Migratory lough near Newport, Mayo where salmon and sea trout run from the tidal Newport river. Good boat fishing for salmon from June — watch the water and fish the likely lies. Sea trout in the shallows at dusk and after dark. A productive system when fish are moving through. For 2026 this is a catch-and-release fishery under the Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme — all salmon and grilse must be returned.
Lough Beltra lies in wild country five miles north-east of Newport in Mayo, two miles by one of mountain-ringed water beneath the Nephin Beg range. It is one of Ireland's loveliest and most renowned spring-salmon loughs — drawing a large run of fish through March, April and May, salmon typically in the eight-to-ten-pound class, with a smaller run of grilse and sea trout from June. All its fish are entirely wild. The water is soft and peat-tinged off the surrounding bog and mountain, the lough fed and drained by the Newport river system. The character is classic western drift-fishing water: a big, open, often wind-ruffled lough fished from the boat over rocky shoals and along the productive shoreline lies. Wading has little role here — this is boat water, read by the wave, the drift and the known holding ground, an outboard the only practical way about it.
Wading: Open, wind ruffled boat water
- Lough system
- Mixed
- Unconfined
- Stillwater
- Lough
