Spate · Sandstone · Moray, GB-SCT

River Lossie

The River Lossie flowing through Elgin, Moray, seen from Bishopmill Bridge.

A smaller north-east Scottish spate river flowing north through Moray to Elgin and the Moray Firth at Lossiemouth.

Prime · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · size 4 6 / small tube
Primelive now
Prime conditions — go now
Low and clear — careful approach country. Cover the water properly, fish each lie once.
85% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.23 m
  • Water temp11.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascadesize 4 6 / small tube
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.23 m
Water temp11.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather13°C
WindSW 24 km/h
Pressure996 hPa
Rain · recent4.4 mm
Rain · ahead4.2 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
12°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
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though time of day could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 12 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 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 · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
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

A balanced Scottish river profile. Early season nymphs and spiders, then more dry-fly and emerger fishing as hatches strengthen on steadier glides and richer water.

Beats · 3

An affordable, association-led Moray spate river best presented as a water to fish only after checking river height, association season dates and the current catch-and-release policy. The lower river is the ordinary angler's route in via Elgin & District AA; the upper river is more estate- and Dallas AA-controlled.

Elgin & District Angling AssociationMembers
The ordinary angler's route into the Lossie — Elgin & District AA controls roughly the lower ten miles of river through Elgin, the most accessible and affordable water on the system.
Dallas Angling AssociationMembers
Local association water on the middle/upper river around Dallas — a quieter, trout-and-occasional-migratory fish lane above the Elgin AA reaches.
Upper Lossie (context)Enquiry
Upper-river and habitat context — brown-trout water above the association reaches, not a salmon-first lead.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Findhorn
18 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Fiddich
21 km
Brown trout
River Avon (Spey)
27 km
0
Atlantic salmon · Brown trout · Sea trout
River Nairn
34 km
30
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Livet
34 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Lossie flowing through Elgin, Moray, seen from Bishopmill Bridge.
    The River Lossie by Bishopmill Bridge, Elgin, Moray.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A smaller north-east Scottish spate river flowing north through Moray to Elgin and the Moray Firth at Lossiemouth. Overshadowed by bigger neighbours but locally important and affordable, with association-led salmon and sea-trout fishing. Best fished after rain has lifted the river — check height, association season dates and the current catch-and-release policy before travelling, as the Lossie is currently a Poor conservation-grade river. Sandstone freestone bedrock underlies this river. Atlantic salmon stocks are Category 3 (declining) — all salmon must be released under Scottish Government conservation guidelines.

Sea trout here

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

  • Sandstone
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature10030% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time6015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 25 February → 31 October
  • Sea trout 25 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