Spate · Granite · North West / Donegal

Lackagh / Lough Beagh

View across Lough Beagh with heather-covered hills and rocky outcrops, Glenveagh National Park, County Donegal
Fair · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · 10-14
ReopenedReported 28 Jul 2026

Lackagh reopened

IFI has reopened the Lackagh fishery to angling after water temperatures fell with the break in the heatwave. Permits are available again via the IFI permit shop.

Fisheries re-open as cooler weather prevails ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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

Fairlive now
Decent — worth a look
River steady at a fishable height. A patient day. Cover water properly.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia River Finn
  • Water temp17.4°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascade10-14
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via River Finn
Water temp17.4°C
ClarityClear
Weather20°C
WindS 16 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent4.7 mm
Rain · ahead2.7 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from River Finn. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
17°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
All day — lough fishing is best in a good wave. Early morning and evening can produce in calm conditions.
Where
Work the drift lanes from the upwind shore across the productive zones. Cover bay edges, underwater reefs, and any areas where the bottom shoals.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
10 ft #7/8 single-hander, floating line, 10–12 lb fluoro leader. Boat seat and waterproofs for the drift.
Why this works
Fair conditions based on river hydrology and migration patterns.
Likely species
Mayflies
  • Blue-winged oliveMost likely
    #16–18 · Dun
    Duns are up; a sherry spinner fall may follow.
  • Anglers curse mayfliesAlso possibleLower confidence
    #20–22 · Spinner
    Go tiny: 20-22 spent spinner, single fly, long tippet.
Caddisflies
  • Satin sedgeMost likelyLower confidence
    #12–14 · Egg-laying
    Skitter it at dusk — this one's fished, not dead-drifted.
  • Large sedgesAlso possible
    #8–10 · Adult
    Big waked sedge in the last light and after dark.
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 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 with Pro.

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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
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Permits & access
Free state water
State rod licence required for trout / salmon as applicable.
  • Glenveagh National Park area, Co
  • Access arrangements — check locally
  • State rod licence required.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Lough Beagh
< 1 km
Sea trout · Salmon
Tullaghobegley / Ray
14 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Clady (Gweedore)
21 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Lennon
21 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gweebarra
29 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. View across Lough Beagh with heather-covered hills and rocky outcrops, Glenveagh National Park, County Donegal
    Lough Beagh, Glenveagh National Park
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD ecological status Moderate → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody IENW_38C010300. Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

EPA (Ireland) · IENW_38C010300

The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowproxy via River Finnproxy
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 June → 30 SeptemberC&R
  • Sea trout 12 May → 30 September
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureAtlantic Salmonsalmon tactics
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts