Stillwater · Granite · East / Wicklow

Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes

Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes — File:Poulaphouca Dam.JPG
Good · Rainbow
Peter Ross Dabbler · 10-12
ReopenedReported 31 Jul 2026

Reopened — water temperatures have fallen

ESB reopened the Shannon and Liffey systems (including Blessington Lake) to angling from Friday 31 July 2026 as water temperatures dropped to acceptable levels. Permits are available again through the IFI permit site.

Shannon & Liffey systems reopen for fishing

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date. Always confirm locally before travelling.

Goodlive now
Evening session looks promising at Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes
Good wave on — drift country. Drift fishing weather — three flies on a long leader.
65% confidence

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

What moved it
  • WindW 7 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Peter Ross Dabbler
Peter Ross Dabbler10-12
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
W 7 km/h
N
W
from the west
WaveRipple
Water temp
Air temp19°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
The murrough is on at Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently. Evening can bring a surface rise — have a dry fly or emerger ready.
Where
Start with Bibio (10-12) — on the bob / top dropper. 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 Bibio (10-12) — on the bob / top dropper. 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

If surface work dries up, try a diawl bach or hare's ear on the point and skate a sedge pattern on the bob at last light.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Either bank or boat

Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
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
79%
Cloud70%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A good match for Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes — File:Poulaphouca Dam.JPG
    File:Poulaphouca Dam.JPG
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyUnknown
  • ChemicalUnknown
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Murrough is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 March30 September
  • Pike 1 November30 September
Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts