Stillwater · Mixed · East / Dublin

Courtlough Trout Fishery

Courtlough Trout Fishery terrain map

A managed stocked rainbow trout fishery near Balbriggan / Stamullen on the north side of Dublin — four spring-fed lakes of roughly four acres each, used regularly by IFI east-region winter trout reports as a year-round east-coast option.

Fair · Rainbow
Buzzer · 12-14
Fairlive now
Reasonable summer fishing likely at Courtlough Trout Fishery
Water temperature is the limiting factor today, not the wave. Fish dawn or dusk if you go at all, and handle everything with extra care.
54% confidence

Courtlough Trout Fishery is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 12 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Buzzer
Buzzer12-14
Washing-line, in the film
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
SW 12 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp
Air temp25°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Year-round. Winter (Nov–Feb) excellent on sinking line and lure. Spring (Mar–May) and autumn (Sep–Oct) best for buzzer and nymph.
Where
Start with Cormorant (10-12) — on the bob / top dropper. Evening can produce explosive surface takes — try a foam beetle or booby on a long leader. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Cormorant (10-12) — on the bob / top dropper. Evening can produce explosive surface takes — try a foam beetle or booby on a long leader. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.

Plan B

Fish early and late, try deeper during the heat of the day with a fast-sinking line.

Watch for

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

Bank

Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.

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
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
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.
  • Day permits ~€20 (verify 2026 rate direct)
  • Booking via fishing@courtlough.ie or 087-271-2704
  • Barbless fly-only on certain lakes (varies by lake/day) — phone ahead.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
77%
Cloud100%
Wind100%
Temp25%

A good match for Courtlough Trout Fishery — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
About this water

A managed stocked rainbow trout fishery near Balbriggan / Stamullen on the north side of Dublin — four spring-fed lakes of roughly four acres each, used regularly by IFI east-region winter trout reports as a year-round east-coast option. Fills a specific and useful role for the Dublin angler: close to the city, reliable, good for an hour's casting practice with a beginner, and a winter Saturday choice when the rivers are coloured. Not wild-trout country — a managed stillwater stocked with rainbows — but on a quiet weekday it does what it sets out to do.

  • Fishery
  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyUnknown
  • ChemicalUnknown
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Cloud cover (cloud) suits the fishery well.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January31 December
Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts