Limestone · North West / Sligo-Roscommon, IE

Lough Arrow

Aerial view of Lough Arrow, County Sligo, the full breadth of the limestone lough ringed by farmland.
Fair · Trout
Perch Fry · 8-10_long_shank
Fairlive now
autumn fishing on Lough Arrow — read the water carefully
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
50% confidence
What moved it
  • WindSE 25 km/hModerate breeze
Today's fly
Perch Fry
Perch Fry8-10_long_shank
Retrieve
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze
SE 25 km/h
N
SE
from the south-east
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp10.2°C
Air temp11°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure—
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Head to
Wind driftSE wind
North-western end

A southeasterly has held for 8 hours, running warmer than the water (17°C air against 10°C water). Expect fish at the north-western end — the bank it is blowing into — where the drift piles food, colour and warmth together. This reads the upper water, though — a bottom bait at range feels it far less than a floater or a fish in the margins. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.

How to fish it · for Trout
When
Mayfly mid-May through early June is what you plan the year around. Evening sedge through July on warm calm nights. Clear water means accurate casting matters more here than wind handling.
Where
Shallower bays and rocky points where food concentrates. Arrow is small enough to fish bay-to-bay in a session — the south end and the western shore reward time.
Method
Drift the shallows in light wave with team wets. Switch to single dry — spent drake or Grey Wulff — when fish settle on the mayfly. Evening sedge: cast tight to weed margins.
Kit
10 ft #6 boat rod, floating line, 4 to 5 lb fluoro — the clarity wants finer tippet than Mask. 12 ft tapered leader.
The plan
Plan A

Work Muddler Minnow on the bob and Perch Fry on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Lake Olive may strengthen through the middle of the day as conditions warm.

Boat — at anchor

Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.

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 4 as a supporter.

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14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
1
Green PeterHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2
DuckflyHatch
2
2
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2

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

Ranked for today
Fly box · Trout
Permits & access
Free state water
State rod licence required for trout / salmon as applicable.
  • No permit — state rod licence only
  • Boats available
  • A guide who knows how to handle the boat and where to look for fish is worth every penny — the lough has moods and hazards that locals know
  • C&R strongly encouraged.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
51%
Cloud70%
Wind30%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though wind isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 5
Lough na Leibe
6.0 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Lough Doon (Leitrim)
25 km
Brown trout
Lough Rowan
30 km
Pike · Rainbow trout
Lough O'Flynn
38 km
Brown trout
Upper Lough MacNean
40 km
Brown trout · Pike
Gallery · 5
  1. Aerial view of Lough Arrow, County Sligo, the full breadth of the limestone lough ringed by farmland.
    Lough Arrow from the air
  2. Ballindoon Priory ruins with Lough Arrow stretching behind, County Sligo.
    Ballindoon Priory and Lough Arrow
  3. Open water view across Lough Arrow, County Sligo.
    Lough Arrow
  4. Fishing boats moored on Lough Arrow in golden morning light.
    Boats on Lough Arrow
  5. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD code normalized 2026-06-18: IE_WE_35_159 → IEWE_35_159 (EPA national format → EEA WISE euSurfaceWaterBodyCode; same water body, now joinable to WISE). Status confirmed against EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP). Source: discodata.eea.europa.eu. | Prior note: EPA WFD 2019-2024 (lake layer) — Lough Arrow: Good ecological status. Re-tagged 2026-06-18 from IESH_26F020400 (a river/stream water body, not the lough) to the lough's own EPA lake water body. Source: EPA Ireland WFD 2019-2024 classification (catchments.ie / EDEN).

EPA (Ireland) · IEWE_35_159

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Lake Olive is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Clubs & associations
  • Lough Arrow Anglers
    Members only: no day tickets, join the club to fish here