Fishing

What's available?

There are endless opportunities to enjoy fishing in the Lake District. Many of our rivers hold good stocks of brown trout, salmon and sea trout. Several of the larger lakes are well known for their excellent pike and coarse fishing.

Much of the fishing within the National Park is controlled by local Angling Associations. These welcome visitors and offer a range of day or weekly permits. Visitors can also enjoy fishing for free on Windermere, Ullswater and Coniston Water.

Annual Cumbria Fishing Festival

Every May, this week-long event takes place at venues throughout the National Park. It’s a great opportunity for all the family to try fishing for the first time - many of the events are organised especially for youngsters and beginners. Visit the festival website at Cumbria Fishing Festival (opens in new window)

Code of conduct

Anglers must:

have a current Environment Agency rod licence - available online from the Environment Agency or through Information Centres
follow Environmental Agency Byelaws including those about the use of keepnets, lead weights and barbless hooks for pike fishing
follow good angling practice so that the next generation can continue to enjoy fishing
follow any local and/or seasonal restrictions to allow a disturbance-free period to vegetation, fish, birds and other wildlife
not use live bait - this is banned by the Environment Agency as it increases the risk of introduction of disease and pest species

Help stop the spread of alien species

Alien plant species compete with native plants for space, light and food. Aquatic plant such as Australian swamp stonecrop and Canadian pondweed may alter the ecological balance of the lakes. Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed on river banks allow loose soil to fall into rivers, smothering the river gravel and destroying the habitat of aquatic insects and young fish.

American signal crayfish are a particular threat to the National Parks healthy population of native white clawed crayfish. These aggressive invaders push out our native species and carry crayfish plague.

Please clean your equipment and clothing after using any lake or river to prevent the spread of alien species to other waterways.

Useful links

All links below open in a new window unless otherwise stated:

Carlsons Fishing Tackle
Environment Agency - Fishing
Fishing on Windermere
Information Centres - opens page on this website
lakedistrictfishing.net - includes information on fisheries, permit arrangements and angling reports
Predator Lure Fishing on Coniston Water