Limestone · North West / Leitrim-Fermanagh

Lough Melvin

Broad view of Lough Melvin from the R281 at Bomahas, open water stretching to distant hills.
Good · Atlantic Salmon
Goodlive now
A good day — worth the effort
Low and clear — careful approach country. Small, sparse flies, long leader, careful approach.
70% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia Drowes
  • Water temp17.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via Drowes
Water temp17.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather15°C
WindW 25 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.4 mm
Rain · ahead12.5 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from Drowes. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
17°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
All day — lough fishing is best in a good wave. Early morning and evening can produce in calm conditions.
Where
Work the drift lanes from the upwind shore across the productive zones. Cover bay edges, underwater reefs, and any areas where the bottom shoals.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
10 ft #7/8 single-hander, floating line, 10–12 lb fluoro leader. Boat seat and waterproofs for the drift.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 with Pro.

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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 · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Green PeterHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2

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

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Border lough (Leitrim/Fermanagh)
  • State rod licence
  • Unique conservation importance — three genetically distinct trout races.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Erne Estuary
12 km
Brown trout · Sea trout
River Erne (Ballyshannon)
12 km
Salmon · Sea trout
Drowes
14 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Duff River
19 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Lough Gill & Bonet
25 km
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 3
  1. Broad view of Lough Melvin from the R281 at Bomahas, open water stretching to distant hills.
    Lough Melvin from the R281 at Bomahas
  2. The western end of Lough Melvin near Kinlough, open lough water with meadows and Garrison across the water.
    The western end of Lough Melvin
  3. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD code normalized 2026-06-18: IE_NW_35_160 → IENW_35_160 (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 Melvin: Moderate ecological status. Re-tagged 2026-06-18 from IEUKGBNI1NW353504076 (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) · IENW_35_160

Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature3530% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time9015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 February → 30 September
  • Trout 15 February → 30 September
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureAtlantic Salmonsalmon tactics
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts