Limestone · South / Limerick, IE

Mulkear

Photo of Mulkear

Ireland's premier limestone brown trout river, the Mulkear drains the Slieveardagh hills and flows into the River Suir near Limerick.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Ally's Shrimp · 6–10
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level0.46 mLast reading 6h ago
  • Water temp5.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Ally's Shrimp
Ally's Shrimp6–10
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.46 m
Last reading 6h ago
Water temp5.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather7°C
WindS 23 km/h
Pressure1009 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead14.1 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Cool — slow
5.7°Cideal 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 5 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 3 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
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Hawthorn FlyHatch
2
2
GrannomHatch
2
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.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • IFI rod licence (RoI)
  • Dry-fly trout season 15 May–12 October
  • **2026 conservation: salmon catch-and-release ONLY
  • Single barbless hooks required for all species
  • Worms, prawn, and shrimp prohibited.** Fly-only stretch between Ballyclough Weir and Brownes Weir; fixed-spool reels and bubble floats prohibited on this section
  • Beats managed; day tickets €25–€50 depending on season
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Castleconnell (Lower Shannon)
5.0 km
0
Salmon
River Maigue
22 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Fergus
36 km
Brown trout
River Drish
50 km
Brown trout
River Drish
50 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of Mulkear
    Mulkear
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A classic limestone river — clear, technical, and rich with insect life. The Mulkear is justly famous for its resident wild brown trout (average 12–14 oz, specimens to 2 lb+) and exceptional dry-fly fishing. Spring salmon from February; sea trout June–September. The river is gin-clear in summer — sight-fishing and fine-tippet nymphing the standard approach. Managed beats; day tickets available. Comparable in standard to the Nore and Barrow. For 2026 this is a catch-and-release fishery under the Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme — all salmon and grilse must be returned.

Hatches & food

EPA river-invertebrate monitoring confirms mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, aquatic diptera and freshwater crustaceans (including white-clawed crayfish) are present across the Mulkear's monitored segments. This is food-presence evidence only and doesn't establish emergence timing or the strength of any hatch.

  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Good
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 March → 30 SeptemberC&R
  • Trout 15 March → 12 October
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Mulkear is a limestone river in South / Limerick, Ireland. The catchment geology is recorded as limestone, and the water sits at about 15 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 52 km long. 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 March to 12 October. The salmon season is recorded as running from 1 March to 30 September. Best window recorded for anglers: May–September (dry fly); February–April (spring salmon). Core methods listed: dry fly (May–October, sight-fishing); fine-tippet upstream nymph (March–May); wet fly (spring salmon, low light). Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as good. Nearby waters in our listings include Castleconnell (Lower Shannon) at 5.0 km, River Maigue at 22 km and Fergus at 36 km.