Loughrea Anglers Association — a living, active, vibrant club on one of Ireland’s cleanest lakes.
Loughrea Anglers Association is one of the west of Ireland's most vibrant angling clubs — managing a 740 acre private wild brown trout fishery on the doorstep of Loughrea town in Co. Galway.
The club operates three secured boathouses in the centre of Loughrea, putting members right at the heart of the town and the lake. We are home to a thriving youth club that introduces the next generation to the sport, a feeder club for international-level anglers who have represented Ireland at the highest levels, and the natural home for your everyday angling enthusiast — whether you've fished Lough Rea for forty years or are just starting out.
We hold a long-term private fishery lease on Lough Rea which includes annual work on spawning streams and operating our own hatchery which produces 120,000+ unfed fry each season
Loughrea Lake is underlain by carboniferous limestone, its basin carved from the landscape during the last Ice Age which ended around 10,000 BC. Sheets of ice up to three kilometres thick scoured the terrain into the form we recognise today. The resulting alkaline, hard-water lake is of exceptional quality — confirmed by the Blue Flag beach at the Long Point.
The lake measures approximately 2.5km long and 1.5km wide, with a deepest point of 23 metres. It is fed by springs and small streams on the south-eastern shore, creating a stable, high-quality environment for wild brown trout.
Loughrea Anglers Association has managed this fishery for generations, running our own hatchery programme to supplement wild stocks, conducting annual IFI-endorsed pike control operations, and actively engaging in national policy consultation to protect the future of wild salmonid waters across Ireland.
The club's boathouse on the Loughrea lakefront is a working, living hub — home to the association's fleet of traditional timber boats and the notice board that has connected members to the lake for decades.
FISHING SEASON A paid-up member is entitled to wet fly & dry fly fishing from 17th March to 30th September (inclusive)
MINIMUM SIZE BROWN TROUT 280mm club limit. 320mm competition limit. 2 brace of trout per rod per day excluding competitions
TROLLING Trolling of artificial bait only is permitted by paid-up members from May 1st to 30th September (inclusive)
TROLLING Times Strictly 10am to 8pm daily. 2 trout allowed per rod per day. Max. one rod per angler. Max. 2 anglers per boat.
TROLLING Not permitted during times of scheduled fly-fishing competitions
BOATS AND BAGGAGE must be made available for inspection by any officer or committee member at any time. Failure to comply will result in automatic disqualification and suspension from subsequent competitions at the discretion of the committee
SPINNING AND WORMING is permitted from May 1st to 30th of September (inclusive) only off certain areas of the lake shore. Limit of 2 trout per rod per day – one rod per angler. Members of the Association & committee members will advise. Spinning and worm fishing from a boat is strictly prohibited at all times
ENGINE 6hp or less is permitted and strictly enforced. No Boats permitted on tow
JUNIOR ANGLERS Anglers under the age of 16 are not permitted to fish from or operate a boat unless under the supervision of a competent adult
INSURANCE Paid up members are covered by Club Insurance when fishing on the lake. Please note there is no cover when there is a small craft weather warning in place
ONLY PAID UP MEMBERS are eligible to fish competitions. Membership must be paid before entry to any event.
COMPETITIONS All competitions are to be fished on Boat/Team (2) basis with prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd.
Fly fishing competitions fees €10 per rod, youth €5, Juvenile competition €1 per rod. Ladies competition €5 per rod
ST. PATRICK’S DAY First fish caught must be recorded and witnessed at McCormack’s Topaz Garage. Prize for heaviest trout of the day and first fish of season will be presented at 4pm at the Western Boathouse
CATHEDRAL CUP Heaviest trout caught in competitions. Excluding events A, F, G, I and K. Presented at AGM.
MRS. McGLOIN CUP Top Angler with the greatest number of trout caught during competitions
JOHN LYNCH CUP Top youth angler for greatest number of trout caught in competition excluding events A, F, G, I and K. Presented at AGM
MAJOR COMPETITION June bank holiday weekend – Entry fee for one or three days of this event is fixed at €20/rod. Tickets are non-transferable
Boat prize for the combined weight over three days. Presentation of prizes on Sunday evening at a time and venue to be arranged
CLUB MEMBERSHIP & BOAT REGISTRATION FEES for 2026 have been fixed at €40 for full membership. Youth membership €10. Ladies €10. Boat registration fee €40 (club berth) - shore berth €10 for club members. Day permits €15
BOAT BERTHS FEES must be paid by the 17th of march in the current year, and if not paid by the 30th june of the current year the said berth shall revert back to the club to be reallocated by the standing committee
SAFETY LIFE JACKETS MUST BE WORN BY STATUTE LAW. Members not wearing lifejackets during competition will be disqualified
BOATS must be securely locked with chain and padlock
BOATS ON TOW Due to zebra mussels (invasive species) no permit boats on tow or engines from other lakes
LITTER Please take home your litter from the lake, islands and boathouses
SPONSORS The club would greatly appreciate the presentation of trout to sponsors directly or through club officers. Winning competitors are specially requested to do so
WINNERS of all cups or trophies are obliged and bound to having them engraved and polished ready for presentation the following year
CORRESPONDENCE Pat Scully, Hon Secretary, Loughrea Anglers Association, Gort Rd, Loughrea
Membership gives you full fishing rights on one of the west of Ireland’s finest private wild brown trout fisheries and entry to a full season of club competitions and events.
Membership is open to all.
Fees payable before March 17th for each season
Only paid up members can fish in club competitions
Loughrea's fly life follows a classic Irish limestone lake progression — black chironomids in early spring, Lake Olive hatches and sedges through summer evenings, and the Daddy Long Legs in autumn. Key patterns include the Connemara Black, Bibio, Claret Dabbler and Green Peter, fished wet or dry depending on conditions.
The "Duck-fly" hatch — large dark chironomid midges which appear in massive numbers during April and often force residents of the town to keep their windows closed
The "Olive" season — Lake Olive hatch. The lake is unusual in that it has no hatches of Mayflies unlike most of its neighbours
Sedge and buzzer fishing dominates — especially late evening rises with anglers often not venturing out until past 10pm and fishing well into the night
Fish feed heavily before winter — Daddies come into their own
Slow for early season buzzers and chironomids. Switch to a faster pull for summer sedges. If fish are head-and-tailing, slow right down and trust the presentation.
Traditional Irish wet flies — dabblers and olives — are pulled through waves on a floating line. Dapping with a natural or artificial Lake Olive can be devastating during the hatch on Lough Rea.
Generally #10–#12 for most patterns. Drop to #14–#16 on calm flat days when fish are sipping Caenis — finer tippet and delicate presentation are critical in this crystal clear lake.
From fly-tying to competition fishing — we're growing the next generation of anglers and lake stewards right here on Lough Rea.
All youth activities are fully supervised by experienced adult members and comply with child protection guidelines. Parents and guardians are always welcome at the boathouse. Junior membership is open to all under-18s in the Loughrea area.
Junior Membership
Learn traditional Irish wet and dry flies from experienced members. Spring and autumn sessions at the boathouse.
Guided boat sessions on Lough Rea with instruction in casting, water-reading, and responsible fish handling.
Annual dedicated junior competition with trophies, spot prizes, and a post-fishing BBQ at the boathouse.
Lake ecology, fish biology, and why protecting wild trout matters for the future — taught by members on the water.
Ash Island (top) and Island McCoo through morning mist (below) — Lough Rea
Loughrea Lake is internationally renowned for four undoubted crannógs — Reed's Island, Shore Island, Ash Island and Island McCoo — and possibly a fifth, Blake's Island. These ancient island dwellings date back millennia, making Lough Rea one of Ireland's most archaeologically significant lake systems.
"In the locality there lingered a tradition that a city lay buried under this lake… on a clear calm day where the waters are shallow there may be observed various heaps of stones, placed with a degree of regularity that renders it probable they may be remains of ancient lake dwellings."
— W.A. Wood-Martin, The Lake Dwellings of IrelandIn 1862, archaeologist G. Henry Kinahan surveyed the islands. Island McCoo, 180 yards from shore, appeared surrounded by a circle of oak piles. Bronze spear-heads and ancient oak canoes have been recovered during low-water seasons. Three hundred tons of kitchen midden were excavated from the largest island dwelling, alongside a skull of the Irish Elk with antlers measuring over 13 feet tip to tip.
Members of the club and those with an interest in maintaining the beauty of our town are asked to help out with the cleaning and maintanance of the local rivers and lake shore. Meet up on Wednesdays at 7pm at the Western Boahouse. Please bring any tools you might think are useful, especially rakes or weed cutting equiptment
Our youth fly-tying programme returns this spring. Limited places available for anglers aged 10–17. Contact the club secretary to register interest now.
Lough Rea is a beautiful lake that demands respect. All members and visitors must read and follow these guidelines before going on the water.
Throw a lifebelt immediately. Do not jump in unless trained in water rescue. Keep the person in sight. If in the water stay with boat is possible. Call emergency services at once.
The Loughrea Anglers Association boathouse sits on the lakefront in Loughrea town, Co. Galway. The notice board on the front wall carries all current fee information, competition dates, and club notices. New members are always welcome — call in any time the boathouse is open.
