Lowland · Mixed · Co. Londonderry / Co. Antrim, GB-NIR

Lower Bann

The Lower River Bann at Toome, County Antrim, shortly after it drains from Lough Neagh.

The Lower Bann runs from Lough Neagh to the sea at Coleraine — 61 km of powerful, broad river that carries the largest salmon run in Northern Ireland.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Collie Dog · 6–10
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level7.44 mLast reading 39 min ago
  • Water temp8.9°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Collie Dog
Collie Dog6–10
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
7.44 m
Last reading 39 min ago
Water temp8.9°C
ClarityClear
Weather9°C
WindS 27 km/h
Pressure1003 hPa
Rain · recent0.7 mm
Rain · ahead3.4 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
Cool — slow
9°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.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 7 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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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 2 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
1
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2
Large Cinnamon SedgeHatch
2
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box

Connemara/Mayo low water: a lightly-dressed shrimp on a floating line with sink tip, sized down from 8s in cold spring water to 12s and 14s as summer water warms and clears. Where the current runs faster, a slim tube or hairwing swung through tracks better than a shrimp.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Agivey
9.0 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon
Clady River
15 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon
River Roe
24 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Bush
19 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Maine
23 km
Brown trout · Dollaghan
Gallery · 2
  1. The Lower River Bann at Toome, County Antrim, shortly after it drains from Lough Neagh.
    The Lower River Bann at Toome, just after it leaves Lough Neagh on its way to the Atlantic.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Carnroe beat near Coleraine is premium water (eight rods per day, historically averaging 1,000+ salmon over a ten-year period). The lower river below the Cutts weir at Coleraine fishes on the tide. Salmon run from April with the main push June–September. The river is big and slow — boat fishing and bank casting both work. The Honourable Irish Society controls several beats. Grilse peak in July. Sea trout are present but secondary. The Bann also holds excellent coarse fishing, pike, and dollaghan from the Lough Neagh feeder system. Atlantic salmon are managed under DAERA and Loughs Agency conservation byelaws, with mandatory catch-and-release on many waters; check current rules before fishing.

Hatches & food

No venue-specific hatch data yet; as a lowland main-stem river, expect the steadier mixed diet of upwings, sedges and midges typical of larger Ulster lowland rivers — a general expectation, not a confirmed hatch.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs, seasonal patterns vary by region

  • Mixed
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature7430% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time8515% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April → 15 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsWinter Pike on the Flypike tactics and handlingIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheries
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Lower Bann is a lowland river in Co. Londonderry / Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits at about 2 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 61 km long. Our data lists 4 species here, including brown trout, salmon and sea trout. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from 1 April to 15 October. Best window recorded for anglers: June–September (grilse peak), April–May (spring). Core methods listed: across and down wet fly from boat or bank; sinking line and tube fly in spring; small doubles on floating line in summer. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Nearby waters in our listings include River Agivey at 9.0 km, Clady River at 15 km and River Bush at 19 km.