Fishing

A fishermans paradise

Fishing in County Cavan

Discover some of the best fishing holidays in Ireland at Castlehamilton, in the heart of County Cavan’s beautiful Lakelands. With hundreds of lakes, scenic rivers and a fantastic variety of fish, the area is ideal for anglers of all experience levels.

Whether you’re planning a pike fishing trip, a trout fishing adventure or a coarse fishing break, Castlehamilton offers comfortable self-catering accommodation, boat hire and multilingual fishing guides to help you make the most of your stay.

Cavan is known as 'The Lakeland County' and is reputed to contain 365 lakes. It is the source of many rivers in Ireland.

Shannon Pot on the slopes of Culicagh is the source of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland at 386km (240 miles). The River Erne rises from Beaghy Lough, 3km (two miles) south of Stradone in Cavan, and flows for 120km (75 miles) to Lough Erne.

Other rivers include the Blackwater River from Lough Ramor which joins the River Boyne at Navan, the Dee which springs near Bailieborough, the River Annalee which flows from Lough Sillan and joins the Erne and the Cladagh river that rises from Culicagh and flows into Fermanagh. The Glyde and the Owenroe also source in Cavan.

At 18.8km2 (7.3 square miles), Lough Sheelin is the county's largest lake. Situated in the south, it forms a three way border on its waters between Meath, Westmeath and Cavan. A large complex of lakes form in the north and west of Cavan; these have been designated Specially Protected Areas (SPA). Other protected lakes, such as Lough Gowna and Lough Ramor, can be found in the south and east of the county.

All of the county's lakes and rivers have excellent stocks of fish and are the perfect place to spend some time getting away from it all, doing what you love - fishing.

Need to know

Fishing at Castlehamilton

Castlehamilton is right in the heart of Cavan, widely regarded as Ireland’s finest fishing destination. Whether you're seeking large open waters or are in search of somewhere more intimate and secluded, we have something for everyone at Castlehamilton.

Surrounding lakes and rivers

There are 365 lakes in Cavan and over 1000 lakes in total in the surrounding counties of Leitrim, Fermanagh and Longford The River Erne and its main tributaries, the Shannon Erne Waterway and the Dromore/Annalee system dominate the middle of County Cavan. Here you'll find a fishing paradise with hundreds of lakes full of pike, trout and coarse fish. Plus, beautiful rivers with an impressive population of trout.

The season

Pike: All year
Trout: 1st March to 30th September
Coarse: Generally no end of season. Always check with our guides.

Fishing permits

No fishing permit is required for Pike Fishing. Clubs who manage the trout fishing lakes and rivers issue visitor permits. But there's no need to worry during your stay - our multilingual fishing guides are on hand to help you arrange a license on arrival.

Types of fishing in Cavan

What to expect from a fishing break in Cavan, Castlehamilton

Pike fishing

In Castlehamilton, we are open all year for pike fishing. The best time for pike fishing is from February to mid-June and from mid-September to End-November. However, it's also possible to indulge in your passion in the summer and winter months when you'll have the opportunity to catch very large specimens. The only restriction is that it's forbidden to fish with live bait.

Pike fishing possibilities at Castlehamilton are endless: you can, without any problem, catch exceptional fish from the river bank. We provide you with the very best quality 6 metre Irish Sheelin boats with engine to use as you wish on your chosen lakes. We have boats located on the Lough Oughter, Garadice and Gowna water systems and many other lakes in the region to ensure your Irish fishing break is a memorable one.

Trout fishing

For trout fishing, Cavan is the most visited fishing destination in Ireland. Castlehamilton provides aa paradise for fly-fishing, with magnificent specimens relatively easy to catch with a dry fly. Guests can also enjoy nymph fishing. Fishermen can learn tricks and techniques from our knowledgeable guides, we are at your disposal.

The numbers and density of trout in the Cavan rivers is very impressive with the average size of your catch, in principle, somewhere between 18cm and 45cm.

Clubs that manage the rivers give permits for the year or the day, but there's no need to worry about that, your fishing guide will help you get a license on arrival. The trout fishing season in Ireland starts on 1st March and ends on 30th September.

Coarse fishing

County Cavan is the best place in Ireland for coarse fishing. Castlehamilton is perfectly located to help you get the most out of your fishing experience. Many international competitions are organised here in Killeshandra and the surrounding areas. That's because we have such an impressive population of coarse fish.

Here you'll find bream, roach, tench and perch, to name a few. Record catches of more than several kilos are recorded every year, with all fish released back into the water. You'll discover that many people who come fishing here for the first time keep on coming back year after year for their Irish fishing break.

Stay & fish

Irish fishing break possibilities are endless here in Cavan: from the small lake almost never fished, to larger lake systems of many hectacres harbouring many specimens of pike. Killeshandra is the perfect playground to experience your passion. Luers, dead bait, trolling and fly fishing (for pike and trout) are all possible.
We can advise you on the best locations to maximise your chances of a big catch.

To ensure you have the best fishing holiday stay in Ireland, Castlehamilton offers a choice of self catering cottages of different sizes that can accommodate between one and eight fishermen in optimal comfort. Groups can also be catered for on request.

To make your stay more pleasant, we also have at your disposal Irish manufactured Sheelin boats (perfectly adapted to fishing) with engines. We can put the boats on different lakes according to your personal requirements and, of course, the results you want from your fishing.

- Boat and engine hire
- Option of breakfast, half board or full board
- Multilingual fishing guides

Get in touch with us directly to customise your perfect stay.

Plan a fishing break