Fishing Ullswater

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

“Free fishing” on Ullswater still comes with paperwork. You need an Environment Agency rod licence if you are 13 or over, and the lake has its own byelaws: no fish as bait at any time, and no maggots from 15 March to 15 June.

Research for this guide turned up no Ullswater day ticket, which is why ullswater fishing is so often described as free. The licence, the landowner and the bait rules still apply.

The lake is 11.8km long, with a mean depth of 25.3m and a maximum of 63m. It holds wild brown trout, perch, pike, char and the rare schelly. Below: licence and permission first, then the rules, the species, tactics and where to fish.

Is Fishing on Ullswater Free? Licence and Permission Explained

Plenty of tourist pages call this free fishing. Turn up without a rod licence, though, and you risk a fine of up to £2,500.

In England you need an Environment Agency rod licence to fish for trout and coarse fish, and that applies on private waters too (GOV.UK). Children under 13 need no licence. Anglers aged 13 to 16 need a junior licence, which is free.

Current prices for a trout and coarse licence covering 2 rods (GOV.UK, checked October 2026):

Licence	Price
1-day	£7.30
8-day	£14.70
12-month	£36.80
12-month concession	£24.50

Prices change each April, so check GOV.UK before you buy. Some online guides still quote £6 and £12, or an under-12 exemption. Those figures are out of date. Our fishing licence guide covers the full rules.

The “free” part is less certain. Secondary sources report no day ticket on the lake, while one local tourism site mentions angling association permits. This guide found no primary source on who holds the fishing rights, so it names no operator and quotes no ticket price.

GOV.UK is clear that a licence is not permission to fish. Private shoreline, hotel grounds and jetties need the owner’s say-so, so ask before you cast from anyone’s land and check locally with a tackle shop before you travel.

Ullswater Fishing Rules: Seasons, Bait Bans and Size Limits

On Ullswater you cannot use fish as bait, or even carry them as bait. The standard pike deadbait approach is illegal here.

Ullswater fishing falls under the EA North West regional byelaws, some written for this lake, plus the national byelaws. Checked October 2026:

Rule	What applies on Ullswater
Brown trout season	Open 15 March to 30 September (close season 1 October to 14 March)
Char season	Close season 1 October to 14 March
Coarse fish	No close season on the lake (the 15 March to 15 June close season applies to rivers, streams and drains)
Fish as bait	No dead or live freshwater fish, salmonids or eels as bait, and none carried as bait, groundbait or loose feed
Maggots and pupae	Banned, including imitations, 15 March to 15 June
Keepnets	Not allowed 15 March to 15 June
Minimum size to keep	Brown trout and char 20cm
Rods	2 for trout and char, up to 4 for coarse fish, 4 in total, outer rods within 3m of each other

Sources: EA North West regional byelaws and national rod fishing byelaws.

Return any foul-hooked or undersized fish with the least possible injury.

Char seasons differ between lakes. On Windermere the char close season runs 1 October to 30 April, and on Coniston Water 1 November to 30 April. See our Windermere fishing guide, the Coniston Water fishing guide and the UK fishing seasons page.

Byelaws are reviewed, so check the EA North West page on GOV.UK before each trip.

What You Can Catch in Ullswater: Trout, Perch, Pike, Char and Schelly

Schelly survive in only four lakes, and Ullswater is one of them. The IUCN lists the species as Vulnerable, which makes it the one fish here that should always go straight back.

Wild brown trout: the main game target. They are reported to average about 8oz to 1lb (0.2 to 0.45kg), so expect modest wild fish rather than specimens. Read more on brown trout.
Perch: look for them in the margins, bays and around structure in shallower water.
Pike: present in the lake. Because fish baits are banned, lures are the legal approach.
Char: deep-water fish, covered by the season and 20cm minimum in the rules table above.
Schelly: a whitefish that spawns from January to March. If you hook one, release it quickly, handle it as little as possible and keep it in the water where you can.

Research for this guide found no EA angling byelaw that names the schelly. Its Vulnerable status comes from the IUCN, not the byelaws, so ask the Environment Agency if you are unsure what applies.

No stocking information turned up in research, so treat Ullswater as a wild fishery.

Best for: anglers happy to work for wild trout and predators on a large, deep lake.

Skip if: you want stocked specimen trout. A managed stillwater is a better bet for that.

Ullswater Trout Fishing Tactics: Depth, Methods and Timing

Fish where the shallows meet the drop-off. On a lake averaging more than 25m deep, that margin band is where a bank angler has a realistic chance.

Trout from the bank

Ullswater trout fishing suits traditional loch-style wet flies and small nymphs worked over the shallows close to the shore. Standard stillwater kit covers it:

A 9ft to 10ft rod for a 5 or 6 weight line
A floating or intermediate line
A team of 2 or 3 flies on 4lb to 6lb tippet

Our stillwater fly fishing guide covers the method.

Timing

The trout season opens on 15 March. Sources disagree on the peak: one points to a late June mayfly hatch, others say March to June. Plan for spring into early summer, and expect hatches to vary from year to year.

Pick a day with a breeze. A ripple on the surface usually beats flat calm on a wild lake.

Perch and pike

For perch, use small spinners, soft plastics and drop-shot fishing, or a worm. For pike, step up to larger soft plastics and spoons (see pike lure fishing).

Watch the bait rules: no maggots or casters (casters count as pupae) from 15 March to 15 June, and no fish baits at any time.

Char

Char live in deep water and are usually caught from a boat, for example by trolling at depth. With hire boats scarce, most visitors leave them alone.

If predators are your main interest, the Windermere guide covers a Lake District water with a stronger pike and perch focus.

Where to Fish on Ullswater: Access Points, Boats and Safety

A rod licence gets you nothing on private ground, and Ullswater has plenty of hotels, jetties and private shore. Knowing where to start saves a wasted day.

Access points

The main public access points are:

Glenridding at the south end
Pooley Bridge at the north end
Howtown and Sandwick on the east shore
Watermillock on the west shore

The lake steamers call at Pooley Bridge, Glenridding, Howtown and Aira Force, so you can ride to the quieter east shore and walk from there.

Treat these as starting points, not guaranteed hotspots. Look for shallow, shelving margins near the villages, where trout and perch can feed within casting range. Hotel grounds and private jetties still need permission.

Boats

This guide could not confirm any current boat hire operator or price on Ullswater. Hire boats are reported to be scarce, so check locally before you rely on one.

Safety

The water is deep, up to 63m, and cold even in summer. Wind can raise waves quickly on a long, open lake. Wear a life jacket in any boat, take care on wet rocks, and tell someone where you are going. Our fishing safety guide has more.

Access and permission can change, so check locally before you travel. For alternatives nearby, see our guide to other Lake District fishing venues.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a permit to fish Ullswater?

Research found no day ticket for Ullswater, but you still need an Environment Agency rod licence if you are 13 or over. Fishing from private land, hotel grounds or jetties needs the owner's permission. Check locally with the landowner or a tackle shop before your trip.

When is the trout season on Ullswater?

Brown trout can be fished from 15 March to 30 September under the EA North West byelaws. Char have a close season from 1 October to 14 March. Coarse fish have no close season on the lake itself. Byelaws are reviewed, so check the EA North West page on GOV.UK first.

Can you use deadbait or livebait on Ullswater?

No. Ullswater byelaws ban dead or live freshwater fish, salmonids and eels as bait, and you cannot carry them as bait, groundbait or loose feed. Lures are the legal way to target pike on this lake, and worms are fine for perch.

What should I do if I catch a schelly?

Release it quickly, with as little handling as possible, ideally without lifting it from the water. Schelly live in only four lakes and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. If you are unsure of the rules, contact the Environment Agency.