Limestone · Midlands / Roscommon-Westmeath

Lough Ree

Lough Ree — Camping by Lough Ree, Ireland

Large Shannon lake with wild brown trout and pike — a lough that demands respect.

Fair · Trout
Peter Ross Dabbler · 10-12
Fairlive now
Good drifting conditions on Lough Ree
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
52% confidence
What moved it
  • WindN 16 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
Peter Ross Dabbler
Peter Ross Dabbler10-12
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Gentle breeze
N 16 km/h
N
N
from the north
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp19.2°C
Air temp17°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1022 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

How to fish it · for Trout
When
May–September for trout; mayfly mid-May; pike fly fishing year-round
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work Bibio on the bob and Peeping Caddis on the point. Have a sedge or murrough pattern ready on a short leader for the evening rise.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work Bibio on the bob and Peeping Caddis on the point. Have a sedge or murrough pattern ready on a short leader for the evening rise.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

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

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

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 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
1
Green PeterHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2

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

Ranked for today
Trout fly box
Permits & access
Free state water
State rod licence required for trout / salmon as applicable.
  • Shannon system lough
  • No permit — state rod licence only
  • Boats available from Athlone, Lanesborough
  • Large water — respect weather conditions.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
63%
Cloud70%
Wind30%
Temp100%

A reasonable day here, though wind isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 5
Shannon (Upper)
11 km
Brown trout
Mount Dalton Lake
27 km
Brown trout
River Brosna
31 km
Brown trout
Lough Ennell
36 km
Brown trout · Pike
Lough Owel
37 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Lough Ree — Camping by Lough Ree, Ireland
    Camping by Lough Ree, Ireland
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Large Shannon lake with wild brown trout and pike — a lough that demands respect. Mayfly hatches on the shallower western shore are excellent when the water and wind align. Trout fishing from Lecarrow and Lanesborough areas. Very exposed and large, which means careful boat handling and respect for the weather. Not a lake for the timid.

Hatches & food

Inland Fisheries Ireland names Lough Ree among the large Shannon loughs known for good spent-gnat fishing at mayfly time, with returning spinners typically falling from around 17:00 into darkness through May and June in settled evening conditions. No precise annual onset date is given, so treat this as a seasonal window rather than a fixed date.

  • Lough system
  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD updated 2026-06-18: ecological status Moderate → Good (EEA WISE 2022, 3rd RBMP) and code normalized IE_SH_26_750a → IESH_26_750A (EPA national format → WISE euSurfaceWaterBodyCode; same water body). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu). | Prior note: EPA WFD 2019-2024 (lake layer) — Lough Ree: Moderate ecological status. Re-tagged 2026-06-18 from IESH_26S021660 (a river/stream water body, not the lough) to the lough's own EPA lake water body. Source: EPA Ireland WFD 2019-2024 classification (catchments.ie / EDEN).

EPA (Ireland) · IESH_26_750A

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (breezy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for summer fishing.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 March → 30 September
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts