Irish pollan Fishing

Pollan is a Coregonus found only on the island of Ireland, and Lough Neagh holds the largest commercial stock in the world. It feeds on plankton in deep, cold open water and spawns over shallow gravel from November to January. It is almost never caught on rod and line — the mouth is small, the diet is entirely planktonic, and the stock is worked under licence by commercial netsmen. Any accidental capture should be released in the water with wet hands. Lough Neagh Pollan is a protected PDO product; for anglers it matters as an ecological indicator, not as a target.

Coregonus pollan

Irish pollan (Coregonus pollan)
Photo: Jonathan Couch · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Season calendar

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
JunJulAugSepOctNov
Dec

Active periodSpawning period — release what you catch

Season
June–November
Water temperature
4–14 °C
Spawning
January, November–December
Behaviour
Cold water, feeds on the drift

Techniques

  • Not an angling target (commercial netting)

What is a pollan?

  • A freshwater whitefish (genus Coregonus), related to salmon and trout, that lives in a few large Irish lakes.
  • It is closely related to the Arctic cisco and is thought to be a relic of the last Ice Age, cut off when the sea level rose.
  • Its closest British relatives are the powan of Scotland, the gwyniad of Wales, and the schelly and vendace of England.

How to recognise it

  • A slim, silvery, herring-like fish with a darker blue-green back.
  • A small mouth, large eyes and a small adipose fin (the fleshy fin between the dorsal fin and the tail), which shows it belongs to the salmon family.
  • Most adults are 20–30 cm long.

Where pollan live

  • Lough Neagh holds by far the largest population.
  • Smaller populations survive in Lower Lough Erne and in the Shannon lakes, including Lough Ree and Lough Derg.
  • They stay in deep, cold, well-oxygenated open water and move to shallow gravel to spawn in winter.

Why pollan are rarely caught on rod and line

  • They feed almost only on zooplankton and ignore baits and lures.
  • The Lough Neagh fishery is a licensed commercial net fishery.
  • If you hook one by accident, release it quickly in the water with wet hands.

Threats and conservation

  • Pollan are considered threatened in Ireland. The main pressures are water pollution (nutrient enrichment), invasive species such as the zebra mussel, and warming water.
  • Because they need cold, clean water, pollan numbers are a good indicator of the health of the lake.

Frequently asked

When is the best time to catch irish pollan?
The productive window for irish pollan runs June–November. January, November–December is the spawning period; releasing your catch during these months is strongly advised.
What water temperature does irish pollan feed in?
Irish pollan is most active between 4 and 14 °C. Outside that band its feeding rate drops off.
How do you fish for irish pollan?
Common methods: Not an angling target (commercial netting).

Species that fish under similar conditions

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