Disclaimer

Everything here is a report

Each entry records what somebody told us and when we last checked it. It is not a statement of fact, it is not a guarantee, and it is not legal advice.

Clubs change their rules. Waters change hands. Leases end. Signs go up that nobody tells us about. An entry that was right last season may be wrong today.

Fishing rights in England and Wales are private property

In England and Wales there is no general public right to fish in non-tidal waters. Fishing rights are private rights. They may belong to the landowner, or be owned, leased or controlled separately from the land — by an estate, a club, or somebody else entirely. Fishing without the permission you need is trespass, and taking or killing fish from private water without permission can be a criminal offence.

Nothing on this site is permission from anybody. We are not the controlling body for any water listed here, and we cannot give you permission on their behalf.

This describes England and Wales

The guidance on this site describes the position in England and Wales. Fishing law, licences and permissions are different in Scotland and in Northern Ireland: Scotland has no rod licence for most fishing and a different framework of rights, and Northern Ireland needs its own licence as well as permission.

Some entries have never been checked by us

Entries marked Unchecked have not been checked by anyone here. Entries marked Disputed carry conflicting information we have not resolved. Even entries marked CanI.fish checked mean only that we found specific evidence on the date shown, and that evidence may since have gone stale.

A rod licence is a separate requirement

If you are 13 or over you need an Environment Agency rod licence to fish with a rod and line for freshwater fish, salmon, trout, eels or smelt in England and Wales — including where the fishing itself is free. A licence for a 13 to 16-year-old is free but still required. Fishing without one is an offence, and you can be fined up to £2,500 if you cannot show one when you are asked. Nothing here removes it. See the rod licence guide.

Verify locally before you fish

Read the signage at the water. Ask the bailiff. Ask in local tackle shops. Check the controlling club’s own website. If those disagree with this site, they are right and we are wrong — and we would be grateful if you told us, using Report incorrect information.

Water is dangerous

Riverbanks and lake margins can be dangerous. Access points, parking and paths shown here are reports from contributors, not safety inspections, and nobody has checked them for you. Take care near water.

Liability

The site is provided free, and as it is at the time you use it. We are not responsible for losses that follow from your decision to fish somewhere on the strength of this site — including being refused access, asked to leave, or prosecuted — because whether you may fish a place is something only the person who controls it can tell you.

Nothing here limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for anything else the law does not allow us to limit or exclude. Nothing here affects your rights as a consumer.

Deciding whether you may fish a place is your responsibility.

Version 2.0 — effective 4 October 2026.