Lough Bofinne
A stocked rainbow trout fishery near Bantry with day and season permits. Current fishery rules allow a single rod using fly, worm or spinner.
Arriving at this place
- Pin precision
- Representative waterbody point
- Pin meaning
- Lough Bofinne waterbody; shore access follows the bordering roads
- Current access
- Not field-confirmed
- Public access point
- No reviewed access coordinate published
- Parking
- No structured parking evidence published
- Public parking point
- No reviewed parking coordinate published
- Walk / terrain
- Not yet measured
- Mobility
- Not yet assessed
- Facilities
- Not field-confirmed
- Phone signal
- Not field-confirmed
- Tide cut-off
- No structured field evidence published
- Escape route
- No structured field evidence published
Published approach: Day and season permits are sold through the IFI South West Stocked Lakes permit shop. Check current boat hire and access arrangements before visiting.
Treat the pin as a planning reference, not a guaranteed parking space, legal access point or exact casting position. Confirm signs and local restrictions on arrival.
Conditions near this guide
Cork and adjacent sea areas
The official warning feed could not be confirmed. Forecast copy is withheld until it returns.
No current Cork county or adjacent sea-area warning appears in the official feed.
- Air
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- Pressure
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Hourly station observation; not quality controlled and not a forecast for a fishing mark.
Regional outlook
Tonight and tomorrow
Tonight:
Tomorrow:
Cork coast
- Wind
- Weather
- Visibility
Offshore buoy observations
Cork tide gauges
Trend is derived from recent gauge readings. It is not a tide prediction and does not identify the next high or low water.
Fish you'll catch here
How to fish it
Gear & bait
When to go
1 April–30 September (2026 permit season; verify annually)
Lough Bofinne is a managed, stocked rainbow trout fishery near Bantry in West Cork. It offers day and season permits without the need for club membership or a State salmon and sea trout rod licence.
The Fishery
The stocked rainbows can be targeted with artificial flies, a worm fished on suitable tackle, or a small spinner under the current permit rules. This makes the venue useful to beginners who are not yet confident fly casting as well as experienced fly anglers.
Typical fish range from 1 to 3 lb, and larger specimens may be stocked periodically. Lure patterns in orange, black, gold and white are consistently productive; traditional wet flies (Soldier Palmer, Bibio, Invicta) also account for fish when they are feeding near the surface.
Permits and Rules
A fishery permit is required. The published 2026 season runs from 1 April to 30 September and permits a single rod using fly, worm or spinner, with a four-trout daily bag limit. Confirm the current year’s dates, methods and bag limit in the IFI permit shop because fishery rules can change.
No State salmon rod licence is required for rainbow trout in a put-and-take lake. This makes Lough Bofinne straightforwardly accessible for visiting anglers and beginners alike.
Getting There
Bantry is well connected by road from Cork City (approximately 1.5 hours on the N71) and from Skibbereen. Contact the fishery directly for current access directions, as parking and access arrangements may vary.
Where it is
Map tiles are unavailable offline. Coordinates: 51.6839927, -9.386987.
Open this point in OpenStreetMap ↗
This pin marks Lough Bofinne waterbody; shore access follows the bordering roads. The source was reviewed 2026-07-14; an on-site field check has not yet been recorded.Review the map source ↗,Review the information source ↗and confirm current local conditions before travelling.
Record a field check for this pin
Nearby fishing marks
- Ballydehob Harbourshore · about 15 km away
- Shepperton Lakelake · about 19 km away
- Rosscarbery Estuaryshore · about 28 km away
Closest tackle shop
The Tackle Shop
Cork City · about 66 km away in a straight line
A Cork City tackle shop carrying fishing equipment and bait for sea, game, and coarse anglers.