Spate · Mixed · Newfoundland (Central)

Exploits

Whitewater cascading over dark rock ledges on the Exploits River, with a small dam structure and building among trees in the background.

Newfoundland's longest river and a major Atlantic salmon system.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Bomber · sizes 4 8
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level70.66 mLast reading 20h ago
  • Water temp21.4°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Bomber
Bombersizes 4 8
River-specific pack, filled from the regional salmon default.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
70.66 m
Last reading 20h ago
Water temp21.4°C
ClarityClear
Weather23°C
WindW 13 km/h
Pressure1006 hPa
Rain · recent13.7 mm
Rain · ahead18.7 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
21°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 21.4°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills atlantic salmon. Do not fish for them today.
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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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water 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
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Early Black StoneflyHatch
2
3
2
Eastern Golden StoneHatch
2
2
Slate Drake / IsonychiaHatch
2
3
3
3
3
2
Yellow SallyHatch
2
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Beats · 6

The Exploits is public, scheduled salmon water rather than a beat-let river — you fish it on a provincial licence with tags, and what changes along its length is the DFO river class, which sets what you may keep. Retention falls away as you move up the system: the lower main stem is class 6 (retention with tags), the lower tributaries class 4, the mid main stem above Grand Falls drops to class 2 (a single tag), and the upper watershed above Red Indian Lake Dam is class 0, catch-and-release only. A special-management section sits around the Red Indian Lake Dam fishway with its own date-split rules. Always confirm the current class, tags and any closures for your stretch in the DFO Newfoundland & Labrador Anglers' Guide before fishing.

Lower Exploits main stem (Class 6)Public
The main stem of the lower Exploits, from Stoney Brook downstream to Exploits Bay, is the system's class-6 retention water — public salmon fishing on a provincial licence, with the lower-river holding water that benefits from Grand Falls concentrating the run below the barrier.
Lower Exploits tributaries below Grand Falls (Class 4)Public
The tributaries entering below Grand Falls — Stoney Brook, Little Rattling Brook, Great Rattling Brook, Three Brooks and Greenwoods Brook — are scheduled class-4 water.
Mid-Exploits main stem (Class 2)Public
The mid main stem, from the Grand Falls fishway up to Red Indian Lake Dam, is class-2 water — public salmon fishing where retention is cut back to a single tag.
Exploits watershed above Red Indian Lake Dam (Class 0, C&R only)Public
The watershed above Red Indian Lake Dam — including Victoria River, Mary March Brook, Lloyds River and the tributaries draining into Red Indian Lake — is scheduled class-0 water.
Red Indian Lake Dam special-management sectionPublic
A short special-management section runs from 25 m below the fishway down to the former Abitibi-Bowater steel bridge, around the Red Indian Lake Dam.
Exploits outfitter & guided access (context)Guide / lodge
A handful of outfitters, including Victoria Outfitters, offer guided and accommodation-based Atlantic salmon service on the Exploits.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Newfoundland scheduled-river rules apply
  • Provincial salmon licence is required, and access on the lower river is shaped by the concentration of fish below Grand Falls.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 21°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. Whitewater cascading over dark rock ledges on the Exploits River, with a small dam structure and building among trees in the background.
    White water
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Newfoundland's longest river and a major Atlantic salmon system. Enormous catchment producing long-lasting spates (14 hours). Salmon runs from June with July–August strongest. Sea-run brook trout are an important secondary fishery — these are genuine sea-run brookies, not the European sea trout (brown trout). Brook trout average 0.5–1.5 kg with occasional larger specimens. Bomber and Blue Charm standard. Grand Falls blocks upstream migration, concentrating salmon below the falls. Atlantic salmon are managed under DFO conservation rules — mandatory catch-and-release of large (multi-sea-winter) salmon applies in most areas, with any grilse retention strictly limited by zone; check current regulations before fishing.

  • Mixed
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 90%
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 / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 June → 7 September
  • Trout 15 January → 15 September
  • Brook trout varies by zone (earliest 1 February) → 7–15 September (zone-specific)

    Newfoundland (Island) brook trout (speckled trout) — zone-specific dates. Earliest Zone opener is Feb 1; Zone 2 opens Mar 1; Zone 1 has a split season (Feb 1–Apr 15 and May 15–Sep 7). Close dates range Sep 7–Sep 15 by zone. Check NL Anglers' Guide 2026-27 for the specific zone covering this water. Coastal waters allow year-round trout angling. This is primarily an Atlantic salmon river — brook trout present throughout, especially in headwaters and smaller tributaries.

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts