Fishing in Ireland. An angler's guide to the best fishing in Ireland.

If you’ve ever dreamt about catching a salmon or sea trout in Ireland and wondered how to turn your dream into reality then the answer is at your finger tips.

Start planning your trip now with this easy to use guide providing information on where to go and who to contact to help you get the most out of your visit.

With a huge network of rivers and loughs, Ireland is the one of the few last refuges for wild salmon and sea trout attracting anglers back year after year.

This useful guide provides information on the variety of waters Ireland has to offer, the best times to fish and suggested methods to help in the pursuit of this noble quarry.

Salmon and sea trout anglers can use a wide range of methods including, bait, spinning and fly fishing to pursue their quarry.

On rivers, the fishing is normally divided into beats managed by Inland Fisheries Ireland, private fisheries or local angling clubs.

When tackling loughs, boat fishing is generally more productive than bank fishing as it allows more ground to be covered. Game angling guides, fishing are a good source of information on local services.

When to go

Salmon fishing opens on January 1 on a handful of rivers and after that the remainder of rivers open on various dates in February, March, April and May. The majority of rivers close on September 30th but some rivers remain open for sea trout fishing to October 12. To see the opening and closing dates for individual rivers please follow the links below.

Principal Irish salmon rivers and fisheries

East

River Boyne

River Castletown

River Fane

River Dee

River Glyde

South east

River Slaney

River Nore

River Suir

Cork

River Blackwater

River Lee

River Bandon

River Arigideen

River Ilen

River Coomhola

River Glengarriff

Kerry

River Sheen

River Croanshaugh / Glenmore

River Roughty

River Blackwater

Waterville Lakes and River Inny

Caragh Lakes and System

Laune, Flesk and Killarney Lakes

River Maine

Shannon

River Feale

Mulcair River

Castleconnell

Galway District

Lough Corrib

Galway Fishery

Connemara District

Ballynahinch and Lough Inagh

Screebe Fishery

Costello & Fermoyle Fishery

Ballinakill District

River Erriff

Bunowen

Carrowniskey

Owenwee River

The Delphi Fishery

Culfin

Dawros and Kylemore

Owenglin

River Moy

Lough Conn and Cullin

Carrowmore Lake and Owenmore River

Owenduff River

Glenamoy River

Burrishoole

Lough Beltra and Newport River

Ballisodare River

Easkey River

Glencar Lake and Drumcliff River

Lough Gill and Bonet River

Duff

Drowes

Melvin

Erne Estuary

Eske

Eany

Glen

Owenea

Gweebarra

Rosses

Clady and Crolly

Lackagh & Lough Beagh

Crana and Fullerton