Spate · Granite · North West / Donegal

River Owenea

Photo of River Owenea
Fair · Atlantic Salmon
Bann Special · small to medium
ReopenedReported 28 Jul 2026

Owenea reopened

IFI has reopened the Owenea fishery to angling after water temperatures fell with the break in the heatwave. Permits are available again via the IFI permit shop.

Fisheries re-open as cooler weather prevails ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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

Fairlive now
Decent — worth a look
River dropping into shape after a lift. Cover the heads and tails before the river drops away.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.50 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp17.8°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
BS
Bann Specialsmall to medium
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.50 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp17.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather15°C
WindNW 22 km/h
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent3.6 mm
Rain · ahead4.4 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
17.8°Cideal 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 conditions based on river hydrology and migration patterns.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 8 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 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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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
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
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
YS
Yellow Shrimp
small to medium · Salmon fly
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • State rod licence required (IFI)
  • Day tickets through Ardara Angling Association and local tackle shops in Ardara/Glenties
  • Catch-and-release on spring salmon is the norm; check season limits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Fishing better nearby · 5
Oily River
15 km
65
Salmon · Sea trout
Eany Water
14 km
50
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Bungosteen River
11 km
0
Salmon · Sea trout
Gweebarra
10 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Eske / Lough Eske
22 km
Brown trout · Char · Salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Owenea
    River Owenea
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April → 30 September
  • Trout 15 February → 30 September
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts