This is a rich limestone lake of 4000 acres in this area. It is a relatively shallow lake with a maximum depth of sixty feet. Lough Carra holds an excellent stock of wild brown trout with an average weight of one and a half pounds. The heaviest fish caught in recent years weighed eight and a quarter pounds and was caught while dapping a Mayfly. The heaviest recorded brown trout taken from the lough weighed 14lb. and was also caught while dapping a Mayfly. At present the lough is stocked annually with a number of two year old brown trout by the Fisheries Board. This in no way interferes with or detracts from the quality of the wild trout angling. Angling on Lough Carra is best from the end of April. Duckfly hatches occur on the lough from late March to early May and good rises of trout can take place during these hatches. There are Olive hatches present on the lough from mid-April and the Mayfly begins to hatch in early May, reaching a peak around the 12th of that month. With favourable weather conditions, the angler on Lough Carra can enjoy some good spent gnat fishing, often during the daytime as well as in late evening. Sedges hatch from the month of May onwards. During the month of July the angling for brown trout on Lough Carra is generally much better than is usually found on the larger loughs. Wetfly fishing is the most used method for catching trout on Lough Carra, followed by dapping the natural Mayfly, dapping the daddylonglegs and dapping the grasshopper. There are boats with outboards for hire at several points along the lough and boatmen are also available. Keel River The Keel River is the outlet from Lough Carra and flows for a mile to where it enters Lough Mask. The river is deep for all of its length and holds a fair stock of brown trout. The Keel River is ideal for dry fly angling. Angling on Lough Carra and the Keel River is free.