Spate · Granite · Devon / South Hams

River Yealm

The Yealm falls off the south flank of Dartmoor above Cornwood and runs through the wooded South Hams country to its estuary at Newton Ferrers — a small, intimate river with a disproportionate sea trout (peal) reputation.

Species

Prime conditions — go now

Low and clear — careful approach country. Cover the water properly, fish each lie once.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for sea trout
Ideal
10°C est.ideal 8–15°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for sea trout
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity8518% weight
  • Feeding Time9513% weight
  • Pressure857% weight
  • Insect activity4812% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
9.7°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
14°C
Wind
N 6 km/h
Calm
Pressure
1022 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
0.9 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for sea trout
When
From dusk into the first half of the night.
Where
Deeper pools and slower glides · hold water and current seams.
Method
Fish dark patterns on a sink-tip or lightly sunk line, especially near structure.
Kit
10 ft #6/7 rod, floating line with a sink-tip option, 8–10 lb fluoro tippet for the swing.
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better. ⏰ Sea trout become most active after dark, but this stretch closes at 20:59 — before that window fully opens. Fish hard in the last legal hour: overcast skies and warm evenings can bring fish on early even in fading light.
Through the year
0–3 scale · May highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2
Yellow SallyHatch
2
3
2

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

Directions
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About this water

The Yealm falls off the south flank of Dartmoor above Cornwood and runs through the wooded South Hams country to its estuary at Newton Ferrers — a small, intimate river with a disproportionate sea trout (peal) reputation. The upper river above Cornwood is granite pocket-water wild brown trout fishing; the middle river through Puslinch and Lee Mill is sea trout country from mid-June. The Yealm has historically been a private and syndicated fishery for much of its length, but the rod-caught peal run is one of the steadier small-river sea trout fisheries in south Devon. Salmon are not a feature.

  • Granite
Seasons & zones
  • Trout15 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

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