Spate · Mixed · Co. Tyrone / Foyle System, GB-NIR

River Mourne

Canoeist paddling on the River Mourne near Newtownstewart, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with green riverbanks either side.

The Mourne is the principal salmon river of the Foyle system, rising in the Sperrin Mountains and flowing through Strabane to join the Foyle at Lifford.

Today · Closed season
Stonefly Nymph
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
70% projected
Today's fly
Stonefly Nymph
Stonefly Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.97 m
Water temp8.4°C
ClarityClear
Weather6°C
WindN 22 km/h
Pressure1005 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead2.3 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
8°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 · todayPeak at 11am

12pm(now) — Autumn Needle Fly

Stage: Creeping nymphsApproach: Heavy nymphActivity: 72%
Also:Autumn Olive43%Black Midge29%
Peak emergence window5 food groups active

Peak activity at 11am — Autumn Needle Fly (Autumn Needle Fly, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 guilds 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
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Autumn DunHatch
2
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 Finn
11 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Glenelly River
12 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Deele
12 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Finn
21 km
0
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
River Strule
26 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Canoeist paddling on the River Mourne near Newtownstewart, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with green riverbanks either side.
    The River Mourne near Newtownstewart, County Tyrone.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A classic medium-sized spate river with long glides, deep pools, and productive tail-outs. Salmon run from April with the main grilse run June–August. The river fishes best on a falling flood — Sperrin rain takes 6–10 hours to show. Managed by Loughs Agency with day permits available. The Mourne offers some of the most accessible and affordable salmon fishing in the British Isles. Sea trout run from May. Brown trout are plentiful throughout. 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 substantial spate river, expect flood-driven stonefly, sedge and terrestrial food to outweigh any dependable upwing hatch — treat this as general guidance only.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs, seasonal patterns vary by region

  • Mixed
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 temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

River Mourne is a spate river in Co. Tyrone / Foyle System, Northern Ireland. It sits at about 7 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 40 km long. Species listed for this water: brown trout, salmon and sea trout. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from 1 April to 31 October. Best window recorded for anglers: June–August (grilse peak), April–May (spring). Core methods listed: across and down wet fly; upstream nymph; dry fly in low water. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Nearby waters in our listings include River Finn at 11 km, Glenelly River at 12 km and River Deele at 12 km.