Home Uncategorized Lough Corrib and its Tributaries

    Lough Corrib and its Tributaries

    9398
    A summer flood on the Cregmore beat of the Clare River.

    Season

    Open for 2024

    • Salmon season February 1 – September 30

    Lough Corrib

    Lough Corrib is justly famous for its wild brown trout fishing, however a lot of salmon are also taken every year on the lake. Trolling and flyfishing account for most fish, and fish hold in certain areas prior to ascending spawning tributaries, or to rest after running the main river. The Narrows, the Glann shore and the Carrick shore are noted holding lies for salmon. Most local anglers troll when targeting salmon, although quite a few fish are taken on fly, including on trout flies by trout anglers.

    Please note that you must have a salmon licence to fish for salmon, and that trout anglers who catch a salmon must by law release the fish if they do not hold a valid salmon licence in their possession.

    Cong River

    The Cong River is a short river that flows from Cong Village, about 1km north of Lough Corrib, to meet the lake at Ashford Castle. Inland Fisheries Ireland maintain a salmon hatchery in Cong, and consequently there is a large run of salmon returning to the hatchery. The fishing is controlled at Ashford by Ashford Castle, while the top end of the river is regarded as free. Ashford castle issue permits for their fishing beat. All legal methods are allowed, although shrimp and spinning are most successful. Flyfishing is possible in summer when water levels drop, and can produce some good fish. The season closes early here, on the 31st of August, in order to protect ferox trout that spawn in the river.

    UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS OF CONG RIVER AND CONG CANAL (NO. 9(1) OR GALWAY DISTRICT) BYE-LAW NO. 963, 2018 Clearly defines the upstream boundary between Lough Mask and the Cong Canal and the downstream boundary between the Cong River and Lough Corrib. The purpose of the bye law is to enable the effective enforcement of legislation governing the open angling seasons for trout and salmon on the Cong Canal/River as these differ from the open seasons for these species on Loughs Corrib and Mask. The making of this bye law will remove any difficulty in identifying the correct angling season at the extremities of the Cong River/Canal and will afford greater protection to ferox trout which are known to spawn in the Cong River/Canal.

    Owenriff River

    The Owenriff River is a large tributary of Lough Corrib that flows through Oughterard and enters the lake on its western shore. The fishing through the town up as far as the waterfall is regarded as free. Upstream of this riparian owners control the fishing rights.

    Fishing can be very good during and following a flood from late June, when salmon and lake trout begin to run the river.

    Maam River

    The Maam River, also known as Joyce’s River, drains a large scenic valley at the northwestern end of Lough Corrib, and enters the lake downstream of Maam Village. It is a very spatey river, which gets very shallow in low water. The fishing is generally regarded as free, although anglers should obtain landowners permission before entering their land. It gets good runs of salmon and trout on floods from July on, and fishes well after a flood. All legal methods are allowed for most of the season, but for the month of September flyfishing only is allowed by law. Anglers are asked to consider releasing fish caught later in the season.

    Clare River

    The Clare River is a very extensive tributary draining a huge area from Co. Roscommon and east Galway and meeting the lake on its south eastern shore, downstream of Claregalway. It gets a very large run of salmon and trout, and is the most important spawning tributary in the Corrib catchment.

    The river was arterially drained in the 1950s, which deepened and straightened the channel. Large spoil heaps alongside the river testify to the amount of material removed during this operation. The river has largely recovered in the interim, and natural holding pools and riffles have re-established.

    Much of the Clare River is controlled by angling clubs, including the Tuam Anglers Association, the Corofin Angling Association, St. Colemans Angling Club and the Cregmore Athenry Angling Club. These clubs all issue visitor permits, and membership may be available also. Inland Fisheries Ireland controls the fishing from Claregalway downstream, and currently this stretch may be fished without the need for a permit, although this may change in the future.

    All legal methods are allowed, with different methods more suited to different stretches of river. On the slower stretches, trotting a worm down on light tackle can be very effective, as well as spinning. On stretches with a bit of current, flyfishing and spinning are both successful methods. Shrimp fishing is not practiced much on the river.

    ABBERT AND GRANGE RIVERS (ANNUAL CLOSE SEASON) BYELAW NO. C.S 326, 2018 Extends the closed season for all angling on the Abbert and Grange Rivers by two months to cover the period 1 September to 31 March annually.  This bye law is being introduced as a conservation measure having regard to the very significant contribution of both of these rivers to wild brown trout stocks in the Clare River system and Lough Corrib. The bye law was introduced at the request of the angling clubs based on the River Clare system. I have attached a short note detailing the importance of the Abbert & Grange Rivers to the overall trout population in Lough Corrib where they contribute 23% and 21% respectively. The new bye law will afford greater protection to spawning salmonids in these two very important tributaries of the River Clare.

    WESTERN FISHERIES REGION RIVER CLARE (REVOCATION) BYE-LAW NO. 962, 2018 Permits all legal angling methods on the Clare River from Daly’s Bridge in the townland of Corrandrum to a point 300 metres upstream of the footbridge at Anbally in the townlands of Anbally and Turloughmartin, County Galway. This section of river was previously fly only and the new bye law will bring this short section into line with the rest of the Clare River. This bye law was introduced at the request of the local angling club.

    Contact

    Inland Fisheries Ireland, Weir Lodge, Earl’s Island, Galway
    Tel: +353 (0)91 563118
    Fax: +353 (0)91 566335
    Email: [email protected]