Limestone · Midlands / Cavan-Westmeath, IE

Lough Sheelin

View across Lough Sheelin towards the Derrysheridan shoreline, broad open water with the far shore.
Good · Trout
Perch Fry · 8-10_long_shank
Goodlive now
Good drifting conditions on Lough Sheelin
Good wave on — drift country. Drift fishing weather — three flies on a long leader.
70% confidence
What moved it
  • WindS 17 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
Perch Fry
Perch Fry8-10_long_shank
Retrieve
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Gentle breeze
S 17 km/h
N
S
from the south
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp13.8°C
Air temp10°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1012 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Head to
Wind driftS wind
Southern end

A southerly has held for 7 hours, running colder than the water (10°C air against 14°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered southern end instead — off the back of the wind, where the undertow returns food along the bottom. That chill sits in the top of the water, though, and the bed is slower to feel it — on a bottom bait it is the undertow, not the temperature, that puts you at this end. 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
Late May to early June (mayfly peak); buzzer fishing March–April is the local specialist technique
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work Muddler Minnow on the bob and Perch Fry on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. 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

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
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.
  • Midlands lough — no permit needed, state rod licence only
  • Boats available from several shores
  • Conservation-focused management
  • C&R encouraged.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
91%
Cloud70%
Wind100%
Temp100%

Conditions are ideal for Lough Sheelin — wind, cloud and temperature all line up.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 3
  1. View across Lough Sheelin towards the Derrysheridan shoreline, broad open water with the far shore.
    Lough Sheelin towards Derrysheridan
  2. Broad view of Lough Sheelin seen from Sailors Garden, County Cavan, the open lough to the far shore.
    Lough Sheelin from Sailors Garden
  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_SH_26_709 → IESH_26_709 (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 Sheelin: Moderate ecological status. Re-tagged 2026-06-18 from IESH_26G020200 (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) · IESH_26_709

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (breezy) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for autumn fishing.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 March → 12 October
Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts