Fishing Ireland's Shannon Region

Great fishing waters abound throughout the Shannon Region - some of greater distinction than others, in most instances because of their great size or reputation for consistently good catches and others because of their secluded, wild setting. However, one thing is common to all of them, and that is the prospect of superb fishing.

In recent years this watery kingdom has been transformed into a fishermans wonderland.  An on-going programme of fishery enhancement has helped improve the habitat and access to waters while maintaining the natural splendour of the wild.

To do justice to the merits and special features of each stretch of water would necessitate a separate and sizeable volume. This brochure has been designed, primarily, to provide information for fishermen on holidaying in the Shannon Region. It is not an angling guide but would not be complete without giving some indication of what visiting anglers can expect.

To provide some meaningful angling information about the region, most of the waters have been grouped into fishing districts, each district being a natural geographical division, a major river system or a combination of waters in close proximity. The information provided about each district includes a map, geographical position, some of the main characteristics of the fishery, principal waters in the area and types of fishing available. These details will help anglers to choose their preferred fishing venue.

River Shannon

The Shannon is the largest river in Ireland, and is 386km (240 miles) long from its source at the Shannon Pot in the foothills of the Cuilcagh Mountains in Co. Cavan to its estuary below Limerick City. This important river and its tributaries drain about one fifth of the area of Ireland. Throughout its journey to the sea the riverscape is ever changing, widening and narrowing over and over again, and leaving in its wake numerous islands, backwaters, pools, bends and quiet bays, all the most likely haunts for fish. Its great length and its tributaries form an enormous and richly diverse fishery, which holds great stocks of a wide variety of fish including salmon, brown trout, bream, tench, rudd, roach, hybrids, eels, pike and perch.

The Lower Shannon

The Lower Shannon Region owes its name to this mighty river which flows through the heart of the area from Shannonbridge at its mid section to its confluence with the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Shannon Estuary.

Upper Shannon Region

This is the second of two booklets on the Shannon. The first gives an outline of fishing in the lower part of the river, including its estuary and the sea coast.  Here we describe the glories of the upper river which, while it cant offer sea fishing, more than compensates for the lack by the abundance and variety of rivers, lakes and canals, catering for every conceivable kind of sport.