Limestone · Midlands / Roscommon-Westmeath, IE

Lough Ree

Lough Ree — Camping by Lough Ree, Ireland

Large Shannon lake with wild brown trout and pike — a lough that demands respect.

Good · Trout
Perch Fry · 8-10_long_shank
Goodlive now
Buzzer expected on Lough Ree
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Fishable ripple — drift the productive shore.
65% confidence
What moved it
  • WindSW 25 km/hModerate breeze
Today's fly
Perch Fry
Perch Fry8-10_long_shank
Retrieve
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze
SW 25 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp15.2°C
Air temp15°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1003 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

How to fish it · for Trout
When
May–September for trout; mayfly mid-May; pike fly fishing year-round
Where
Work Muddler Minnow on the bob and Perch Fry on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Work Muddler Minnow on the bob and Perch Fry on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Watch for Sedge towards evening — this could be the best window of the day.

Boat — at anchor

Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Green PeterHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2
DuckflyHatch
2
2
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2

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

Ranked for today
Trout fly box
Permits & access
Free state water
State rod licence required for trout / salmon as applicable.
  • Shannon system lough
  • No permit — state rod licence only
  • Boats available from Athlone, Lanesborough
  • Large water — respect weather conditions.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
60%
Cloud100%
Wind30%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though wind isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 5
Shannon (Upper)
13 km
Brown trout
Mount Dalton Lake
27 km
Brown trout
River Brosna
30 km
Brown trout
Lough Ennell
36 km
Brown trout · Pike
Lough Owel
37 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Lough Ree — Camping by Lough Ree, Ireland
    Camping by Lough Ree, Ireland
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Large Shannon lake with wild brown trout and pike — a lough that demands respect. Mayfly hatches on the shallower western shore are excellent when the water and wind align. Trout fishing from Lecarrow and Lanesborough areas. Very exposed and large, which means careful boat handling and respect for the weather. Not a lake for the timid.

Hatches & food

Inland Fisheries Ireland names Lough Ree among the large Shannon loughs known for good spent-gnat fishing at mayfly time, with returning spinners typically falling from around 17:00 into darkness through May and June in settled evening conditions. No precise annual onset date is given, so treat this as a seasonal window rather than a fixed date.

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

WFD updated 2026-06-18: ecological status Moderate → Good (EEA WISE 2022, 3rd RBMP) and code normalized IE_SH_26_750a → IESH_26_750A (EPA national format → WISE euSurfaceWaterBodyCode; same water body). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu). | Prior note: EPA WFD 2019-2024 (lake layer) — Lough Ree: Moderate ecological status. Re-tagged 2026-06-18 from IESH_26S021660 (a river/stream water body, not the lough) to the lough's own EPA lake water body. Source: EPA Ireland WFD 2019-2024 classification (catchments.ie / EDEN).

EPA (Ireland) · IESH_26_750A

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Cloud cover (mixed) suits the fishery well.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 March → 30 September
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts