Cootehall is a small village located at the entrance of the Boyle river on the way up to Lough Key. There's good mooring here at the bridge, and there's a restaurant on the waterfront. A good place to stop on your way to or from Lough Key Forest Park.
John McGahern, the son of a Police Officer and a teacher, was brought up in Cootehall, went to school in Carrick-on-Shannon and now lives near Mohill. He is master at describing provincial life and the effects of people's interests, or indifference, in their neighbours' lives. One of his books, 'Amongst Women' won him the Booker prize in 1991.
Kiltybardon lake can be found on the road from Ballinamore to Carrick-on-Shannon. The water is 8 - 12 feet deep, and is very easy to fish for bream, roach, hybrids, perch and pike.
Also in the area are Bolgonard lake, Corgar lake and Lough Awaddy.
Drumlaheen lake covers over 200 acres, and although it's not easy to fish, some of the biggest bream and roach have been caught here.
Keshcarrigan lake needs some baiting, but bream of up to 4 pounds have been caught here, along with roach, perch and hybrids.
Lough Scur is a well known water which can be accessed via the Erne system. Plenty of bream, roach, hybrids, skimmers and perch. The water 6 - 10 feet deep.
Carrickport lake is about three miles from the town and is a good water with bream of 3-4lb and good roach and hybrids. The lake has depth of up to 20 feet.
Castlefore Lake has very good stocks of bream and roach, although it may need pre-baiting as it's not fished very often.
Sheebeg and its bigger brother Sheemor, are both reputed to be faiery hills, inhabited by the mystical race of the 'Sidhe' of ancient Ireland. Sheebeg is reputed to be the burial ground of the great Irish mythical hero Fionn MacCumhaill. On the summit is a passage mound built by stone age man to accurately predict the seasons.