Spate · Mixed · County Durham

River Wear

The River Wear flowing through open countryside near Wolsingham, Weardale, with tree-lined banks and rippling shallows.
Contributor photo

River Wear near Wolsingham

Robert Graham - CC BY-SA 2.0

North-East England spate river rising in the Pennines above Weardale, flowing east through Durham city to the coast at Sunderland.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Ally's Shrimp · double / small tube
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
  • Level0.29 mLast reading 7h ago
  • Water temp20.9°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
Ally's Shrimp
Ally's Shrimpdouble / small tube
River-specific pack, filled from the regional salmon default.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.29 m
Last reading 7h ago
Water temp20.9°C
ClarityClear
Weather15°C
WindNW 8 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead6.0 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

Water temperature for atlantic salmon
Warm — slow
20.9°Cideal 10–14°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.
Why this works
⛔ Water at 20.9°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills atlantic salmon. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 3 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
Sea trout runRun
1
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
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.

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Water here at 20.9°C — too warm to fish atlantic salmon safely. These are cooler.
River Balder
38 km
~15°C
Brown trout · Grayling
Gallery · 6
  1. The River Wear flowing through open countryside near Wolsingham, Weardale, with tree-lined banks and rippling shallows.
    River Wear near Wolsingham
  2. A wide, calm reach of the River Wear downstream from Wolsingham with wooded valley sides.
    River Wear downriver from Wolsingham
  3. The River Wear running through shallow gravel south of Frosterley under winter light.
    The River Wear south of Frosterley
  4. The River Wear sweeping through a broad meander downstream of Stanhope in low summer water.
    River Wear downstream from Stanhope
  5. The River Wear looking upstream from Newton Cap Bridge near Bishop Auckland, a broad pool with wooded banks in autumn.
    The River Wear from Newton Cap Bridge, Bishop Auckland
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

North-East England spate river rising in the Pennines above Weardale, flowing east through Durham city to the coast at Sunderland. Upper Weardale is classic northern freestone — fast stony runs with wild brown trout. The middle river around Durham has recovering salmon and good grayling in the deeper pools below the weirs. Sea trout run from June. Fish counters at Framwellgate and Freemans Reach record upstream movement. Not as prolific as the Tyne for salmon but a genuine recovering system. Salmon peak Jul–Oct from counter data; the autumn run is notably later than the Tyne. Trout fishing in Weardale is the primary draw for most fly anglers. Through Durham city, the river is sensitive and largely held by Durham City Angling Club and other private rights — historic 'free fishing' references to Millburngate or Kepier Farm should not be relied on for current access. Contact DCAC before fishing the city stretch. 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.

  • Mixed
Why this score · for atlantic salmon
  • Temperature230% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time1515% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon1 February → 31 October
  • Sea trout3 April → 31 October
  • Trout22 March → 30 September
  • Grayling16 June → 14 March

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsGrayling Playbookgrayling tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Booking & contacts