Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Environment and the outdoors
  3. Forests and outdoor recreation
  4. Outdoor recreation

River Lagan

Information about using the River Lagan, including how to cross the Lagan Weir. Find out where to moor your vessel, where to launch from and where to find information notices and details about events on the tidal Lagan.

The Lagan Weir

The Lagan Weir controls the water levels upstream to Stranmillis Weir. The gates can be used for boats to cross the weir into the upper stretches of the river.

Crossing the Lagan Weir

The Lagan Weir control centre is a licensed VHF radio base station. Vessels wishing to cross the weir must contact the control room for permission.

Channel number 71
Frequency 156.575 MHz
Call sign Lagan Weir

During normal tidal and river conditions, the weir gates are raised on each falling tide to impound the river upstream.

The gates are lowered again when the tide rises above the impounded control level for the river.

A horn is sounded to warn boat users when the gates are about to rise.

When crossing is not allowed 

The gates can also be raised to quay level to act as a barrier for flood protection from exceptionally high tides and to deal with pollution incidents. Boats are not allowed to cross the weir at these times.

Mooring facilities

The River Lagan Marina is on Donegall Quay, upstream of the Lagan Weir, and gives a secure overnight berthing facility for recreational visitors.

The marina has water, electricity and a secure access monitored by CCTV. Boats are welcome to berth for a maximum of three nights.

Charges and conditions of use are as detailed in the River Lagan Marina berthing conditions.

For more information, download the River Lagan marina guide.

Short-term mooring

There are also pontoon mooring facilities on the upstream and downstream sides of the Lagan Weir. They have short-term mooring facilities for craft waiting to cross the weir.

Extra short-term mooring facilities are at the Odyssey Centre (downstream of the weir) - and at Governor’s Bridge, Ravenhill Reach and Waterfront Hall (all upstream of the weir).

Approved launching positions

The following launching positions are approved by the Department for Communities (DfC):

Location Details
Maysfield Basin Public slipway and steps, run by Belfast City Council
Queen's Quay Steps
Ravenhill Reach Public slipway run by the Department for Communities and normally open during daylight hours

River notices and events

Information notices for the River Lagan, along with a list of events that will take place on the tidal Lagan, are published by the Department for Communities. 

For more information visit River notices and Laganside events.

River and weir contacts

To find out more about the marina or for bookings contact the River Lagan and Weir team

More useful links

  • Rivers and watercourses
  • Belfast Harbour
  • The River Lagan Tidal Navigation and General Bye-laws (Northern Ireland) 2007
Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Outdoor recreation

  • Angling
  • Coasts and beaches
  • Country parks
  • Enjoy healthy and inspiring visits to our outdoors
  • Football banning orders
  • Parks and green spaces
  • Public rights of way
  • River Lagan
  • Spectator behaviour at sporting events
  • Sport and leisure
  • Stormont Estate
  • The Countryside Code
  • Waterways
  • Wildfowling

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS