Lakes, Rivers & Waterfalls in County Tyrone

Two of the seven here are lakes. Of the five rivers, three are the same water under different names: the Camowen and the Drumragh meet in the centre of Omagh and continue north as the Strule, so one flat walk through the county town takes in all three, past the weir loop and the Strule Arts Centre. The Camowen rises south of Pomeroy and runs 45 km; the Strule carries on about 28 km to join the Derg and become the Mourne.

For still water, Lough Fea is the easier day out. It is a 180-acre reservoir five miles north of Cookstown with a 4.15 km path right around it, free parking and a children’s play area, and the circuit has been complete again since a footbridge at the north end reopened in April 2025. Black Lough, on the edge of Dungannon, is smaller and flatter: 42 acres, about twenty minutes to walk round, 102 bird species recorded and a crannog out on the water.

The two Sperrin rivers are for people who care what lives in them. The Ballinderry carries the dollaghan, a Lough Neagh trout found in only a handful of rivers, and the local trust runs a hatchery to keep the stocks up. The Owenkillew holds the largest freshwater pearl mussel population in Northern Ireland.

Where to start

  1. Camowen River – Omagh's salmon river Omagh

    A 45 km salmon and trout river with a flat, traffic-free riverside walk and weir loop running right through the middle of Omagh.

  2. Ballinderry River – Tyrone's dollaghan run Cookstown

    Comes off the Sperrins into Lough Neagh carrying the dollaghan, a trout found in only a handful of rivers, alongside salmon and brown trout.

  3. Black Lough – Dungannon's birdwatching lake Dungannon

    A 42-acre lake on the edge of Dungannon with a flat gravel circuit of about twenty minutes, 102 recorded bird species and a crannog offshore.

  4. Drumragh River – Omagh's trout river Omagh

    A well-regarded brown-trout river with a grassy bankside walk, meeting the Camowen in Omagh to form the Strule.

  5. Lough Fea – Sperrins lakeside loop Cookstown

    A 180-acre Sperrins reservoir with a 4.15 km path all the way round, free parking, a playground and brown-trout fishing.

7 of 7 shown — tap a pin for the place.

Strule Arts Centre, (footbridge), Omagh, Co. Tyrone
Strule Arts Centre, (footbridge), Omagh, Co. Tyrone Courtesy of Tourism Northern Ireland, @Dillon Osborne

Camowen River – Omagh's salmon river

Omagh, tyrone

The Camowen is a 45 km salmon and trout river that rises south of Pomeroy and runs into Omagh, where it meets the Drumragh in the town centre and continues on as the River Strule. For most visitors the draw is the flat, traffic-free riverside walk and weir loop through Omagh; for anglers it's a late-summer salmon fishery that needs a DAERA licence and a club permit.

🌳 Outdoor 🐕 Dogs Welcome

Questions people ask

Which Tyrone lake has a walk right around it?
Both of them. Lough Fea has a 4.15 km loop, complete again since the footbridge at its north end reopened in April 2025, and Black Lough at Dungannon has a flat gravel path that takes about twenty minutes.
What can I do without leaving Omagh?
The Camowen and the Drumragh both run through the town and meet there to become the Strule, so three of the seven entries here are walkable from the centre. The Camowen path is flat and traffic-free, and the Strule runs past the Strule Arts Centre.
Do I need a licence to fish?
The Camowen's late-summer salmon fishing needs a DAERA licence and a club permit. Lough Fea holds brown trout, and the Ballinderry, Owenkillew and Strule are managed salmon and trout waters, so check the permit arrangements locally before you travel.
Where are the freshwater pearl mussels?
In the upper Ballinderry, which is a Special Area of Conservation, and in a 4 km stretch of the upper Owenkillew, which holds the largest population in Northern Ireland with at least 10,000. They need clean, silt-free gravel, which is why that water is so closely protected.
Is there anything here for a family afternoon?
Lough Fea is the one. The loop is level and pushchair-length rather than a hill walk, parking is free and there is a children's play area at the lakeside. Black Lough is the shorter alternative if you are closer to Dungannon.

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