Limestone · South / Tipperary, IE

Suir

The weir on the River Suir at Cahir, turbulent water over the stone sill and calm pool below.
Today · Closed season
Black Gnat
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
50% projected
Today's fly
Black Gnat
Black Gnat
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Falling
0.25 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp15.2°C
ClaritySlightly coloured
Weather13°C
WindN 29 km/h
Pressure1002 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead2.3 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Ideal
15°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Spring run from March; grilse from late May; main run summer through autumn. The Suir is a substantial river — fish the dropping water 12 to 24 hours after rain.
Where
Beats from Cahir through Clonmel to Carrick-on-Suir. Heads, tails, and named lies on the assigned beat.
Method
Spring: tube on a sink-tip swung deep through the main pools. Summer and autumn: small doubles on a floater across-and-down. Catch-and-release on most beats.
Kit
12 to 13 ft #8 double-hander on the bigger water; 11 ft switch on smaller beats. Floating line plus fast-sink tip. 10 to 12 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
September accounts for only ~2% of salmon seasonal activity on this river (based on guide reports and fishery knowledge). Fish are present but encounters are less likely. Conditions are tough, but salmon can always surprise you. Late season — fish are beginning to colour up as spawning approaches. They become more territorial and can take aggressively. Autumnal colours (orange, copper, gold) work well.
Likely species
Mayflies
Stoneflies
Caddisflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12h

12h(now) — Heather Fly

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 95%
Also:Reed Smut86%Cinnamon Sedge51%Autumn Dun48%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost11 food groups active

Peak activity at 12h — Heather Fly (Heather Fly, Peak emergence window)

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 5 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
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Hawthorn FlyHatch
2
2
GrannomHatch
2
2

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

Ranked for today
Fly box · Atlantic Salmon
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Mix of club and private water
  • Cahir and Ardfinnan are key salmon beats
  • State rod licence required
  • Brown trout C&R on many stretches.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Nire
9.0 km
Brown trout
River Colligan
30 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Bride (Blackwater)
34 km
Brown trout · Sea trout
River Drish
35 km
Brown trout
River Drish
35 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 6
  1. The weir on the River Suir at Cahir, turbulent water over the stone sill and calm pool below.
    Cahir weir of the River Suir
  2. The River Suir east of Gashouse Bridge at Clonmel, a wide smooth-flowing reach flanked by wooded banks.
    The River Suir at Clonmel
  3. The River Suir flowing through open countryside near Cahir, green riparian banks and shallow riffles.
    River Suir near Cahir
  4. The River Suir near Holycross, a wide glide with overhanging trees on the far bank.
    River Suir near Holycross
  5. The River Suir at Holycross with the medieval Abbey reflected in the still water and waterfowl on the surface.
    River Suir at Holycross Abbey
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

EPA WFD 2019-2024 — Moderate ecological status; corrected (was Good) 2026-06-18. Source: EPA Ireland WFD 2019-2024 classification (catchments.ie / EDEN).

EPA (Ireland) · IESE_16S021700

The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightVery Low-2.2
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftDropping Too Far Towards Low Clear+1.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate+3.5
Time in seasonLate Season-0.7
ClarityClearing+2.4
Hydrology base4.0
Will they take?Neutralcaps the band

Taking mood is fair — clearing, stained water, very low flow.

Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
What would change the calculation
No prolonged stable spell before the current rise.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 17 March → 30 SeptemberC&R
  • Trout 17 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
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