Fishing Grafham Water

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

The 2026/27 trout season at Grafham runs from 7 March 2026 to 31 January 2027. That is months longer than the April to October window still quoted in some online guides, and it keeps trout fishing open right through November, December and January.

Grafham water fishing comes in two halves. Trout fishing is fly only, from the bank or a boat. Pike, perch and zander are fished from boats only, in method windows that open from 16 June.

The reservoir covers about 1,550 acres near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. It was built in 1965, is about 21m deep at its deepest point, and Anglian Water Parks runs the fishery.

Below are the 2026 ticket and boat prices, the rules that catch visitors out, and tactics that work inside those rules.

Grafham Water Tickets, Prices and Season Dates for 2026

Choosing a trout permit at Grafham comes down to one question: how many fish do you want to take home?

Day permit (2026)	Fish you can keep	Price
Full	8, then catch and release	£40
Half	4, then catch and release	£34
Senior citizen	6, then catch and release	£34
Sporting	None, catch and release only with barbless flies	£28

All brown trout go back alive. When you reach your limit, you stop, switch to catch and release, or buy another permit. You can’t gut fish on the bank or in the boat, and you must submit the online catch return after your session.

Season tickets run to 31 January and need a passport photo:

Gold: £1,330 (500-fish season limit)
Silver: £910 (180 fish)
Bronze: £820 (65 fish)
Sporting: £720 (catch and release only)

Book permits and boats online through the operator’s Book a Boat & Permit service, or buy a day permit at the tackle shop at Mander car park. Predator dates differ and sit in the pike and zander section below.

You also need an Environment Agency rod licence: £7.30 for one day, £14.70 for eight days or £36.80 for 12 months (two rods), according to GOV.UK. Prices change each April, so check before you buy. Our fishing licence guide explains who needs one, and the fishing seasons guide covers close seasons elsewhere.

The fishery publishes its 2026 stocking policy on the trout page. Read it there rather than trusting stocking figures quoted on other sites.

If you return most of what you catch, the £28 sporting permit is the cheapest way onto the water. If you want a few fish for the table, the £34 half permit lets you keep four.

Grafham Boat Hire: Prices and the Rules That Decide Your Day

Nothing ends a Grafham trip faster than reaching the lodge to find the boats are off for wind, or that you can’t go out until you’ve watched the safety video. With Grafham boat hire, the price is the easy part. The rules decide if you get afloat.

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
Wheelyboat (Blue Badge holders)	£23

Walk-in boats cost 10% more, so book ahead. Evening boats can’t be booked in advance.

Check these before you drive, with the fishery rules as the final word:

Watch the boat safety video at least every three months, and confirm it when you book.
Wear a fishery lifejacket. They are compulsory.
You must be 18 or over to hire a single or two-person boat. Juniors up to 17 can go out only with an adult over 21.
Fishing stops above force 6 (25mph). Rangers can stop single-person boats, juniors and wheelyboats from 18mph.
Carry a mobile phone, and leave your waders off in the boat.
Keep 50m from bank anglers and bird hides. Fishing within 50m of a nature reserve bank or hide brings an immediate ban.

Wheelchairs are not allowed in standard boats, so disabled anglers should book the wheelyboat.

Kayaks are allowed. Call the lodge the day before to book on, fish in pairs, and pay a launch fee plus a permit. You need a buoyancy aid rated 50N or more and your own insurance, and kayaks stay off the water in average winds above 17mph.

Predator boats are separate: you can’t fish for trout and predators from the same boat.

If you fish alone, the £20 single-manned day boat costs less than a standard half-day boat, so book that instead.

Fly Fishing Grafham From the Bank

The dam is the obvious first stop for bank anglers, but it is also the one stretch where the fishery applies extra restrictions. Know the bank rules before you pick a spot:

Bank tickets are fly only for trout.
Waders are fine, but don’t wade above thigh height, and don’t wade along the dam face.
Restrictions apply on Grafham dam. Ask at the lodge what is in force on the day.
No fishing in front of public car parks at weekends, bank holidays and other busy times.
Float tubes and belly boats are not permitted.
Fishing runs from first light to last light in season.
Stay 50m from nature reserve banks and bird hides.

At low water the margins can turn to soft mud, so test the bottom before you wade.

An older operator fishery report, shown as about seven years old, named the dam, Plummers, Gaynes Cove and G mark as productive bank areas, with shrimp and Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear patterns doing well. Treat it as a starting map rather than current form, and ask the lodge what is fishing now.

On the wind, the usual reservoir approach applies: fish with it off one shoulder for easier casting, or fish a bank the ripple is blowing into, where food collects. The fishery may also ask you to move away from recently stocked fish.

The bank suits anglers on a budget and anyone new to reservoir trout. If a strong wind blows straight off your shore, book a boat.

Grafham Fly Fishing Tactics Through the Season

Check the rules before you choose a fly. At Grafham any team of flies must stay within four hook points, and trebles are banned.

The main rules for grafham fly fishing:

Fly only, except on specified days, and one rod per permit.
Maximum four hook points, and no trebles.
On catch and release: barbless or de-barbed hooks only, no doubles or trebles, and no rudder, trolling or side-oar fishing.
On catch and release, the fishery recommends line of at least 8lb breaking strain, and a hooking mat is required if a fish goes into the bottom of the boat.

The table shows typical reservoir practice, not a guaranteed Grafham calendar.

Period	Lines	Flies and approach
March to May	Floating	Buzzers fished slowly, small nymphs
June to August	Floating or intermediate	Buzzers and nymphs by day, dry sedges in the evening, damsels in sheltered water
September to November	Intermediate and sinking	Lures and boobies as trout feed on fry
December to 31 January	Slow sinking	Lures fished deep and slow

The same dated operator report gives boat anglers some starting points: the north shore from Plummers to Gaynes Cove, and the water between the M and J buoys. It named pulling blobs, FABs and boobies on Di3 to Di5 lines, “twiddling” nymphs back slowly, and damselfly patterns in sheltered water. Blobs and boobies still count towards the four-point limit, and they must be barbless on a catch-and-release ticket.

From a boat, drift rather than troll, because trolling is banned under the catch-and-release rules. A drogue slows the drift so your flies fish at a steadier depth, and our stillwater fly fishing guide covers drift control in more detail.

Handle fish with wet hands and release them quickly. Our catch and release guide covers safe handling.

Start each trip by asking the lodge what has been caught and on which line. At Grafham that beats any fixed calendar.

Pike and Zander Fishing at Grafham: Boat Only, Strict Tackle Rules

Leave the bank rods at home if you’re after pike at Grafham. Predator fishing here is boat only, and the operator offers bank predator fishing at Pitsford Reservoir instead.

The methods open in stages, according to the operator’s predator fishing page:

Method	2026/27 dates
Fly	16 June 2026 to 31 January 2027
Lure and fly	1 September 2026 to 31 January 2027
Sea deadbait	1 October 2026 to 31 January 2027

The page is inconsistent on lures in the June window, so confirm with the lodge before you pack a lure box.

A predator permit costs £34 a day, and a day boat £32 (£20 for one person). The £420 predator season ticket covers Rutland, Grafham, Pitsford, Draycote and Hollowell, with restrictions, so Rutland Water comes on the same ticket.

The tackle rules:

Barbless or de-barbed hooks only.
Wire trace for pike. Fluorocarbon is allowed for zander and perch, but flies over 10cm need a wire trace.
No spinners, and spoons only if over 5 inches.
No live bait. Sea deadbaits must be over 18cm, and lamprey is not allowed.
Maximum two rods from a boat. An unhooking mat and a suitable net are compulsory.
No bait boats, no trolling under power and no fishing with the engine running. Rowed trolling is allowed only in the marked area towards the dam.
All pike, perch and zander go back alive. Don’t target trout.

Match your tactics to the calendar. Fish big pike flies on a wire trace from June, large soft lures and spoons over 5 inches from September, then sea deadbaits static or on a slow drift from October. Zander are generally more active in low light, so dull days and the last hour of your session are worth fishing hard.

The operator says Grafham holds specimen pike and zander “to record-breaking sizes” but gives no figures. Bank-only anglers should look at Pitsford.

Planning Your Visit and Where to Fish Next

One phone call to the park the day before answers most of what this guide can’t: what is fishing, the wind forecast and any dam restrictions. The park is open daily from 9am to dusk, and enquiries go to 01480 812154. The Harbour View Cafe Bar sits above the fishing lodge.

Accompanied children fish free within the permit limits, and juniors under 18 can share a fee-paying adult’s bag. The operator lists two local clubs: the Grafham Water Fly Fishing Association and Invicta Fly Fishing Club.

For your next trip, browse our guides to UK lakes and reservoirs, or try Bewl Water, Chew Valley Lake or Hanningfield Reservoir. If Grafham suits you, Rutland Water is the natural next step for a bigger day out.

Whichever water you pick, check with the fishery before you travel.

Frequently asked questions

Is Grafham Water fly fishing only?

For trout, yes. You must use natural or artificial fly except on specified days, with a maximum of four hook points and no trebles. Predator anglers fishing from boats can use fly, lures and sea deadbaits within their dates, set out in the pike and zander section above.

Is there coarse fishing at Grafham Water?

Not as a listed option. The operator does not list Grafham as a coarse venue, and its coarse fishing is at Hollowell and Alton Water, which is why this guide covers trout and predators only. Check the operator's fishing pages for current coarse options at those waters.

Can you fish for pike from the bank at Grafham?

No. Predator fishing at Grafham is boat only, with pike, perch and zander all returned alive. Among the operator's waters, bank predator fishing is offered at Pitsford. See the pike and zander section above for dates and tackle rules.

Can you troll at Grafham Water?

Not under power or with the engine running. Rowed trolling for predators is allowed only in the marked area towards the dam. Trolling is banned under the catch-and-release trout rules, so trout anglers fish on the drift instead.

Do I need a rod licence to fish Grafham Water?

Yes. You need an Environment Agency rod licence as well as the fishery permit. A 1-day licence costs £7.30, but prices change each April, so check GOV.UK before you buy. Our fishing licence guide explains the options.