Freestone · Limestone · Yorkshire Dales / West Yorkshire

River Wharfe

The River Wharfe flowing through a wide gravel-bed channel at Bolton Abbey with tree-lined banks.
Poor · Brown Trout
Pheasant Tail Nymph · 14-16
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.14 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp20.5°C
  • ClarityUnfishableColouring up
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph14-16
Upstream, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.14 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp20.5°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather23°C
WindW 23 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.2 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
21°C est.ideal 1016°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Olives off through afternoon hatches April through May; Mayfly into early June where it shows; sedges through summer; small dark flies into early October.
Where
Pool tails, the heads of riffles, and the seams behind boulders. The Wharfe fishes pocket-to-pocket — read the water mark by mark.
Method
Upstream dry to risers when olives or sedges are off; North Country spider on the swing in cooler water — Snipe and Purple, Partridge and Orange, Waterhen Bloa. Move upstream slowly, fish each lie properly.
Kit
9 ft #4 — Yorkshire freestone default. Floating line, 9 to 12 ft leader to 4 to 5 lb fluoro. Studded boots for slick stones.
Why this works
Water at 20.5°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

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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
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Grayling seasonSeason
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
North Country spider water
Local classics: Waterhen Bloa·Snipe & Purple·Partridge & Orange
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 21°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 6
  1. The River Wharfe flowing through a wide gravel-bed channel at Bolton Abbey with tree-lined banks.
    River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey
  2. A wide panoramic view of the River Wharfe flowing through Kettlewell in upper Wharfedale below fell-flanked valley sides.
    River Wharfe in Kettlewell
  3. The River Wharfe meandering through open meadow near Appletreewick with woodland on the far bank.
    The River Wharfe near Appletreewick
  4. Smooth pebbles carpeting the bed and bank of the River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey with shallow clear water behind.
    Bolton Abbey — River Wharfe
  5. Linton Falls on the River Wharfe near Grassington, white water tumbling over limestone ledges.
    Linton Falls, River Wharfe, near Grassington
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyModerate
  • ChemicalUnknown

EA (England) · UKGB104027064258

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 80%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature19 × 28%5.3
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity0 × 18%0.0
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity41 × 12%4.9
Limiting factor: Water is unfishable — too coloured for Brown Trout= 41
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
A drop and clear would lift the flow and clarity scores.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 22 March30 September
  • Grayling 16 June14 March

    Bolton Abbey and Ilkley AA both list grayling 16 June – 14 March. Fly only on most beats, barbless/de-barbed, all grayling returned. Best fishing is autumn — September through December. Check the specific beat or association for day-ticket availability.

    Prime sport 1 September → 31 December

Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts