Spate · Mixed · South Wales / Vale of Glamorgan / Bridgend

Ogmore and Ewenny

The River Ogmore flowing through a rural stretch near Bridgend, South Wales.
Contributor photo

The River Ogmore near Bridgend, upstream of its confluence with the Ewenny.

John Grayson, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Ogmore drops out of the Bridgend hills and is joined by the Ewenny from the Vale before tumbling into the Severn at Ogmore-by-Sea.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Poorlive now
Slow going — better windows ahead
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stale fish in low clear water spook easily — pick your hour.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.31 mLast reading 12h ago
  • Water temp21.4°C
  • ClarityClear
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.31 m
Last reading 12h ago
Water temp21.4°C
ClarityClear
Weather22°C
WindW 17 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for atlantic salmon
Warm — slow
21°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for atlantic salmon
When
Summer through autumn. Fish the drop after rain; the lower pools take fresh fish on combined tide-and-river timing.
Where
Lower Ogmore pools above the estuary at Ogmore-by-Sea; named lies through the Ogmore AA water.
Method
Small doubles 10 to 12 across-and-down on a floating line; small tubes on a sink-tip in spring or coloured water. Fish the named lies in each pool, working systematically before moving on. Mandatory catch-and-release under NRW byelaw — every salmon goes back.
Kit
10 ft #7/8 single-hander or 11 ft switch — small spate scale; double-handers are wasted on these rivers. Floating line plus light sink-tip. 10 to 12 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
⛔ Water at 21.4°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills atlantic salmon. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalModerate confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2

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

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Probably above the atlantic salmon safety line — these are likely cooler, but carry a thermometer.
Afon Cynon
25 km
~19°C
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Ogmore flowing through a rural stretch near Bridgend, South Wales.
    The River Ogmore near Bridgend, upstream of its confluence with the Ewenny.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Ogmore drops out of the Bridgend hills and is joined by the Ewenny from the Vale before tumbling into the Severn at Ogmore-by-Sea. South Wales sewin water with a strong local association — fresh fish straight off the tide are the proper Ogmore angle. The two rivers are treated as one for season and byelaw purposes, and the lower beats above the estuary fish best on a dropping spate with a tinge of colour. Atlantic salmon are under serious conservation pressure — Natural Resources Wales mandates catch-and-release for salmon on all rivers, so all fish must be returned.

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

NRW WFD Cycle 3 — Ogmore (confluence with Llynfi to tidal limit): Moderate ecological status; the lower Ogmore sewin water. Corrected 2026-06-18 from an Alun-tributary tag (was recorded Good). Source: NRW DataMapWales WFD Cycle 3 classification layer.

NRW (Wales) · GB110058026280

Why this score · for atlantic salmon
  • Temperature130% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time8515% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon1 May → 17 October
  • Sea trout3 March → 17 October
  • Trout3 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026) — Established South Wales sewin system with a long club tradition (Ogmore AA). All-Wales At Risk picture applies; fresh-off-the-tide fish in the lower pools are the characteristic Ogmore sport.

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
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