Fishing Llandegfedd Lake

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

Llandegfedd fishing means a 434-acre Welsh Water reservoir near Pontypool, on the Monmouthshire and Torfaen border, about 20 miles from Cardiff. The season runs from 1 March to 31 October.

Llandegfedd held the British pike record for over 30 years, yet you can only fish for pike here on two days a week, in two months of the year.

Trout, coarse and pike each have their own rules, so plan by species. Dates and rules below were checked against the operator’s page in October 2026. For other waters nearby, see our guide to South Wales trout lakes.

Llandegfedd Reservoir at a Glance

Directories disagree on the basics, so these planning facts come from the operator:

What	Details
Operator	Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (enquiries 0330 0413 381)
Address	Coed y Paen, Pontypool, NP4 0SY
Size	434 acres, opened May 1965
Rainbow trout season	1 March to 31 October
Brown trout season	20 March to 17 October
Coarse season	1 March to 31 October
Fishing hours	8.30am to 5pm, bank and boat
Pike	Mondays and Tuesdays in March and October only
Species	Rainbow and brown trout, bream, roach/bream hybrids, roach, perch, dace, eels, pike

Some local listings give a 9am start. Go by the operator’s 8.30am and confirm when you book.

The lake is regularly stocked with rainbows, and native browns are caught too. Welsh Water publishes no stocking numbers or dates, so ask the rangers if you want to time a visit around one. Because bank and boat hours both end at 5pm, llandegfedd reservoir fishing is daytime only, with no night sessions for any species.

Llandegfedd Fishing Tickets, Prices and Booking

A rod licence and a venue permit are two separate purchases, and you need both before you cast.

Book permits online through the booking system linked from llandegfedd.co.uk, or buy them at the Grab & Go café in the Visitor Centre. The operator’s booking pages showed no live prices when checked, so most figures below were reported by Cwmbran Life in February 2026 (the pike boat price is from the operator’s listing). Confirm every price when you book.

Permit	Reported 2026 price
Trout catch and release	£20
Trout four-fish	£23
Trout eight-fish	£25
Trout season (max two fish per visit)	£200
Coarse day	£12
Coarse season	£75
Boat hire (max two per boat)	£20 weekday, £25 weekend
Pike bank	£35
Pike boat (up to two anglers)	£80

Anyone 13 and over needs a rod licence in Wales, bought on GOV.UK (Natural Resources Wales does not sell them). Juniors aged 13 to 16 get theirs free. Adults pay £7.30 for one day, £14.70 for eight days or £36.80 for a 12-month two-rod trout and coarse licence. Prices change each April, so check GOV.UK first. Our fishing licence guide covers which one you need.

For a single day on the bank, the £12 coarse permit is the cheapest way in.

Trout Fishing at Llandegfedd: Rules and Where to Start

You don’t need a fly rod to catch a Llandegfedd trout. Ledgered worm is allowed along the East Bank and Bill Smith’s Bay, on the same permit price as fly.

The method rules are short and strict:

Fly or ledgered worm from the bank fishing areas.
Fly only from the boats.
No spinning anywhere on site.
No catch and release permit for worm fishing.
Barbless or crushed-barb hooks for catch and release.
Do not wade above waist height, and wear head and eye protection.

The wind decides where to start. The operator points bank anglers to the East Bank and Bill Smith’s Bay for varied depths and easy access, or the quieter, shallower north shore. Look for sheltered water where insects blow off the trees, because the trout gather there to pick them up.

From a boat, the operator suggests drifting from the north shore towards Pettingale point, either side of the fish cages, and reversing the drift to suit the wind. Ask a ranger where fish have come out recently before you choose.

Set your expectations, too. Fishing Wales reports that the trout fishing has declined in recent years, while the coarse and pike fishing remain strong.

For a more trout-focused day, compare Usk Reservoir or Talybont Reservoir.

Coarse Fishing for Bream and Hybrids

Welsh Water says that, in the right conditions, bags of over 300lb (136kg) of bream and over 50lb (22.7kg) of roach/bream hybrids are possible here. Regional reports rate the coarse fishing as one of the reservoir’s strengths.

The operator names two methods for the big shoals: feeder fishing and the long-range slider float. In practice that means a cage or method feeder on a 10 to 12ft feeder rod, cast to the same spot and topped up regularly to hold the shoal. A slider float presents a bait in water too deep for a fixed float. Our bream fishing guide covers both. Roach, perch, dace and eels are also present.

Follow the wind, as the operator advises. The banks are long, so take a barrow or trolley for your kit.

Best for: anglers wanting big weights on a day ticket. Skip if: you want short-range margin fishing on a compact pool.

Llandegfedd Pike: Sessions, Rules and the Record Fish

Some listings say llandegfedd pike can be fished on Sundays, or every day. The operator says Mondays and Tuesdays in March and October, 8.30am to 5pm, with a maximum of six boats and ten bank permits a day.

Predator season tickets cover March to June and September to October, applied for by email, with members’ priority and a waiting list. Outside the March and October sessions, only predator ticket holders may use lures for pike.

Lure or blast-frozen marine deadbait only. No live bait and no fly fishing for pike.
A maximum of two rods per person.
Trolling under oars (the booking listing also mentions electric motors, so check).
Minimum 20lb mono or 65lb braid, wire traces, and lures of at least 4 inches.
A landing net, forceps, pliers, cutters and an unhooking mat or cradle are compulsory.
Fish are not taken to the bank for photos.

In October, an SSSI closure stops fishing between the Bill Smith’s Bay fence and the inlet, with a 100m offshore exclusion zone. Boats must stay 50m from bank anglers.

Children 12 and under cannot fish from a pike boat. From 13 they can, with a paying adult and a rod licence, and under-16s fish free beside a paying boat angler.

Pike angling opened here in 1988. In October 1992 Roy Lewis took a 46lb 13oz (21.2kg) pike on a lure, and it stood as the British record pike until the British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee accepted a 47lb 5oz Chew Valley fish in February 2024.

With only 16 permits a day, book as early as you can.

Rules and prices change each season, so check with the fishery (Welsh Water, llandegfedd.co.uk, 0330 0413 381) before you travel.

Frequently asked questions

Can you spin at Llandegfedd?

No. Spinning is banned anywhere on site, and trout fishing is fly or ledgered worm only. Lures are allowed for pike only during the March and October sessions, or with a predator season ticket.

When can you fish for pike at Llandegfedd?

On Mondays and Tuesdays in March and October, from 8.30am to 5pm. Permits are capped at six boats and ten bank anglers a day, so book early.

Do I need a rod licence to fish Llandegfedd?

Yes. Everyone 13 and over needs a rod licence from GOV.UK, as Natural Resources Wales does not sell them. Licences for 13 to 16-year-olds are free.

Is the Llandegfedd pike still the British record?

No. Roy Lewis's 46lb 13oz fish from 1992 held the record until February 2024, when a 47lb 5oz pike from Chew Valley Lake was accepted as the new British record.