Limestone · North West / Sligo-Roscommon

Lough Arrow

Aerial view of Lough Arrow, County Sligo, the full breadth of the limestone lough ringed by farmland.
Fair · Trout
Gosling · 8-10
Fairlive now
Good drifting conditions on Lough Arrow
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
57% confidence
What moved it
  • WindS 16 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
Gosling
Gosling8-10
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Gentle breeze
S 16 km/h
N
S
from the south
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp—
Air temp20°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Trout
When
Mayfly mid-May through early June is what you plan the year around. Evening sedge through July on warm calm nights. Clear water means accurate casting matters more here than wind handling.
Where
Shallower bays and rocky points where food concentrates. Arrow is small enough to fish bay-to-bay in a session — the south end and the western shore reward time.
Method
Drift the shallows in light wave with team wets. Switch to single dry — spent drake or Grey Wulff — when fish settle on the mayfly. Evening sedge: cast tight to weed margins.
Kit
10 ft #6 boat rod, floating line, 4 to 5 lb fluoro — the clarity wants finer tippet than Mask. 12 ft tapered leader.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work Bibio on the bob and Murrough on the point.

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.

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
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.
  • No permit — state rod licence only
  • Boats available
  • A guide who knows how to handle the boat and where to look for fish is worth every penny — the lough has moods and hazards that locals know
  • C&R strongly encouraged.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
60%
Cloud100%
Wind30%
Temp60%

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

Other water nearby · 5
Lough na Leibe
6.0 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Lough Doon (Leitrim)
25 km
Brown trout
Lough Rowan
30 km
Pike · Rainbow trout
Lough O'Flynn
38 km
Brown trout
Upper Lough MacNean
40 km
Brown trout · Pike
Gallery · 5
  1. Aerial view of Lough Arrow, County Sligo, the full breadth of the limestone lough ringed by farmland.
    Lough Arrow from the air
  2. Ballindoon Priory ruins with Lough Arrow stretching behind, County Sligo.
    Ballindoon Priory and Lough Arrow
  3. Open water view across Lough Arrow, County Sligo.
    Lough Arrow
  4. Fishing boats moored on Lough Arrow in golden morning light.
    Boats on Lough Arrow
  5. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD code normalized 2026-06-18: IE_WE_35_159 → IEWE_35_159 (EPA national format → EEA WISE euSurfaceWaterBodyCode; same water body, now joinable to WISE). Status confirmed against EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP). Source: discodata.eea.europa.eu. | Prior note: EPA WFD 2019-2024 (lake layer) — Lough Arrow: Good ecological status. Re-tagged 2026-06-18 from IESH_26F020400 (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) · IEWE_35_159

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (breezy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Cloud cover (mixed) suits the fishery well.
  • Murrough is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts