Causeway Coast
The River Bush is the freshwater draw here — 34 miles from the Antrim Hills through Bushmills to the sea at Portballintrae, running over basalt bedrock that gives the water an unusual alkaline character. It holds indigenous stocks of Atlantic salmon and brown trout, with high-quality salmon angling available on four managed stretches around Bushmills when water conditions are right.
The coastline is really the headline act, though — genuinely dramatic, running past the Giant's Causeway itself, with charter boats out of Portrush, Portstewart and Ballycastle fishing as far as Rathlin Island and even across to Donegal. This is proper deep-sea territory: ling, tope, smoothhound, pollack and cod are all realistic targets, on top of the mackerel that show through summer.
River
River Bush
Rises in the Antrim Hills, flows through Armoy, Stranocum and Bushmills to the sea at Portballintrae. High-quality salmon angling on four stretches — New, Town, Leap and Dundarave — when conditions allow, plus a resident brown trout population throughout.
Salmon · Brown troutSea & coast
Portrush
The main charter hub, with boats running deep sea trips along the North Antrim coast for ling, mackerel, tope, smoothhound, pollack and cod, plus shore fishing off three Blue Flag beaches.
Ling · Cod · PollackPortstewart & Ballycastle
Further charter departure points, with trips ranging the entire north coast as far as Donegal to the west and Rathlin Island to the east.
Portballintrae
A small working harbour village between Portrush and the Giant's Causeway, historically a salmon fishing settlement and still a good shore access point at the Bush river mouth.
Stillwaters
Binevenagh Lake
An artificial lake in a dramatic clifftop forest setting near Limavady, overlooking Benone Strand — can be very exposed in poor weather.
General guide only — DAERA rod licences and, for the Bush, separate salmon angling permits are required. Always confirm current permits, season dates and any local rules before fishing, and check tide times before fishing rock marks along this coastline.
Check today's conditions for the Causeway Coast →