This 3km (1.5 miles) long reservoir is situated above the hydro electric station and damn on the River Liffey. Excellent coarse fishing can be found here. The fishery is owned by the E.S.B. and a small section is leased to the Dublin Trout Anglers Association. Fishing is free and available to all anglers. There is very limited access at present on most of the reservoir with the main fishing area (400 metres) between the M4 Motorway bridge and the picnic area.
The picnic area above the dam offers a wide variety of coarse fish. Water depths in front of the picnic area to the protective boom (car tyres in the water) behind the dam go from 1 metre down to 10 metres (3ft to 30ft) and the bottom can be quite snaggy. Float fishing and slider float tactics are best for roach, hybrids and rudd. Swimfeeder methods work but tackle losses can occur due to snags. Hybrids over specimen size (3lbs) are taken every year and roach and rudd to 2lbs are also recorded.
Pike fishing is also very good with fish between 10lbs and 25lbs recorded annually. Spinning, artificial baits and deadbaits work well but float legered deadbaits can be most productive. In winter, pike fishing is often best early in the morning.
There are other stretches on the River Liffey containing excellent stocks of roach, most notably at the Memorial Park section. Anglers trotting a waggler or stick float in 10-14ft of water regularly produce good catches of roach.
Location
Leixlip Reservoir, Co. Dublin.
Main Species
Roach, Rudd, Rudd/Bream Hybrids, Roach/Bream Hybrids, Tench, Pike and Eels.
Access
Leixlip has a good train and bus service. The 66 & 67 buses from the city centre serve Leixlip and Celbridge. Car access is at the gate beside the Salmon Leap Inn. Anglers are asked to park carefully near the entrance to the Hydro Electric Station and not in front of the gates. A short walk by the side of the dam and station leads to the picnic area. There is access via Cooldrinagh Lane beside the M4 motorway. Please note: the northern bank of the Reservoir is private (no access).
