Lough Melvin is famous for its salmon and trout fishing, and is home to two unusual trout species that are unique to the lough – the sonaghan, with its distinctive black spots, and the crimson-spotted gillaroo (if caught, gillaroo must be returned to the lake unharmed). You'll need a licence and a permit from Garrison Anglers (www.garrisonandloughmelvinanglersassoc.co.uk; permits £10 to £20 per day).

Lough Melvin is situated along the border with the Republic, on the B52 road from Belcoo to Belleek.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Belleek Pottery Visitor Centre

3.38 MILES

The imposing Georgian-style building beside Belleek's main bridge houses the world-famous Belleek Pottery, founded in 1857. It has been producing fine…

2. Tullan Strand

7.16 MILES

The long strand of surfing beach has a bountiful supply of that gorgeous trademark fine white sand that much of Ireland is famed for. There are rip tides,…

3. Franciscan Friary

8.52 MILES

Hidden in a forest at the southern end of the beach, this modern friary was built in the early 1950s and is set in beautiful, tranquil gardens that are…

4. Rossnowlagh Beach

8.95 MILES

This stunner of a Blue Flag beach is the main draw in town, with the Atlantic surf rolling onto its broad expanse of sand. You can drive your car straight…

5. Caldragh Graveyard

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Spooky, moss-grown Caldragh Graveyard contains the intriguing Dreenan Figure. It's often called a Janus figure, but it's actually two separate figures…

6. Lough Navar Forest Park

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This forest park lies at the western end of Lower Lough Erne, where the Cliffs of Magho – a 250m-high and 9km-long limestone escarpment – rise above a…

7. Lough Glencar Waterfall

11.8 MILES

The poet WB Yeats is among those who've fallen for this 15m tumbling torrent, set in the most beautiful area of Lough Glencar – it features in his poem…

8. Creevykeel Court Tomb

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