Freestone · Mixed · North East / Aberdeenshire

Don

A tranquil, tree-lined bend of the River Don near Kemnay, Aberdeenshire
Marginal · Atlantic Salmon
Park Shrimp · tube / double
Marginallive now
Marginal — persistence required
River steady at a fishable height. A short window at best — fish the sure lies and move on.
85% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.80 mLast reading 2h ago
  • Water temp18.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Park Shrimp
Park Shrimptube / double
River-specific pack, filled from the regional salmon default.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.80 m
Last reading 2h ago
Water temp18.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather18°C
WindNW 17 km/h
Pressure1015 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead1.2 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
Warm — slow
18°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Morning into early afternoon.
Where
Pool tails, steadier runs, and any water with pace.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
13 ft #8/9 double-hander in spate, 10 ft #8 single in low water. Floating line plus a fast-sink tip. 12–15 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 18.1°C — above the atlantic salmon caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 8 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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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 · 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
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 18°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 7
  1. A tranquil, tree-lined bend of the River Don near Kemnay, Aberdeenshire
    River Don near Kemnay, Aberdeenshire
  2. The River Don flowing serenely through agricultural land near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, in early spring.
    The River Don near Inverurie
  3. Looking downstream along the River Don from Bridge of Alford, the river channel flanked by bankside vegetation.
    Downstream River Don from Bridge of Alford
  4. The River Don at Monymusk in winter light, a clear pool between wooded banks.
    The River Don at Monymusk
  5. The River Don running through wooded bankside at Paradise Wood near Monymusk, Aberdeenshire.
    River Don by Paradise Wood
  6. The River Don at Colnabaichin in Strathdon, the upper river running through a wooded valley.
    River Don at Colnabaichin
  7. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

SEPA WFD 2022 — River Don (Inverurie to Dyce): Good overall classification; a heavily-modified water body ('Good ecological potential', ecological element Moderate). Corrected 2026-06-18 from UKSC023320 (Gormack Burn, a tributary; recorded status was Bad). Source: SEPA WFD 2022 classification (spatialdata.gov.scot).

SEPA (Scotland) · UKSC023269

Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 11 February → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingAtlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts