Limestone · West / Mayo

Lough Conn / Lough Cullin

Wide panoramic view north across Lough Conn from Pontoon Bridge, County Mayo.
Fair · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · 10-14
Fairlive now
Decent — worth a look
River steady at a fishable height. A patient day. Cover water properly.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.96 m
  • Water temp16.6°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascade10-14
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.96 m
Water temp16.6°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindNW 17 km/h
Pressure1022 hPa
Rain · recent3.8 mm
Rain · ahead2.1 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
Salmon run through from the Moy system in May and June. Conn is not a destination salmon water — these are fish moving upstream. Fish dropping water after a lift.
Where
The Pontoon channel and the lower lough where salmon enter from the Moy. Don't fish the open lough for salmon — they're moving, not holding.
Method
Drift fly with team wets if you're trout fishing and a salmon comes through; otherwise this is not where to spend the week. Murrough on the bob is a known salmon take in mayfly season.
Kit
10 ft #7, intermediate plus floater, 12 lb fluoro. The trout-water rod plus heavier tippet — you're not gearing up for salmon-only here.
Why this works
Fair conditions based on river hydrology and migration patterns.
Likely species
Mayflies
  • Anglers curse mayfliesMost likelyLower confidence
    #20–22 · Spinner
    Go tiny: 20-22 spent spinner, single fly, long tippet.
  • Blue-winged oliveAlso possible
    #16–18 · Dun
    Duns are up; a sherry spinner fall may follow.
Caddisflies
  • Satin sedgeMost likelyLower confidence
    #12–14 · Egg-laying
    Skitter it at dusk — this one's fished, not dead-drifted.
  • Green PeterAlso possible
    #8–10–12 · Adult
    Pupa in the wave; wake a dry sedge at last light.
  • Large sedgesAlso possible
    #8–10 · Adult
    Big waked sedge in the last light and after dark.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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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
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
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
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Permits & access
Free state water
State rod licence required for trout / salmon as applicable.
  • No permit needed — state rod licence only
  • Boats from Crossmolina, Pontoon, Foxford
  • Salmon licence additional.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Lough Beltra / Newport
16 km
29
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Lough Conn / Lough Cullin
< 1 km
Brown trout · Salmon
Lough Conn / Lough Cullin
< 1 km
Brown trout · Salmon
Moy
16 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Burrishoole
26 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 6
  1. Wide panoramic view north across Lough Conn from Pontoon Bridge, County Mayo.
    Lough Conn from Pontoon Bridge
  2. Open water of Lough Conn viewed from the R310 Pontoon bridge.
    Lough Conn from the Pontoon Bridge
  3. Lough Conn, County Mayo, an open lough landscape.
    Lough Conn
  4. The Pontoon crossing between Lough Conn and Lough Cullin, open water on both sides.
    Pontoon, Lough Conn / Lough Cullin
  5. Lough Cullin viewed from the R310, the sister lough to Lough Conn at Pontoon.
    Lough Cullin from the R310
  6. 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_34_406b → IEWE_34_406B (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 Conn: Good ecological status. Re-tagged 2026-06-18 from IEWE_34C050100 (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_34_406B

Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 February → 30 September
  • Trout 15 February → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026) — Conn (Mayo) carries sea-trout relevance but should not be modelled as a clean "primary open" signal — returns are condition-dependent and stock context tracks the wider western Irish picture.

Related guides
Irish Loughs Playbooklough-style fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureAtlantic Salmonsalmon tactics
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts