Spate · Limestone · North West / Leitrim-Donegal

Drowes

Drowes terrain map
Marginal · Atlantic Salmon
Bann Special Shrimp · 12-16
Marginallive now
Marginal — persistence required
Low and clear — careful approach country. Hard going on bright water. Favour cloud and shadow.
85% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.32 mLast reading 3h ago
  • Water temp18.0°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Bann Special Shrimp
Bann Special Shrimp12-16
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.32 m
Last reading 3h ago
Water temp18.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindW 22 km/h
Pressure1022 hPa
Rain · recent3.1 mm
Rain · ahead2.0 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
18.0°Cideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Earliest opening Irish salmon river — opens 1 January. Spring fish from January through May; grilse from June. Fish the named pools methodically; the Drowes rewards patient water-craft.
Where
Named beats from Lennox's Bridge to the sea. Pool heads and tails; the river is wadeable through the lower beats.
Method
Small doubles 10 to 12 across-and-down on a floating line; small tubes on a sink-tip in spring water. Catch-and-release encouraged across most Irish salmon water.
Kit
10 ft #7 single-hander on the smaller spate rivers; 11 ft switch where the river opens out. Floating line plus light sink-tip. 10 to 12 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
The signs are strong. Water starting to fall after a rise — early stages of coming into shape. Still coloured but fining — improving conditions. 18°C — outside the ideal range but fishable. Conditions are moving in the right direction and should be fishable soon if not already.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

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Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
AS
Apache Shrimp
12-16 · Salmon fly
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Drowes Fishery — day tickets available; State rod licence required
  • The Drowes traditionally produces Ireland's first salmon of the year
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Water here at 18.0°C — the fishing's alive, but these are cooler if you'd rather rest the warm water.
Eany Water
18 km
~18°C
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

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

EPA (Ireland) · IEUKGBNI1NW353504082

The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 85%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightLow But Fishable-1.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftFalling Slightly After Lift+4.1
Water temperatureWarm-2.5
Time in seasonSummer Peak Window+0.6
ClarityClearing+2.4
Hydrology base3.6
Will they take?Neutralcaps the band

Taking mood is fair — clearing, stained water.

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 1 January → 30 September
  • Sea trout 1 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

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