Spate · Mixed · Devon / Cornwall border, GB-ENG

River Tamar

Photo of River Tamar

The Tamar divides Cornwall from Devon along almost its entire length and remains, despite stock decline, the largest salmon river of the south-west.

Marginal · Brown Trout
Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear · 10-14
Marginallive now
Slow going — pick your moments
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. Fish dawn or dusk if you go at all, and handle everything with extra care.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.28 mLast reading 1h ago
  • Water temp18.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear
Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear10-14
Upstream, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.28 m
Last reading 1h ago
Water temp18.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather16°C
WindSW 19 km/h
Pressure1008 hPa
Rain · recent12.4 mm
Rain · ahead23.4 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
18°C est.ideal 1016°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 18.1°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 11 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

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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 · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
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
Brown Trout fly box

The south-west's biggest salmon river and a proper peal fishery below — but with salmon at risk, the summer sea trout from mid-June are the honest target. The small upper river is intimate wild-trout water.

Local classics: Half Stone·Pheasant Tail Nymph
Beats · 3
Arundell Arms water — Tamar & tributariesAccess varies
The Arundell at Lifton holds many miles of private fishing across the Tamar and its tributaries (Lyd, Thrushel, Wolf, Ottery, Lew), the classic hotel-water base for the system.
Visit official site ↗
Endsleigh water — Hotel Endsleigh / Endsleigh Fishing ClubAccess varies
Hotel Endsleigh, through the historic Endsleigh Fishing Club, offers guests around eight miles of bank on the Tamar for fly-fishing salmon and sea trout — among the better-known salmon water in England, though the run is now autumn-weighted and conservation-sensitive.
Visit official site ↗
Westcountry Angling Passport beatsAccess varies
Sections of the Tamar system are open through the Westcountry Angling Passport (via the FishPass app) — the simplest no-booking visitor route.
Visit official site ↗
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 2
Water here around 18°C — probably warm enough to stress Brown Trout . These are likely cooler.
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Tamar
    River Tamar
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Tamar divides Cornwall from Devon along almost its entire length and remains, despite stock decline, the largest salmon river of the south-west. The lower beats around Endsleigh sit on slow, wooded water below Greystone Bridge — long the centre of Tamar salmon fishing. The middle river runs through farmland past Launceston; the upper Tamar above Holsworthy is small and intimate wild trout water, more tributary than salmon river. The Gunnislake fish counter has documented the long decline of the run since the 1980s. Sea trout fishing on the middle and lower river from mid-June is among the best in the south-west; salmon are fished strictly catch-and-release, and the autumn beats — when there is water in them — give the most consistent sport. Atlantic salmon are assessed by the Environment Agency against each river's Conservation Limit — many principal rivers are classed 'at risk' with mandatory catch-and-release byelaws; check current rules before fishing.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), nocturnal peak season pattern

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyModerate
Water quality details
  • Dissolved oxygenHigh
  • Ammonia (Phys-Chem)High
  • pHHigh
  • PhosphateGood
  • TemperatureHigh

EA (England) · GB108047007910

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 80%
How the 39 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature40 × 28%11.2
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time75 × 13%9.8
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity60 × 12%7.2
Conditions total= 69
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 March14 October
  • Trout 15 March30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Salmon: Negligible (2026) — EA 2024 Salmon Stocks Assessment classifies the Tamar 'at risk' — egg deposition below Conservation Limit, mandatory C&R. The Gunnislake fish counter has charted a long-term decline since the 1980s. The river still produces salmon every season, with autumn runs more reliable than spring fish; the sea trout (peal) run is the more dependable draw on the middle and lower beats.

Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts