Stillwater · Old Red Sandstone · South West / Kerry, IE

Lough Leane (Killarney)

Lough Leane (Killarney) — Sunset in Lough Leane - Killarney, Ireland - Travel photography

The largest of the Killarney lakes, holding wild brown trout, large ferox, Atlantic salmon, sea trout.

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
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.50 m
Lifting fast
Water temp10.4°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather5°C
WindN 23 km/h
Pressure1014 hPa
Rain · recent19.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 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
Ideal
10°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: 21%

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

Top prey shown — see all 4 as a supporter.

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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
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
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

Munster Blackwater and neighbouring SW spring rivers: when the water is cold or running high, a tube fly fished deep on a Skagit head or sinking shooting head with a heavier leader finds fish that a floating line can't reach. Comes down to a 9'-10' single-handed rod and small flies on an 8lb tippet once the river drops into summer trim.

Munroe Killer
Munroe Killer
10–14 doubles · Salmon fly
Traditional Irish salmon fly with long local history. Popular on the Munster rivers; the black/yellow combination has worked reliably for grilse fishing throughout the summer.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Permit/ticket required; confirm operator dates.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Flesk
14 km
0
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
Laune
16 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Maine (Castlemaine)
17 km
0
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
River Sheen
19 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Roughty
19 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Lough Leane (Killarney) — Sunset in Lough Leane - Killarney, Ireland - Travel photography
    Sunset in Lough Leane - Killarney, Ireland - Travel photography
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Arctic char and Killarney shad are present but are protected/ecological species, not angling targets. Salmon enter via the Laune; the trout fishing peaks with the spring duckfly and mayfly. Atlantic salmon and sea trout are managed under IFI's Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme — many rivers are catch-and-release and harvest is allowed only where a confirmed surplus exists, so check the river's current status before fishing.

Hatches & food

Inland Fisheries Ireland's angling guide reports a strong duckfly hatch on Lough Leane typically running through late March and into April, though it gives no detail on time of day or weather triggers for the rise.

  • Lough
  • Old red sandstone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature10030% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time1015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 17 January → 30 September
  • Trout 15 February → 12 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureAtlantic Salmonsalmon tactics
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Permits & access
At a glance

Lough Leane (Killarney) is a lough in South West / Kerry, Ireland. The catchment geology is recorded as old red sandstone, and the water sits at about 20 m above sea level. Species listed for this water: brown trout, salmon and sea trout. It is classed as a salmon river. The trout season is recorded as running from 15 February to 12 October. The salmon season is recorded as running from 17 January to 30 September. Best window recorded for anglers: May–September; mayfly peak late May–June. Core methods listed: wet-fly drift; dry fly; dapping. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Boat fishing is recorded as available. Nearby waters in our listings include River Flesk at 14 km, Laune at 16 km and River Maine (Castlemaine) at 17 km.