Fishing

Whether you’re a pro or a novice, you’ll find the River Nene a joy to fish. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, the river has plenty of Roach, Bream and Pike and you’ll also be in with a chance of catching Carp, Chub and Dace depending on your location. Don’t forget your fishing licence* and tackle.

When you need a licence*

You need a rod fishing licence to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel with a rod and line in:

England (except the River Tweed)
Wales
the Border Esk region of Scotland

You must always carry your rod fishing licence when you’re fishing or you could be prosecuted.

You can be fined up to £2,500 for fishing without a rod fishing licence.

Children under 13 do not need a licence.

Licences for children aged between 13 and 16 are free. You’ll still need to get a junior licence.

You may also need:

permission from the landowner if you’re fishing on private land
an additional licence to fish in locks or weirs on the River Thames

You must follow national and local rules (byelaws) when freshwater fishing with a rod and line in England and Wales.

Barnwell Lakes

The waters at Barnwell Country Park include two former gravel pit lakes, and “the Backwater”, a streamy side channel of the River Nene.

📌 Off A605 towards Oundle

📞 01832 273435

Barnwell River Nene, Backbrook & Princess Lake

The Wellingborough and District Nene Angling Club control three separate sections of river and a lake at Barnwell near Oundle.

Billing Aquadrome Holiday Park

Billing Aquadrome is quite simply the ultimate holiday resort for anglers and their families. Enjoy fishing in 3 pleasure lakes, a specimen carp lake and numerous other waterways across the park, including the River Nene, all set in 235 acres of the Northamptonshire countryside. Billing Aquadrome offers a wide range of holiday accommodation from lodges to caravans, with camping pods and boat moorings also available. Numerous lakes and rivers weave throughout and provide the perfect base to enjoy fishing, family fun or simply a summer picnic.

📌 Billing Aquadrome, Crow Lane, Great Billing, Northampton, NN3 9DA

📞 01604 408181

Blue Lagoon

Long established flood relief lake created by the widening of the old course of the River Nene. The fishery includes the “Dead Arm”, which is the old course of the River Nene from near the Bedford Road roundabout to its confluence with the new course of the river at Midsummer Meadow.

📌 Off A5095, Northampton

📞 01604 761173

✉ seggleton@northampton.gov.uk

Brian Crowhurst Ringstead Fishery

The fishing complex at Ringstead Island is a designated SSSI site owned outright by our club. The site was purchased in 1993 and comprises of 2 large gravel pits in Barker’s lake and Brightwell’s lake, The River Nene and it’s back brook.

Canons Ashby Estate Lakes

These two estate lakes at Canon Ashby are situated in the heart of a beautifully managed National Trust estate. We water share these ponds with Canons A.C

Castle Ashby Fisheries

Choose from Grendon Quarter Pond, Scotland Pond and the Brickyard Pond. Key species include Roach, Perch, Carp, Tench, Bream, Pike.

📌 Situated between the villages of Grendon and Castle Ashby

📞 01604 712346

Elinor Trout Fishery

Northamptonshire’s premier medium-sized trout fishery: 50 acres of spring-fed, gin-clear limestone water. Permit available from the fishery. Key species include rainbow trout and brown trout.

📞 01832 720 786

Fermyn Woods Country Park

Fermyn Woods Country Park is a gateway to the ancient Rockingham Forest. The Skylark cafe and visitor centre (open 10:00am to 4:00pm) is the ideal place to have a bite to eat and enjoy a delicious cup of coffee. The play area is also a fantastic place to let the children run off some steam! Day ticket coarse fishing is available from Big Pit pond in Fermyn Woods Country Park. The pond is a small clay pit formed as a result of sand quarrying. The pond has a stock of Roach, Rudd and Carp. Day permits are available for coarse fishing.

📌 Follow brown signs off A6116 - Brigstock bypass. NN14 3HS

📞 01536 373625

✉ fermyn@northamptonshire.gov.uk

Glebe Meadow Fishery

Book a day or overnight ticket in a rural, peaceful location. Also a Caravan Club site. Key species include Bream and Chub. Small campsite that accepts five caravans and a small number of tents.

📌 Ditchford Road, Rushden, Nr Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1RL

📞 07941 257090

Grendon Lakes

Consisting of 8 fishable lakes set in 150 acres of Northamptonshire countryside, the complex really has something to offer anglers of all types and abilities.

📌 Main Road, Grendon, Northamptonshire, NN7 1JW

📞 01933 665303

Grendon Ponds

These two roadside ponds both contain many carp, some to double figures. Fishing here is permitted all year round. The smaller of the two ponds has a good head of young fish and makes for a great days sport. The larger of the two ponds has carp to double figures.

Hardwater Mill River Nene

The Hardwater Mill stretches of the River Nene are fairly wild an un-touched. The stretches are known for their silver fishing on bread punch in winter months.

Ringstead Grange Trout Fishery

A family run business. Stocking is carried out weekly which helps to provide consistent fishing throughout the season. There is a Camping and Caravan certified site on the farm near to the fishery. Bookings for boat fishing are advisable; essential for weekends & bank holidays.

📌 Ringstead Grange, Ringstead, Kettering, NN14 4DT

📞 01933 622960

Spinney Lakes, River Nene & Ise

The ‘Spinney’ complex of lakes and rivers offers something for all angling disciplines.

Sywell Country Park

Sywell Country Park offers meadowland and lakeside walks, with a small arboretum of exotic trees and Edwardian buildings still surviving from its past role as a water supply reservoir with a water works heritage trail to guide you round. The fishing at Sywell is on a 67 acre (28 hectare) lake built in Edwardian times and opened in 1906 as a water supply reservoir for Rushden and Higham Ferrers

📌 Off the Northampton to Mears Ashby Road, near Earls Barton crossroads on the A4500

📞 01604 810970

✉ sywell@northamptonshire.gov.uk

Stanwick Lakes Fisheries

Complex of 6 mature fishing lakes at the south western end of the site and offers day and night ticket fishing for a variety of anglers, from pleasure to serious match fishermen and specimen hunters. Permits/tickets available on the bank.

📌 Off A45 towards Stanwick

📞 07974 300015