Freestone · Sandstone · South East Wales / Powys-Monmouthshire

Usk

The River Usk flowing through open meadowland outside Llangynidr in the Brecon Beacons, with a tree-lined far bank.
Contributor photo

River Usk in the Brecon Beacons

Keith Lawson 11 - CC BY-SA 4.0

The Usk flows through Brecon and Abergavenny as one of the finest salmon rivers in Wales — it is a river that has seen serious fishing for centuries, and it still rewards the serious angler.

Prime · Brown Trout
CDC Emerger · 16-18
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
Low and clear — careful approach country. Take your time — read the water before you cast.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.22 m
  • Water temp15.4°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
CDC Emerger
CDC Emerger16-18
Upstream dry, in the film
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.22 m
Water temp15.4°C
ClarityClear
Weather14°C
WindW 10 km/h
Pressure1022 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 brown trout
Ideal
15°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
March Brown hatch in late March and April is the season's gift — afternoons in cool weather. Mayfly mid-May. Sedges and BWO through summer evenings. Trout season 3 March to 30 September.
Where
Brecon to Abergavenny is the heart of the trout water. Limestone enrichment gives the Usk hatches like nowhere else in Wales — pool-riffle on cobble, the gravel runs and tail-outs holding fish.
Method
Dry to risers when the March Browns are off — afternoons can be electric. Spider team or Czech nymph through riffles between hatches. The Usk responds honestly to good approach work; sloppy presentation is rejected.
Kit
9 ft #5 — limestone-enriched freestone. Floating line, 9 ft tapered leader to 4 to 5 lb fluoro. Studded boots — Welsh river cobble.
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 8 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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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
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Grayling seasonSeason
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
BB
Black Beetle
14-18 · Pattern
Upstream dry, on top
Beats · 3
Usk salmon & game beats — Fishing Passport Booking OfficeAccess varies
The Wye & Usk Foundation's Fishing Passport is the cleanest visitor access on the Usk: its Booking Office lets you reserve day, week and season fishing on the larger established beats for salmon, trout and grayling, with catch returns and conditions published per beat.
Usk Wild Streams — tributary wild-trout permitsAccess varies
The Foundation's Wild Streams scheme opens more than fifty restored upland and tributary fisheries created by its habitat work — small, remote, stalk-and-cast wild brown trout water.
Syndicate & estate beats (Brecon to Abergavenny)Access varies
Much of the prime middle Usk between Brecon and Abergavenny is held by private syndicates and estates, some of it not on open day-ticket sale.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Taff
29 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
River Rhymney
29 km
Brown trout · Sea trout
Afon Cynon
32 km
84
Brown trout
Wye
39 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Grayling
River Ely
42 km
79
Brown trout · Sea trout
Gallery · 6
  1. The River Usk flowing through open meadowland outside Llangynidr in the Brecon Beacons, with a tree-lined far bank.
    River Usk in the Brecon Beacons
  2. Rowing boats and trees reflected in the clear River Usk at Brecon, with the Brecon Beacons hills beyond.
    River Usk at Brecon
  3. The River Usk flowing through the valley below the flat-topped summit of Table Mountain (Crug Hywel) at Crickhowell.
    River Usk and Table Mountain
  4. A small cascade and broken white water on the River Usk below Crickhowell Bridge, ducks resting on the river.
    River Usk cascade, Crickhowell
  5. A tree-lined riverside footpath along the River Usk at the town of Usk, the broad river in view.
    River Usk at Usk town
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Usk flows through Brecon and Abergavenny as one of the finest salmon rivers in Wales — it is a river that has seen serious fishing for centuries, and it still rewards the serious angler. The water is clear when it clears (which is not always), and when the spring salmon are in, they come in serious numbers. It is also a river of trout, of mayfly hatches, and of grayling through winter, which makes it one of the few salmon rivers that will keep you occupied when the salmon aren't taking. Spring salmon (February–April) are the main draw; fish them on sinking-tip line with medium-sized flies (tube flies #1 inch, or doubles #6–8) worked across and downstream. Summer grilse and autumn fish run through the year; late autumn brings good salmon opportunity, though the season closes 17 October. Sea trout (sewin) run from May onwards; they are daytime fish on the Usk (unlike the night feeders of northern English rivers) and take flies throughout the day. The Usk has a strong mayfly hatch (duffers fortnight, mid-May) which brings excellent dry-fly opportunity for wild browns; summer sedge fishing is reliable (June–July, particularly in evening). Winter grayling fishing (October–March) on small duns and spider patterns. Access via beats (syndicate and estate control); check local availability. Sandstone freestone bedrock underlies this river. 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.

  • Sandstone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown

EA (England) · UKGB109056040083

The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 75%
How the 80 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity51 × 12%6.1
Conditions total= 80
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon1 February → 17 October
  • Trout3 March → 30 September
  • Grayling16 June → 14 March

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026) — NRW At Risk classification. Usk sea trout (sewin) are present and fish can be taken on the daytime from June, but stocks are below historical levels. The Usk is primarily known as a salmon and brown-trout river; sea trout are a secondary quarry.

Salmon: Negligible (2026) — NRW / EA 2024 Salmon Stocks Assessment classifies this Welsh principal salmon river 'at risk' — egg deposition below Conservation Limit. All Wales byelaws (in force 2020-2030) make catch & release mandatory. Conservation priority; not a salmon fishing destination. The Usk has seen catastrophic salmon decline; agricultural pollution and warming a major factor.

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