Fishing the Elan Valley Reservoirs

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

Elan Valley fishing means fly-only bank fishing for wild brown trout on five upland reservoirs about 3 miles west of Rhayader, Powys. You need a day permit (£20 for the four linked Elan reservoirs, £18 for Claerwen in 2026) and a rod licence if you are 13 or over.

The trade-off is honest. Elan Valley trout fishing is for small, wild fish averaging around 10oz (0.28kg), with the odd fish of 3lb (1.4kg) or more, and you walk to find them. Below: prices checked in October 2026, the rules, which water to pick and how to fish it.

The Elan Valley Reservoirs at a Glance

The two Elan Valley permits cover about 55km of fly-only shoreline between them: 35km around the Elan chain and 20km around Claerwen, according to the Welsh Water Elan fishing page. In practice, that is two different days out.

Water	Size and shoreline	Permit	Character
Caban Coch, Garreg Ddu, Pen-y-Garreg, Craig Goch	850 acres together, 35km of shoreline	Elan reservoirs	A linked chain; Craig Goch has big weed beds and darker fish, Pen-y-Garreg clearer water and golden fish
Claerwen	900 acres, 20km of shoreline	Claerwen	Larger and more remote, in its own valley

No permits are issued for Dol y Mynach Reservoir.

The banks are mostly steep, with stream channels, drop-offs, shale reefs and shallow silty bays, as described in Fishing Wales’ guide to the Elan’s wild trout.

The estate is run by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. There is no separate Elan Valley Trust permit. Welsh Water sells permits at the visitor centre, as do agents of the Rhayader and Elan Valley Angling Association.

Elan Valley Permit Prices 2026 and Where to Buy

If the price you found online was £10 or £12, it is out of date. These figures come from the club’s price list, updated 28 February 2026:

Permit	Adult	OAP/disabled	Junior
Elan reservoirs, day	£20	not listed	£4
Elan reservoirs, season	£85	£75	£25
Claerwen, day	£18	£18	£4
Claerwen, season	£75	£65	£25

The £25 junior season ticket covers all club waters. Welsh Water also lists £20 for an Elan day and £4 for under-18s.

Buy permits from:

the Elan Valley Visitor Centre (enquiries 01597 810880)
Hafod Hardware, East Street, Rhayader
D. Powell newsagents, West Street, Rhayader

Published opening hours disagree, so ring the visitor centre first.

No permit is issued without a valid rod licence. In Wales you need one if you are 13 or over, and Natural Resources Wales doesn’t sell them, so buy it on GOV.UK. A trout and coarse licence costs £7.30 for one day, £14.70 for eight days or £36.80 for 12 months, and juniors aged 13 to 16 get theirs free. Fishing without one risks a fine of up to £2,500. See the fishing licence guide.

The club also sells river permits for stretches of the Wye, Marteg, Elan and Claerwen river (£15 a day, £40 a season; river trout season 3 March to 30 September).

Prices change each year, so check the club price list before you travel.

The Rules: Fly Only, Bag Limits and No Float Tubes

Turn up with a spinning rod or a float tube and your day ends at the car. These rules come from the club and Welsh Water pages:

Rule	Detail
Season	20 March to 17 October, Elan reservoirs and Claerwen
Method	Fly fishing only on all reservoirs
Bag limit	4 fish, then catch and release
Minimum size	10 inches (25cm)
Catch and release	Permitted with barbless hooks
Craft	No boats or float tubes
Camping	No camping or fires
Conservation areas	No fishing between Penbont Bridge and Pen y Garreg Dam, or at the top end of Claerwen

See the fishing seasons guide for how these dates compare with other waters.

Two Welsh byelaws also apply, per NRW’s rods and lead guidance. You may fish no more than two rods at once on a reservoir. Weighted flies are exempt from the Welsh lead restriction, so your usual weighted nymphs are fine.

If you’re releasing fish, wet your hands and unhook them in the water. Wild trout this size don’t need a photo session on the shale.

Elan Chain or Claerwen: Which Reservoir to Fish

The cheaper permit buys the harder day. Claerwen costs £2 less than the Elan chain, but you pay for the saving in walking.

The Elan chain gives you more variety: bays, stream inlets, drop-offs and, on Craig Goch, extensive weed beds. Choose your bank by wind direction and access, then walk it.

Claerwen offers 20km of shoreline and natural brown trout that, according to the club, have never been restocked. A gravel track runs round it, but the head of the reservoir is a long walk or a 4x4 drive, per a Worcester Fly Dressers trip report.

Claerwen fishing on the permit also takes in feeder streams and upland lakes such as Llyn Gynon, Llyn Carw and the Cerrigllwydion pools. Welsh Water excludes Llyn Gwngu, Llyn Fyrddon Fach, Llyn Fyrddon Fawr and Llyn Du.

Elan chain (four reservoirs, one permit). Best for: a first visit, a short day or changeable weather. Skip if: you want solitude above all.
Claerwen. Best for: anglers happy to walk and fish all day. Skip if: you’re short of time or the weather is closing in.

Wild or Stocked? What the Elan Trout Are Like

Ask whether the Elan is stocked and you’ll get two answers. The club, in its Fishing Wales fishery listing, says the Elan reservoirs are wild brown trout fisheries that are no longer stocked, and that Claerwen was never restocked. Visit Wales and an older Welsh Water guide describe wild and stocked fish.

Expect predominantly wild fish, and ring the club on 01597 810383 if it matters to you.

The listing puts the fish at 6oz to 4lb (0.17kg to 1.8kg), averaging about 10oz. The Fishing Wales guide’s author reports pound-plus fish as fairly common, plus a 3lb wild fish from Craig Goch in autumn 2021. Come for wild fish, not weight.

How to Fly Fish the Elan Valley Reservoirs

Leave the sinking lines at home. Elan Valley fishing rewards a light, mobile approach, and the guidance below draws on Fishing Wales’ Elan guide and visiting anglers’ reports.

Tackle:

a 9 to 10ft rod for a #6 or #7 line, with a softish action for roll and side casts under steep banks
a short-head weight-forward floating line, with an intermediate polyleader as an option
5 to 6lb fluorocarbon tippet

Approach: cast along the bank before you cast out, so you cover the fish close in first. Then keep moving between bays, inflowing streams, drop-offs and shale points rather than settling in one spot.

Flies: fish a team of two or three wets on the floater. Black Pennell, Zulu, Bibio and Coch-y-bonddu are the standards; one visiting team used size 14s with a Kate McLaren on the top dropper. Add a black CDC hopper and a small dark lure with a red or orange trigger.

When	What to expect
Early and late	Buzzer hatches in the shallow silty bays
June	Coch-y-bonddu beetle hatch
Summer	Terrestrials such as heather fly, daddies and cow dung flies; cold, oxygen-rich water keeps fish feeding
September to 17 October	Often the best spell of the year

If you pack one set-up, make it a floating line with a three-fly team of wets.

Claerwen Dam Works and Low Water in 2026

Nobody wants a two-hour drive to a drained reservoir. The club warned that major works at Claerwen Dam were highly likely in summer 2026, similar to those at Craig Goch the previous two summers, and that permits are not refunded. The current status could not be confirmed.

Drawdowns expose loose shale and soft mud that can be unsafe underfoot, so stay off exposed mud. Claerwen is remote: carry waterproofs and tell someone your route.

Check with the fishery (the club or the Elan Valley Visitor Centre) before you travel.

More Wild Trout Waters in Mid Wales

Planning a longer trip? The Mid Wales trout lakes guide covers the wider region and its other trout waters. For two more upland reservoirs to pair with a weekend on the Elan, read our guides to fishing Llyn Clywedog and fishing Lake Vyrnwy, and check each water’s own permits before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a licence to fish the Elan Valley?

Yes. You need a rod licence if you are 13 or over, bought on GOV.UK because Natural Resources Wales doesn't sell them, plus an Elan reservoirs or Claerwen permit. No permit is issued without a valid licence, and juniors aged 13 to 16 get their licence free.

Can you fish Claerwen Reservoir?

Yes. Claerwen fishing is fly only and costs £18 for an adult day permit on the 2026 price list. The season runs from 20 March to 17 October, and the conservation area at the top end is excluded. Major dam works were expected in summer 2026, so check before you travel.

Can you use a float tube or boat in the Elan Valley?

No. The Elan Valley reservoirs are bank fishing only, with no boats or float tubes allowed on any of them. Camping and fires are also banned on the estate.