Stillwater · Granite · East / Wicklow

Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes

Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes — File:Poulaphouca Dam.JPG

The biggest stillwater fly water within an hour of Dublin — an ESB reservoir of roughly 5,500 acres / 2,200 ha on the upper Liffey, holding stocked brown and rainbow trout, a small population of wild brown trout, and a serious pike fishery that IFI specifically flag as productive on the fly.

Good · Rainbow
Peter Ross Dabbler · 10-12
ReopenedReported 31 Jul 2026

Reopened — water temperatures have fallen

ESB reopened the Shannon and Liffey systems (including Blessington Lake) to angling from Friday 31 July 2026 as water temperatures dropped to acceptable levels. Permits are available again through the IFI permit site.

Shannon & Liffey systems reopen for fishing ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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

Goodlive now
Evening session looks promising at Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes
Good wave on — drift country. Drift fishing weather — three flies on a long leader.
65% confidence

Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindS 12 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Peter Ross Dabbler
Peter Ross Dabbler10-12
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
S 12 km/h
N
S
from the south
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp—
Air temp20°C
CloudClear
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
The murrough is on at Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently. Evening can bring a surface rise — have a dry fly or emerger ready.
Where
Start with Bibio (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 Bibio (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

If surface work dries up, try a diawl bach or hare's ear on the point and skate a sedge pattern on the bob at last light.

Watch for

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

Either bank or boat

Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.

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 5 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
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.
  • ESB-managed reservoir
  • Adult trout permit ~€30 via permits.fishinginireland.info
  • Single rod, daylight only, no maggots
  • Daily bag 4 trout, minimum size 9 inches
  • No fishing in buoyed dam headrace
  • Separate ESB boat permit required
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
66%
Cloud25%
Wind100%
Temp60%

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

Other water nearby · 5
River Liffey (Upper / Blessington)
7.0 km
Brown trout
River Liffey (Middle / Kildare)
15 km
Brown trout
Bohernabreena Reservoirs
15 km
Brown trout
Curragh Springs Fishery
19 km
Rainbow trout
Derry Water
21 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes — File:Poulaphouca Dam.JPG
    File:Poulaphouca Dam.JPG
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The biggest stillwater fly water within an hour of Dublin — an ESB reservoir of roughly 5,500 acres / 2,200 ha on the upper Liffey, holding stocked brown and rainbow trout, a small population of wild brown trout, and a serious pike fishery that IFI specifically flag as productive on the fly. The trout season runs 1 March – 30 September on a single-rod, daylight-only permit with a daily bag of 4 trout (minimum size 9 inches) and no fishing in the buoyed dam headrace. Pike and coarse run year-round except a closed month in October; coarse is currently catch-and-release only. The trout fishing is hatch-led when it works — duckfly in early spring, buzzers building into summer, sedges and terrestrials through the warm months. For pike on the fly, this is one of the better waters within easy reach of Dublin: 8–9 weight, wire trace, big baitfish patterns, careful handling.

  • Reservoir
  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Murrough is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 March → 30 September
  • Pike 1 November → 30 September
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingBig Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatch
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts