Stillwater · Granite · East / Wicklow, IE

Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes

Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes — File:Poulaphouca Dam.JPG

The biggest stillwater fly water within an hour of Dublin — an ESB reservoir of roughly 5,500 acres / 2,200 ha on the upper Liffey, holding stocked brown and rainbow trout, a small population of wild brown trout, and a serious pike fishery that IFI specifically flag as productive on the fly.

Fair · Rainbow
Perch Fry · 8-10_long_shank
Fairlive now
Reasonable autumn fishing likely at Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
63% confidence

Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 28 km/hModerate breeze · Gusts to 44 km/h
Today's fly
Perch Fry
Perch Fry8-10_long_shank
Retrieve
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze · Gusts to 44 km/h
SW 28 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp13.7°C
Air temp12°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Head to
Wind driftSW wind
North-eastern end

A southwesterly has held for 7 hours at much the same temperature as the 14°C water. No thermal steer either way, but the drift still stacks food against the north-eastern end — the bank it is blowing into — so start there. 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 Rainbow
When
Conditions are not ideal but fishable at Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes.
Where
Start with Perch Fry (8-10_long_shank) — on the point. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Perch Fry (8-10_long_shank) — on the point. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.

Plan B

A fry-imitating pattern stripped through the margins can save a blank in autumn.

Watch for

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

Bank, sheltered shores

In wind, bank fish the lee shore — boats can anchor in productive areas if conditions allow.

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
1
Reservoir BuzzerHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • ESB-managed reservoir
  • Adult trout permit ~€30 via permits.fishinginireland.info
  • Single rod, daylight only, no maggots
  • Daily bag 4 trout, minimum size 9 inches
  • No fishing in buoyed dam headrace
  • Separate ESB boat permit required
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
45%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp60%

Conditions are away from Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes's sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Other water nearby · 5
River Liffey (Upper / Blessington)
7.0 km
Brown trout
River Liffey (Middle / Kildare)
15 km
Brown trout
Bohernabreena Reservoirs
15 km
Brown trout
Curragh Springs Fishery
19 km
Rainbow trout
Annamoe Trout Fishery
21 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes — File:Poulaphouca Dam.JPG
    File:Poulaphouca Dam.JPG
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The biggest stillwater fly water within an hour of Dublin — an ESB reservoir of roughly 5,500 acres / 2,200 ha on the upper Liffey, holding stocked brown and rainbow trout, a small population of wild brown trout, and a serious pike fishery that IFI specifically flag as productive on the fly. The trout season runs 1 March – 30 September on a single-rod, daylight-only permit with a daily bag of 4 trout (minimum size 9 inches) and no fishing in the buoyed dam headrace. Pike and coarse run year-round except a closed month in October; coarse is currently catch-and-release only. The trout fishing is hatch-led when it works — duckfly in early spring, buzzers building into summer, sedges and terrestrials through the warm months. For pike on the fly, this is one of the better waters within easy reach of Dublin: 8–9 weight, wire trace, big baitfish patterns, careful handling.

  • Reservoir
  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish well at this time of year.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 March → 30 September
  • Pike 1 November → 30 September
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingBig Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatch
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts