegal

A classic Donegal sea-trout lough-and-river system in the Glenveagh National Park — wild, remote, and still explicitly managed as a sea-trout fishery.

Today · Closed season
Perch Fry
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
40% projected
Today's fly
Perch Fry
Perch Fry
Conditions on the water · Today
Proxy gauge
Level
Rising
Proxy
via River Finn
Water temp8.4°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather6°C
WindN 23 km/h
Pressure1005 hPa
Rain · recent2.1 mm
Rain · ahead3.8 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Cool — slow
8°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
All day — lough fishing is best in a good wave. Early morning and evening can produce in calm conditions.
Where
Work the drift lanes from the upwind shore across the productive zones. Cover bay edges, underwater reefs, and any areas where the bottom shoals.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
10 ft #7/8 single-hander, floating line, 10–12 lb fluoro leader. Boat seat and waterproofs for the drift.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 10am

12pm(now) — Black Midge

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 22%

Peak activity at 10am — Black Midge

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 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
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
2
1
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
3
2
Claret DunHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
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
Free state water
State rod licence required for trout / salmon as applicable.
  • Glenveagh National Park area, Co
  • Access arrangements — check locally
  • State rod licence required.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Tullaghobegley / Ray
14 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gweebarra
21 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Clady (Gweedore)
21 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Lough Beagh
< 1 km
Sea trout · Salmon
Lennon
21 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. View across Lough Beagh with heather-covered hills and rocky outcrops, Glenveagh National Park, County Donegal
    Lough Beagh, Glenveagh National Park
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The 2025 permit wording separately regulates sea trout over and under 40 cm, confirming they remain central to fishery management. Lough Beagh's own season opens mid-July (15 July to 30 September), giving it a notably late, specialist-lough character; the Lackagh River opens earlier from 12 May. Fish the lough by boat during runs with wet fly teams; fish the brief river sections on the drop after a spate. Historic prestige remains stronger than the current public catch narrative — treat as an iconic specialist destination rather than a modern numbers machine. For 2026 this is a catch-and-release fishery under the Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme — all salmon and grilse must be returned.

Hatches & food

No venue-specific hatch data yet; as a connected lough-river system, expect the mixed midge, olive and sedge food base typical of Donegal's lough-and-spate waters — a general expectation for this water type, not an observed hatch.

  • Lough system
  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD ecological status Moderate → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody IENW_38C010300. Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

EPA (Ireland) · IENW_38C010300

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 Finnproxy
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 June → 30 SeptemberC&R
  • Sea trout 12 May → 30 September
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureAtlantic Salmonsalmon tactics
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Lackagh / Lough Beagh is a spate river in North West / Donegal, Ireland. The catchment geology is recorded as granite, and the water sits at about 119 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 8 km long. Species listed for this water: brown trout, salmon and sea trout. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from 1 June to 30 September. The sea trout season is recorded as running from 12 May to 30 September. Best window recorded for anglers: June–September; salmon and sea trout from June. Core methods listed: wet fly drift on Lough Beagh from boat; across and down on the Lackagh River; spate fishing on the drop. Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as good. Access is recorded as a lough where no permit is required. Boat fishing is recorded as available. Nearby waters in our listings include Lough Beagh at < 1 km, Tullaghobegley / Ray at 14 km and Gweebarra at 21 km.