Fishing Draycote Water

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

Much of what you will read online about draycote water fishing is out of date. The fishery reopened on 1 May 2025 after about two years shut, and it is now run by Anglian Water Parks for the reservoir’s owner, Severn Trent.

Draycote is a trout reservoir of about 240 hectares (590 acres) near Dunchurch, just south of Rugby in Warwickshire. It is fly fished for rainbow and brown trout from the bank and from boats, and the 2026 trout season runs from 7 March 2026 to 31 January 2027.

Below are the 2026 permit and boat prices, booking steps, the rules, which banks are open during the reservoir works, seasonal tactics and the new pike option. For other venues, see our UK lake and reservoir fishing guides.

Draycote Water at a Glance: Operator, Season and Location

The facts you need to plan a day:

Detail	What to know
Operator	AVH Parks Ltd, trading as Anglian Water Parks, since 1 May 2025
Owner	Severn Trent
Trout season 2026	7 March 2026 to 31 January 2027, bank and boat
Predator fishing	Boat only, new for 2026 (see the predator section below)
Size	About 240ha (590 acres), opened 1970, maximum depth about 21m
Location	Near Dunchurch, south of Rugby, Warwickshire
Gates	Do not arrive before 7.30am, the site is locked
Shop	8am to 2pm
Dogs	Not allowed anywhere on site or on boats

Older guides name a different operator because the previous operator’s company went into liquidation and the fishery stayed shut for about two years. Anglian Water Parks stocked 9,000 rainbows before reopening, and Severn Trent’s announcement has the background.

We could not confirm winter lodge hours, so check with Anglian Water Parks before a winter trip.

Draycote Day Permits and Season Tickets: 2026 Prices

If you release everything, the cheapest permit is the right one. The four day permits differ mainly by bag limit, and only the sporting permit adds a tackle condition: barbless flies.

Day permit (2026)	Price
8 fish plus catch and release	£40
4 fish plus catch and release	£34
Senior: 6 fish plus catch and release	£34
Sporting: catch and release only, barbless flies	£28

Buy the sporting permit for pure catch and release. The four-fish ticket suits most visitors who want a couple of trout for the table, and the eight-fish permit only makes sense if you plan to take a full bag home. The operator also lists beginner tickets and courses.

Season tickets run from opening day to 31 January and need a passport photo.

Season ticket (2026)	Price
Gold	£1,330
Silver	£910
Bronze	£820
Sporting	£720
Predator	£420

Ask the fishery what each tier includes. Boat hire is extra, and parking is free with a valid permit. These are 2026 rates from the Anglian Water Parks trout fishing page and change each season. For other Midlands trout reservoirs, compare Rutland Water and Pitsford Reservoir.

Draycote Boat Hire: Prices, Wheelyboats and Wind Limits

With parts of the bank closed by reservoir works, a boat is often the surest way to reach fish at Draycote, provided the wind allows it.

Boat (2026)	Price
Day boat	£32
Half-day (before or after 2pm)	£25
Single-manned day	£20
Single-manned half-day	£17
Sunset boat (after 6pm)	£17
Winter single-manned	£25 (£17 half-day)
Wheelyboat, Blue Badge holders	£23

Book Draycote boat hire online with your permit. Evening boats can only be booked on the day, and walk-in boats carry a 10% surcharge. You cannot mix trout and predator fishing in the same boat.

The trout fishing rules set the safety limits:

Lifejackets are compulsory, and you must carry a mobile phone.
No three-person boats.
Single-person boats are at the warden’s discretion, with an 18mph wind limit.
All boat fishing stops once the wind goes above force 6 (25mph).
Keep 50m from bank anglers and bird hides.
No rudder, trolling or side-oar fishing, and carry a hooking mat if you are releasing fish.

For anglers with limited mobility, the Draycote Fly-Fishers Association reports that a new Coulam 16 Wheelyboat was launched on 28 July 2026.

Best for: covering water and reaching fish away from the restricted banks. Skip if: the forecast shows gusts approaching force 6.

How to Book and What to Do When You Arrive

The easiest way to spoil a Draycote day has nothing to do with fishing. It is a parking charge notice for forgetting to enter your registration at the lodge.

Buy a rod licence. You need an Environment Agency rod licence to fish here, and 13 to 16 year olds get theirs free. Buy it on GOV.UK (our fishing licence guide explains the options).
Book your permit and any boat online with Anglian Water Parks, or at the tackle shop. The club recommends booking online because walk-in tickets are not always available. It also says the fishery’s number, 07814 293 810, is for information, not bookings.
Arrive no earlier than 7.30am. The site is locked before then.
Register your car at the Fishing Lodge ANPR tablet on every visit. An unregistered car gets a parking charge notice, and tailgating onto site risks a fine.
Ask at the lodge which banks are open and pick up a map.
Complete the online catch return afterwards.

Draycote Fishing Rules in Plain English

Six rules cover almost every situation. Two are easy to miss if you fish elsewhere: barbless hooks for catch and release, and returning every brown trout.

Fly only, natural or artificial, except on specified days. One rod, a maximum of four hook points and no trebles.
Catch and release means barbless or debarbed hooks, with no doubles or trebles. The operator recommends line of 8lb or stronger.
All brown trout go back alive, at all times. Rainbows can be kept within your permit’s bag limit.
No float tubes, and no wading along the dam face.
No dogs anywhere on site or on boats.
Fill in the online catch return after every visit.

Stronger line lands a trout faster, so it goes back in better shape. Draycote sets its own season dates (see our fishing seasons guide for the general rules). Read the operator’s trout fishing rules before your first visit.

Where to Fish Draycote From the Bank in 2026

Some of Draycote’s best-known water, including Rainbow Corner and the dam, is currently restricted. The Draycote Fly-Fishers Association reports that Severn Trent contractors are in phase 2 of a project to expand the reservoir’s capacity.

According to the club, you can drive anti-clockwise from the lodge to Toft and as far as Tower Bank. Tower Bank, Lincroft, Biggin and Cornfield are listed as fishable. Treat that as a snapshot and confirm with the fishery on the day.

Older guides also name Hensborough, Saddle Bank, Valve Tower, Dunns Bay, Toft Shallows and Farborough, not all currently accessible.

For early-season Draycote Water fishing, the 2026 stocking policy names the Fishing Lodge, Pontoon, Harbour, North Shore and Sailing Club as stocking points, which makes them sensible places to start (the policy can change).

In a 2023 Trout & Salmon venue guide, written before the closure, local tackle dealer and guide Gary Lyttle notes that woodland and the dam walls usually leave a lee shore somewhere, with a stiff south-easterly the awkward direction (Trout & Salmon).

If the open banks are wind-blown, take a boat (see the boat hire section above).

Draycote Fly Fishing Through the Season

The stocking calendar doubles as a guide to when to go. The 2026 policy puts in 27,500 rainbows and browns from February, mostly about 1lb 10oz (0.75kg) and 2lb (0.9kg), with the fewest in July and August and the most in September and October.

Period	Stocking	Typical approach
March to June	Lighter early season	Floating line, buzzers and nymphs
July to August	Lightest	Early and late sessions
September to October	Heaviest	Fry patterns near margins and structure
November to January	Season continues	Winter boat rates apply

In spring and summer, Gary Lyttle’s Trout & Salmon guide finds that Draycote fly fishing on a floating line with buzzers and nymphs generally beats lures and picks up better fish. Keep any team within the four-hook-point rule (see our stillwater fly fishing guide for methods).

Autumn is the back-end peak, when trout chase fry within reach of the bank. Fish fry patterns tight to margins and structure.

Other big stocked trout waters include Chew Valley Lake and Hanningfield Reservoir.

Pike and Predator Fishing at Draycote: New for 2026

Predator fishing is new at Draycote for 2026. It is boat only, with strict tackle rules.

Lure and fly: 7 to 14 March 2026, then 1 May 2026 to 31 January 2027.
Sea deadbait: 1 October 2026 to 31 January 2027.
Prices: £34 day permit, £420 season ticket.
Rules: pike, perch and zander go back alive. No live baiting, no spinners, no spoons under 14cm and no trolling under power.

The operator’s own pages disagree slightly on dates, so read the predator fishing page and the predator rules before booking. For another big-water option, see Kielder Water.

Deadbaits are only allowed from 1 October. Whatever you fish for, check with the fishery before you travel.

Frequently asked questions

Who runs fishing at Draycote Water?

Anglian Water Parks, the trading name of AVH Parks Ltd, has run the fishery since it reopened on 1 May 2025. Severn Trent owns the reservoir. Guides naming a different operator predate the two-year closure.

How much is a day ticket at Draycote Water?

A 2026 trout day permit costs £28 to £40 depending on the bag limit, and boats cost extra, from £17. Prices change each season, so check the Anglian Water Parks booking page. See the permits section above for the full breakdown.

Can you take a dog to Draycote Water?

No. Under the fishery rules, dogs are not allowed anywhere at Draycote Water, including on the boats.

Do you need a rod licence to fish Draycote?

Yes. You need an Environment Agency rod licence, and 13 to 16 year olds get one free. Buy it on GOV.UK before you travel, and see our fishing licence guide for the options.