Fishlife in Loughrea Lake

Inland Fisheries Ireland carried out recent fish stock surveys in 2010 and 2013 – see report titled “Water Framework Directive Fish Stock Survey of Loughrea, July 2013”

Some relevant comments:

Fishing on Lough Rea is managed by the Loughrea Anglers’ Association. There are good numbers of rudd and perch along with a stock of pike present in the lake. Eels, brook lamprey, stickleback and brown trout with an average weight of 0.6kg are also found in the lake (NPWS; O’Reilly,2007). During the 2010 survey perch were found to be the dominant species present in the lake. In 2013, three-spined stickleback was the most abundant fish species recorded, followed by eels, Nine-spined stickleback, brown trout, perch, pike and rudd were also recorded. Pike captured during the 2013 survey ranged in length from 33.6cm to 108cm. Brown trout captured during the survey ranged in age from 1+ to 4+, indicating reproductive success in four of the previous five years. Results show that the lake holds a population of slow growing brown trout (mean length 2013 = 24.4cm). In the 2010 to 2012 surveillance monitoring reportin period, the EPA assigned Lough Rea an overall draft ecological status of Good, based on all monitored physicochemical and biological elements, including fish.