Spate · Sandstone · Wester Ross

River Carron (Wester Ross)

Photo of River Carron (Wester Ross)
Fair · Atlantic Salmon
Hairy Mary · 8-12
Fairlive now
Decent — worth a look
River dropping into shape after a lift. Cover the heads and tails before the river drops away.
70% confidence
What moved it
  • Level1.03 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp17.4°C
  • ClarityColouredColouring up
Today's fly
Hairy Mary
Hairy Mary8-12
Classic Highland summer pattern, as effective on Wester Ross's peaty spate rivers as on its Sutherland neighbours.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.03 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp17.4°C
ClarityColoured
Weather16°C
WindSW 15 km/h
Pressure1017 hPa
Rain · recent12.6 mm
Rain · ahead11.1 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
17°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
Fair — time of day is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 11 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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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 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
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
Beats · 5 · 4 reaches

A west-coast salmon/sea-trout river with a strong restoration and monitoring story. The angling page must be conservation-first: strict catch-and-release, the current local marking/inspection protocol (keep-net from the hut, contact Bob Kindness), and sober wording around sea-trout decline. Distinguish clearly from the Easter Ross and Spey Carrons.

AttadaleSeason rods
One of three practical permit beats on the Carron (with New Kelso 1 and 2), under the River Carron proprietors with active conservation and stocking work.
New Kelso beats · 2 beatsDay rods
New Kelso 1, New Kelso 2
The 2 beats
New Kelso 1Day tickets
River Carron proprietors (permit)
One of the Lochcarron permit beats on the lower river near Strathcarron — practical, permit-based access under the River Carron proprietors, with the same conservation/marking regime as the rest of the river.
Strict C&R; keep-net inspection/marking protocol (contact Bob Kindness). C&R mandatory across Scotland until 31 March.
New Kelso 2Day tickets
River Carron proprietors (permit)
The second Lochcarron New Kelso permit beat — permit-based access under the River Carron proprietors, sharing the river's restoration story and strict conservation regime.
Strict C&R; keep-net inspection/marking protocol (contact Bob Kindness). C&R mandatory across Scotland until 31 March.
Glencalvie and GruinardsSeason rods
Premium estate/hosted salmon water — let weekly with a ghillie.
River Carron restoration (context)Members-only
A restoration-and-monitoring honesty module, not a beat.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Fishing better nearby · 5
River Ewe / Loch Maree
37 km
70
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
Loch Maree
29 km
50
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Carron (Wester Ross)
< 1 km
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
River Carron (Wester Ross)
< 1 km
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
Beauly
57 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Carron (Wester Ross)
    River Carron (Wester Ross)
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature3330% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity4020% weight
  • Feeding Time9515% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingAtlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Booking & contacts