Spate · Mixed · Northumberland

River Coquet

The River Coquet flowing through Rothbury, Northumberland

The Coquet rises high in the Cheviot Hills above Alwinton and runs east through Rothbury and Morwick to reach the North Sea at Warkworth.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · size 10–12 doubles or small tube
Poorlive now
Slow going — better windows ahead
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stale fish in low clear water spook easily — pick your hour.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.12 m
  • Water temp22.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascadesize 10–12 doubles or small tube
Standard Coquet all-rounder for salmon and sea trout. Cheviot spate character means the river responds quickly to rain; Cascade on a dropping river is a reliable first choice.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Falling
0.12 m
Water temp22.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather24°C
WindW 10 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 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
Welfare risk
22°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Fish early morning (first light to 9am) and late evening (7pm to dark) only. Midday heat stresses fish — stop fishing and rest pools when the sun is high. This is welfare-critical above 20°C.
Where
Prime time. Fish the classic taking lies hard — heads and tails of pools, current seams beside faster water. Fresh-run fish will be settling into lies as the river drops into shape. This is the golden window.
Method
Lively swing near the surface. Floating line, the fly fishing in the top 12 inches. The fly should look alive — a small mend to accelerate at the right moment can trigger a snapping take.. Floating line. Small: size 10-14 doubles or small tubes. Classic summer size — bright, lightly dressed patterns that swim near the surface.
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
Conditions are looking excellent for salmon. Peak summer — grilse and summer salmon are active and willing. Small flies, lightly dressed, fished with purpose. No historical catch data available for this river — prediction based on current conditions only.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

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

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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
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
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
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • EA Northumbria byelaws; mandatory C&R on salmon before 16 June
  • NAF day tickets cover most public water; some private beats
  • Confirm current EA salmon byelaw rules annually.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 22°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Coquet flowing through Rothbury, Northumberland
    River Coquet at Rothbury, Northumberland
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Coquet rises high in the Cheviot Hills above Alwinton and runs east through Rothbury and Morwick to reach the North Sea at Warkworth. Cheviot foothill spate water with mixed fast pools, gravel runs, and slower middle reaches. Atlantic salmon, sea trout and brown trout all present in fishable numbers — the Coquet is one of north-east England's better salmon rivers and is regularly stocked with smolts under the Coquet Hatchery programme. Mostly Northumberland Anglers' Federation water with day permits available; some beats private. Atlantic salmon are assessed by the Environment Agency against each river's Conservation Limit — many principal rivers are classed 'at risk' with mandatory catch-and-release byelaws; check current rules before fishing.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), nocturnal peak season pattern

  • Mixed
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 90%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightHigh But Manageable+1.3
Recent riseStrong Recent Rise After Low Or Stale+9.8
Falling after liftDropping Nicely Into Shape+4.5
Water temperatureCool To Moderate+3.5
Time in seasonSummer Peak Window+1.3
ClarityClearing+2.4
Hydrology base22.8
Rules that fired
Rise Plus Good Temp Bonus+0.75
High But Dropping Into Shape Bonus+0.75
Clearing After Spate Bonus+1
Will they take?Willingcaps the band

Fish should be willing to take — clearing, stained water, fresh fish moving on the lift.

Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
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 February → 31 October
  • Sea trout 1 April → 31 October
  • Trout 22 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsTrout Near Londonaccess guide
Casting instructors near here
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