Lough Cowey
This lake is designated a Brown trout fishery and regularly stocked with good-quality trout. Good-quality wintered fish are available in early spring. Dead baiting for Pike from the carpark is permitted with barbless hooks.
The fishery is stocked regularly and has good-quality over-wintered fish available in early spring. Bags of large fish are frequent, and traditional Irish fly patterns, buzzers, and streamers are the most popular flies.
The presence of Zebra Mussels is still preventing the stocking of fish from Movanagher Fish Farm. For more information, please visit Zebra Mussels and impact on fish stocking in the Public Angling Estate.
The concrete platform at Lough Cowey has been cordoned off due to health and safety concerns and to ensure the safety of anglers and members of the public. Lough Cowey remains open for angling, but anglers must not use the concrete platform to do so. Anyone found fishing from the concrete platform may face enforcement action in line with the DAERA Enforcement policy.
Key Information
| Fishery Type | Game |
|---|---|
| Species | Brown Trout, Pike, Roach |
| Season Open | 1st March |
| Season Close | 31st October |
| Rod Licence | 12 years old and over DAERA Game Rod Licence |
| Permit | 12 years old and over DAERA Game Fishing Permit |
| Fishing methods | Fly Fishing, Spinning and Worm Fishing. Bait fishing for Pike with barbless hooks or hooks with flattened barbs only and hook size 4 or greater. Dead Baiting for pike is permitted using 1 rod only and should be a minimum size of 100mm |
| Bag Limit | 1 Pike (up to 4kg) and 4 trout (over 25.4cm) per day may be retained |
Buy a DAERA Licence, Permit or Day Ticket
| Car Parking Onsite | Yes |
|---|---|
| Disabled Car Parking Onsite | No |
| Fishing Stands | No |
| Disabled accessible fishing stands | No |
| Boats Allowed | No |
| Boat Restrictions | N/A |
Click here for location on Google Maps
Directions
- The ferry: linking Strangford and Portaferry, the ferry makes Lough Cowey accessible from Downpatrick. The lough is 24.85 miles from Belfast.
- From Belfast: Travel eastwards on the A20 to Newtownards. Continue on the A20 through Greyabbey and Kircubbin, the lough is on the right near the main road, 2.48 miles before you reach Portaferry.
| Local Council Area | Ards & North Down |
|---|---|
| Nearest populated area | Portaferry |
| Water Type | Reservoir |
| Water Area / Size | 18 Hectacres |