See also: Drumcong, Lough Scur, Kiltubrid and R210 road (Ireland).
| Carrickaport Lough | |
| Pushpin Map: | Island of Ireland |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Carrickaport Lough location in Ireland |
| Pushpin Label Position: | none |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Ireland |
| Location: | County Leitrim |
| Lake Type: | Freshwater |
| Basin Countries: | Ireland |
| Area: | 0.46km2 |
| Max-Depth: | 7m (23feet) |
| Elevation: | 63m (207feet) |
| Islands: | 1 |
Carrickaport lough is a freshwater lake in Kiltubrid parish, south County Leitrim, Ireland. Drumcong village, and Lough Scur, lie nearby. Carrickaport lough is known for quality bream and pike fishing. The ecology of Carrickaport lough, and other county waterways, is threatened by curly waterweed, zebra mussel, and freshwater clam invasive species.
The lake takes its name from the bordering townland of "Carrickaport" (Irish: Carraig an Phoirt), meaning the "".
Carrickaport lough is located due west of Drumcong village and Lough Scur, in County Leitrim. The lake has an hourglass shape with a surface-area of about 0.46km2, and depths of 7m (23feet). The level of Carrickaport lough is about 1foot higher than Lough Scur, and a small stream of 500m (1,600feet) length running through Drumcong connects both lakes. Carrickaport lough is surrounded by high lands and bounded by the townlands of Drumbullog, Corderry (Morton), Carrickaport, Mullaghycullen, Drumcong, and Roscarban. The substrate consists of rock (15%), cobble (70%), gravel (10%) and sand (5%).
Fish present in Carrickaport include "Roach-Bream hybrids", Perch, Bream, Roach, and Pike. The pike population is the "native Irish strain" (Irish: liús meaning 'Irish Pike') not the other European Pike strain (Irish: gailliasc meaning 'strange or foreign fish'). The lake has stocks of Pike up to 10lbs. The water quality was reported to be satisfactory with a mesotrophic rating.
Following a survey in 2007 the condition of Carrickaport Lough was reported as "unsatisfactory" with Filamentous algae present, and pollution, along with a serious zebra mussel infestation, being also reported. Carrickaport Lough is reed-fringed, with approximately one fifth of substrate vegetation being common club-rush, while Potamogeton pondweed and the alien species Elodea canadensis are also present.
Carrickaport lough, with a shallow rocky shore, has some ideal potential White-clawed crayfish habitat, While a population of White-clawed crayfish has previously been reported, no specimens were found when last surveyed in 2007. Indeed, crayfish are never been found with zebra mussel, and Irish stocks are threatened by non-indigenous crayfish species importation.
In August 2000 the "" moss, regarded as a rare species in Ireland, was found growing unshaded to partly-shaded (by grasses and rushes) on the damp clay-mud of a sparsely vegetated ditch beside the lake.
The Lister's river snail (Viviparus fasciatus) is abundant, and hog louse is also present.
The primary human settlement at Carrickaport is the village of Drumcong.