Stillwater · Mixed · County Antrim, GB-NIR

Lough Fadden Trout Fishery

Lough Fadden Trout Fishery venue image

Lough Fadden lies on the Antrim coast near Murlough Bay, and the setting alone is worth the trip even when the trout decline to play.

Closed season · Trout
Perch Fry · 8–10 long shank
Closed season
Season reopens 1 March. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.

Lough Fadden Trout Fishery is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindN 23 km/hModerate breeze · Gusts to 41 km/h
Today's fly
Perch Fry
Perch Fry8–10 long shank
Retrieve
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze · Gusts to 41 km/h
N 23 km/h
N
N
from the north
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp10.0°C
Air temp8°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1009 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Head to
Wind driftN wind
Northern end

A northerly has held for 6 hours, running colder than the water (7°C air against 10°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered northern end instead — off the back of the wind, where the undertow returns food along the bottom. That chill sits in the top of the water, though, and the bed is slower to feel it — on a bottom bait it is the undertow, not the temperature, that puts you at this end. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.

How to fish it · for Trout
When
Cool, settled or lightly rippled water; cloud cover better than bright sun
Where
Start with Perch Fry (8–10 long shank) — on the point. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Perch Fry (8–10 long shank) — on the point. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.

Plan B

Slow down everything. A booby on a fast-sinking line, left static, can pick up deep fish.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Bank

Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Through the year
0–3 scale · November highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Reservoir BuzzerHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Buzzer team todayfor the conditions now
Point
Black buzzer, orange thorax
Not in this water's box
#10
How to fish it
Intermediate line · let the breeze drift the team, then hang it 15–30 s

Fly recommendations

Point fly shown — supporters see the whole team, sizes and why.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Ranked for today
Trout fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
45%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp60%

Conditions are away from Lough Fadden Trout Fishery's sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Other water nearby · 5
River Maine
41 km
0
Brown trout · Dollaghan
Altnahinch Reservoir
20 km
Brown trout
Dungonnell Reservoir
25 km
Brown trout
Bann Valley Fishery
33 km
Brown trout
Bann Valley Fishery
33 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

It fishes the way coastal loughs tend to — best when the weather is cool and settled, or lightly broken by a gentle ripple, rather than baking under a high sun. Early in the year it's buzzers and a small lure worked patiently through the cool water; as spring builds, the diawl bach and a nymph come into their own, and summer brings enough surface interest to fish a dry to the odd riser. Mixed ground, clean water, and a horizon worth looking up at between casts. When the coastal wind gets serious, find the lee and fish shorter and deeper. The kind of place where a slow day still counts as a good one.

  • Fishery
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingSmall Stillwater Playbookstillwater tacticsFly Fishing for Beginnersnew to fly fishing? start here
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Permits & access
At a glance

Lough Fadden Trout Fishery is a stillwater fishery in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits at about 185 m above sea level. The species listed for this water is brown trout. Best window recorded for anglers: Cool, settled or lightly rippled water; cloud cover better than bright sun. Core methods listed: Buzzers fished slow and deep; Diawl bach and nymph on a washing-line; Damsel along the margins in summer. Nearby waters in our listings include Altnahinch Reservoir at 20 km, Dungonnell Reservoir at 25 km and Bann Valley Fishery at 33 km.