Fishing in County Cavan
Coarse Fishing
Cavan’s meandering rivers, streams and tree-lined lakes provide the visitor with excellent opportunities for fishing, cruising and swimming. Reputed to have a lake for every day of the year, Cavan’s waterways have long been a draw for anglers and with no licence requirement there’s instant access to fishing for anglers of all ages and abilities.
The Shannon-Erne Waterway links the two rivers, which spring from the barren Cuilcagh Mountains in Cavan’s north-west. The mystical source of the Shannon, known as the ‘Shannon Pot’, is just a few miles north of Dowra, on the Cavan Way. Coarse angling remains one of Cavan’s most popular attractions, but there is also game fishing for brown trout in Lough Sheelin to the south.
The eastern part of Leitrim, Monaghan and Cavan are equally well endowed with rivers and loughs and these offer some of the best coarse fishing in Ireland. This is drumlin country and the big attraction is the wide range of species available including pike, perch, tench, rudd, bream, roach, hybrids and eels. The complex Erne System has excellent fishing depths to 20 feet with the rivers generally possessing a slow to moderate flow. Many of the rivers and lakes in the area are popular match fishing venues and during the summer months, hardly a week passes without a major tournament being staged there.
Game Angling Cavan
River Erne – Belturbet
The fly fishing stretch is just above the bridge in Belturbet between Kilconny Bridge and Railway Bridge which holds excellent stocks of rainbows and some wild brown trout. The stretch is controlled by Belturbet Trout Angling Association.
Lough Sheelin
The Mecca for lough trout fishing! It is not an easy water but the rewards are outstanding with large, hard fighting, wild brown trout. This is the specimen trout water of the area and is a must for the serious trout angler.
River Annalee – Butlers Bridge
A delightful, idyllic small river which holds a surprising head of trout – a real pleasure to fish.
Angling Downloads & Useful Links:
Map of County Cavan Lakes & Rivers
Fáilte Ireland’s Coarse Fishing in Ireland E-Brochure
Fáilte Ireland’s Pike Fishing in Ireland E-Brochure
Inland Fisheries Ireland - for further information on fishing in West Cavan and Ireland’s Northwest.
www.fishingireland.net - for further information on fishing in East Cavan and Ireland’s East Coast.
Coarse angling maps of County Cavan
