Spate · Sandstone · South West / Kerry, IE

River Sheen

River Sheen terrain map

Short spate river rising in the Caha Mountains and flowing northwest into Kenmare River (Kenmare Bay) at the town of Kenmare.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Curry's Red Shrimp · 8–10
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia Laune
  • Water temp9.9°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Curry's Red Shrimp
Curry's Red Shrimp8–10
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via Laune
Water temp9.9°C
ClarityClear
Weather8°C
WindSE 6 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead16.2 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from Laune. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Cool — slow
10°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 4 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

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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
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

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.
  • State rod licence required (IFI)
  • Sheen Falls Lodge holds exclusive fishing rights — book via the lodge
  • For 2026 the River Sheen is open with a harvest surplus under the Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (S.I
  • 129/2026) — harvest to 31 August under tag and the bag limit, catch-and-release from 1 September.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Cloonee Loughs
12 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Kerry Blackwater (Kenmare)
13 km
0
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
River Glengarriff
14 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Coomhola
18 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Roughty
12 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
About this water

A classic small Irish spate fishery — quick to rise, quick to clear. Good early-spring salmon, strong grilse run from late June, and excellent sea trout through July and August. Acid moorland and mixed woodland catchment, no hatchery influence. Fishes best in the first 24 hours after a good rise and through the evening in settled summer weather. For 2026 the Sheen is open with a harvest surplus under the Wild Salmon & Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (S.I. 129/2026): harvest is permitted to 31 August under tag and the bag limit, catch-and-release from 1 September. Harvest status is reviewed annually against the conservation count.

Hatches & food

EPA freshwater monitoring on the River Sheen confirms mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, aquatic diptera and freshwater crustaceans are present. This is food-presence evidence from kick sampling, not a record of adult emergence timing or a visible hatch.

Sea trout here

Short Kerry spate river. Description explicitly notes "strong grilse run from late June, and excellent sea trout through July and August." Sea trout are a genuine part of the fishing, not a footnote.

  • Sandstone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature9830% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time9015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 15 March → 30 September
  • Trout 15 February → 30 September
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

River Sheen is a spate river in South West / Kerry, Ireland. The catchment geology is recorded as sandstone, and the water sits at about 35 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 18 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 15 March to 30 September. The trout season is recorded as running from 15 February to 30 September. Best window recorded for anglers: Late January–March (spring salmon), July–August (grilse + sea trout). Core methods listed: floating line across-and-down; sink-tip in coloured spate water; evening wet fly for sea trout. Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as good. Access is recorded as a lodge or private fishery. Nearby waters in our listings include River Roughty at 12 km, Cloonee Loughs at 12 km and Kerry Blackwater (Kenmare) at 13 km.