Spate · Sandstone · North York Moors / Whitby, GB-ENG

River Esk (North Yorkshire Moors)

The River Esk flowing through a wooded valley below Glaisdale on the North Yorkshire Moors
Good · Sea Trout
Black & Silver Tube · 1-2 inch
Goodlive now
A good day — worth the effort
Low and clear — careful approach country. Small, sparse flies, long leader, careful approach.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.07 m
  • Water temp15.8°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
BS
Black & Silver Tube1-2 inch
In deep pools and dark water, silhouette and contrast do the work colour cannot. A fly that reads as black against depth is enough. Fish it broadside, hold the swing, let it hang at the dangle — that is when the best fish take.
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.07 m
Water temp15.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather19°C
WindN 24 km/h
Pressure1008 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.3 mm

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

Water temperature for Sea Trout
Warm — slow
16°C est.ideal 8–15°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Sea Trout
When
Night fishing from full dark when water rises above 13°C. June through September. The Esk's sea trout run hard in late summer — settled overcast nights are classic.
Where
Lower Esk pool tails and glides below Egton. Walk the water in daylight before fishing it at night — the river is small and lies are obvious.
Method
Across-and-down on a floating line with small wets — Medicine, Teal Blue and Silver. The Esk's small scale rewards short casts and careful approach.
Kit
9 to 10 ft #6, floating line, 8 lb fluoro. Spare leader on a wrist spool.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Stoneflies
Caddisflies
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6h

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 12 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 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

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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 · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
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
Fly box · Sea Trout
North Country spider water
Local classics: Snipe & Purple·Partridge & Orange·Waterhen Bloa
BS
Black & Silver TubeTop
1-2 inch · Tube
In deep pools and dark water, silhouette and contrast do the work colour cannot. A fly that reads as black against depth is enough. Fish it broadside, hold the swing, let it hang at the dangle — that is when the best fish take.
Medicine Fly
Medicine Fly
8-12 · Streamer
Slim and mobile — fished sunk through the pool when surface work is not producing. Consistently takes fish that will not come to the surface.
SF
Snake Fly (Black)
2-4 inch · Streamer
A mobile eel-like profile that undulates through deep pools — effective when sea trout are lying deep and not responding to conventional wets.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 3
Costa Beck
33 km
Brown trout
River Rye
38 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Sea trout
River Derwent (Yorkshire)
48 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Esk flowing through a wooded valley below Glaisdale on the North Yorkshire Moors
    The River Esk below Glaisdale, North Yorkshire Moors
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Fail
Water quality details
  • Dissolved oxygen: Good
  • Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): Moderate
  • Ammonia (Phys-Chem): High
  • pH: High
  • Phosphate: High
  • Temperature: Good
  • Physico-chemical quality elements: Good
  • Chemical: Does not require assessment
What this classification means

EA waterbody 'Esk from Sleddale Beck to Ruswarp' (GB104027068150) — the lowest non-tidal main stem of the North York Moors Esk (Sleights/Grosmont down to the Ruswarp tidal limit above Whitby). Latest EA data (Cycle 3, 2022): Good ecological status. Chemical 'Fail' reflects the England-wide ubiquitous-substance failure (mercury and PBDE in biota); the 2022 cycle itself records chemical as 'does not require assessment'. Corrected 2026-06-18 from GB104027068710, which is East Row Beck (a separate coastal beck), not the Esk.

EA (England) · GB104027068150

Why this score · for Sea Trout
  • Temperature8328% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity8518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure857% weight
  • Insect activity6012% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 March → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Salmon: Negligible (2026) — EA 2024 Salmon Stocks Assessment classifies this river 'at risk' — egg deposition below Conservation Limit. Conservation priority; not a salmon fishing destination.

Related guides
Yorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsTrout Near Londonaccess guideEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
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