Spinfish Where to Go Fishing in Southern Ireland - Galway

The Southern Ireland Where to Fish A to Z


Coarse Fishing | Rivers | Stillwaters / Loughs



The Shannon


The river Shannon is one enormous fishery running through several counties, many loughs and an associated, extensive canal system.

Sourced from Shannon Pot the river flows 224 miles through Cavan, Leitrim, Longford, Westmeath, Rosscommon, Offaly, Gallway, Tiperary, Limerick and Clare forming the border between counties for much of it's length.

Google Satellite View Shannon Pots

Google Satelite View, That little spot is the soure of the Shannon. From little acorns....


The Shannon drains one fith of Ireland, 6,512 sqaure mile, passing through loughs Allen, Drumharlow, Corry, Tap, Boderg, Bofin, Forbes, Ree, and Derg. It is also linked to Dublin by the Grand Canal. There are also many canalised sections associated with the river Shannon.

Shannon is mentioned in all counties in Spinfish Where to Fish guide to fishing in Ireland but there is so much of it you really need many more references to get to grips with this famed river. Here are a few links well worth checking out:

Country Sport and Country Life Coarse Fishing in the Shannon Region

Fishing in Ireland Tulla Angling Centre

Fishing in Ireland, Shannon, Banagher

Fishing in Ireland Lanesboro Angling Centre / Shannon

Fishing in Ireland Lough Ree

Midland Fisheries Group, Waters and Permits

Some people may say this is a cop outbecause I haven't list all of the still waters in Galway for. Like the west highlands of Scotland, in places, it seems there is more water than land. There is a heck of a lot of fishing available, here are a few examples.

Rivers Game


Ballynahinch River


Ballynahinch Castle have fishing on the Ballynahinch river and Lower Lough Ballynahinch. They aslo have a rainbow fishery with fish stocked to 4lbs. The river, at short and drains a number of loughs and is divided into several salmon beats for two rods. They have worked like beavers on this short river installing 70 casting platform, styles and footbridges.

Contact: Ballynahinch Castle & River Fishery, Connemara, Co. Galway, Ireland. Call +353 95 31006.

Google Map Reference 53.460279, -9.862718. Post Code H91 F4A7

Checked 06/06/19

Clare River


The Clare flows from Tuam in the upper reaches down through Claegalway into Lough Corrib. Good trout fishing, this will give you an idea of what the trout fishing is like take from the fishery byelaws: "Bag Limit, a daily bag limit of 4 trout of which not more than 1 trout is greater 10 lbs (4.54Kg)." Don't know what to say to that other than ummm. How so? well the Clare is a major tributary of Lough Corrib, one of the best wild trout fisheries in the world. The fishery is run by Inland Fishery Ireland and some angling clubs.

Corrib (River)


The river Corrib is just 5 miles long draining the famed Lough Corrib. From the centre of Galway City up to the lough the river is canal like but does fish for salmon.

The best bit of water is the Galway Fishery especially the 250m stretch below the weir down to the Salmon Bridge. The fishing extends down to the sea from there. The stretch shown in the Google Screen Shot below is from the Salmon Bridge up to the weir, prime water.

Google Screen Shot River Corrib Galway Weir from Salmon Bridge

Google Map Ref for the above screen shot 53.275574, -9.056136.

The Corrib does have a decent run of spring fish but the action really starts in May with the arrival of the grilse with fishing peaking in July. There is also a good autumn run of fish. There is a decent run of sea trout, mostly small sea trout and finnock. Fishing is fly only in low water but other methods are allowed in better water conditions.

A salmon rod license in required as well as a permit. Permit prices are very reasonable for such an excellent bit of water. Day, half day and evening tickets available from:

The Galway Fishery, Nuns Island, call +353 (0) 91 562388.

Demand is his high so booking in advance is essential.

Checked 11/06/19

Culfin River


The Culfin is a small spate river of just 6 miles which flows through Loughs Muck and Fee. The fishing starts in June with a run of grisle peaking in July. There are also a few sea trout and good wild brown trout.

Ownership is split between to sets of owners. Culfin Fishery who offer boat and bank fishing on the loughs and the river. The fishery is classified as Open which means you can take a salmon but sea trout are C R only. Call +353 (0) 95 43997

The other proprietor is Kylemore Abbey. Not often you have to contact the Lady Abbess about fishing. Call the fishery office +353 87 9580702 and go fishing with their blessing.

Fly is the best method but spinning is allowed using barbless hooks.

Access to the loughs is easy with the Connemara Loop road runs along side both.

Google Map Lough Muck 53.596854, -9.848298

Killian River


Covered by the Midlands Fishery Group permit the river has good stocks of trout in the half to three quarters of a pound range (size limit 10", max bag 6 fish).

Kylemore Abbey Fishing


Squeezed between the mountains and the sea the fishery consists of 5.5m the river Dawros and Kylemore, Castle and Middle Lake.

The Dawros is classified as an Open Fishery so you can take a fish here. Good salmon and sea trout fishing. The fishery has recently undergone significant improvements with new new pools and walkways, new boats and engines, better access.

The nuns seem like a cheery lot, saw Kylemore on Two Fat Ladies, quite a spot to visit. Call the fishery office +353 87 9580702

Google Map Reference 53.559895, -9.891505

Checked 06/06/19

Maam River


The Maam river is a spate river entering Corrib at the head of the north western narrows. A spate river, the Maam gets a good run of summer salmon in July. Fishing by any legal method except in September when it is fly only. Fishing is free but you do need the salmon license. It is also polite to get permission to cross private land to access the fishing.

Google Map 53.503991, -9.535077

Checked 10/06/19

Owenriff


The Owenriff is largely a trout water although salmon and sea trout do run the river (it is closed at present for migratory fish). On it's way to loch Corrib the river passes through Lough Aphreahragan, Lough Bofon and L Argraffard then through Outrerard.

The picture below is a Google Screen shot of the river exiting a small lough at Quiet Man Bridge. Yup, that Quiet Man, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

Quiet Man bridge Conemara

Stillwaters / Loughs


Lough Corrib


Corrib is certainly one of the top brown trout fishing fisheries in the world. A 40,000 acre "pool" hoaching with trout, very big pike, salmon pass through to spawn in the inflowing rivers and coarse fish abound; bream, perch and eel.

It is off coarse the trout that draw the anglers to Corrib and looking at it on Google map you can guess a bit of local knowledge will help no end to find the best fishing locations to wet a line.

The lough has all sorts of nooks and crannies, bays with streams and rivers flowing into them. A boat is needed and to save you time here is a link to Fishing in Ireland:

Boat Hire Lough Corrib


You will also find a lot more information about Corrib. One thing to note is the size of the boats, you must respect a lough of this size, don't even think about a fibreglass dingy.

Google Map 53.387025, -9.076953 Annaghdown Pier

annaghdown pier

Google Map The pier near Carrowmoreknock

Pier Carrowmoreknock

Google Map 53.438587, -9.304123 Pier near Oughterard

pier near Oughterard

Checked 09/06/19

Screebe House Fishery

Screebe House is a large estate with a string of 16 loughs and river fishing. The loughs have good stocks of wild brown while the river is split into a number of beats for salmon and sea trout ( C & R only at this time).

Fishing is deliberately maintained at a low intensity, 1 boat per lough and the river beats are let for a half day to 2 rods per beat.

Spring salmon fishing is best on the Screebe Pool at Screebe Lough while the grilse runs peak in July.

To book call +353 91 574110

Google Map 53.384704, -9.556778

Checked 06/06/19

Coarse Fishing

Ballyquirke Lake


Ballyquirke Lake at 150 acres holds good stocks of pike, bream and roach. 20lb+ pike are not uncommon with some specimens reaching 30lb+.

There are 2 stone built concrete surfaced platforms with a steel guard rail suitable for use by anglers with disabilities located on Olivers Shore.

Ballyquirke Lake Moycullen

Google Screen Shot Ballyquirke Lake vehicle access right the waters edge here

Google Map 53.323244, -9.152172

Checked 09/06/19

Ross Lake


a good sized lake of about 3km long and 1 km widewith good stocks of pike, perch, bream, roach, hybrids and some tench down by the outflow stream. Pike to 20lb not uncommon.

There are lots of fishing platforms along the shore at these two Google Map References.

53.363782, -9.203415 and 53.371829, -9.202608

One platform designed for disabled anglers.

Checked 09/06/19

Suck


The river Suck flows along the border between Galway and Roscommon. At 80 miles long it is a substantial river holding stocks of coarse fish and trout. The coarse fish include; pike, perch, beam, tench, roach and rudd. The pike fishing is particularly notable.

Google Street View River Suck at Donamon

Google Street View River Suck at Donamon

You will need a Midland Fisheries Group permit to fish on the Suck.

For a whole bunch of information on the River Suck try:

Fishing in Ireland River Suck


Checked 06/06/19

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