Fishing in Cornwall

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

You can’t buy a day ticket on the bank at Cornwall’s biggest coarse lakes. Since 16 November 2023, South West Lakes Trust has sold coarse day tickets only through the Catch app or website, so book before you leave the holiday cottage.

Fishing in Cornwall splits four ways. There’s coarse and carp fishing on Trust-run reservoirs, fly fishing for trout on Colliford and Siblyback, game fishing on rivers such as the Camel, Fowey and Tamar, and sea fishing from shore or boat under Cornwall IFCA rules.

Each has its own ticket route and its own rulebook. This guide covers where to go, how tickets work and which rules apply, with 2026 prices and seasons taken from the official sources. Venue details change, so check with the fishery before you travel.

Coarse, Game or Sea: Choosing the Right Cornwall Fishing for Your Trip

This table answers what you can fish, when, and what you need.

Type	Where	Main species	When	Licence	Ticket
Coarse and carp lakes	Argal, Porth, Bussow, Upper and Lower Tamar	Carp, bream, tench, roach, rudd, perch, pike	All year (pike windows vary by lake)	EA rod licence	Catch app or website only
Stillwater trout	Colliford, Siblyback	Brown trout (Colliford), stocked rainbows (Siblyback)	Colliford 15 March to 15 October 2026; Siblyback 28 February to 31 December	EA rod licence	South West Lakes Trust
River game	Camel, Fowey, Tamar and others	Salmon, sea trout, brown trout	River-specific seasons	EA rod licence	Beat permits, for example via Fish Pass
Sea	Shore and boat	Bass and other sea species	All year, bass rules vary by month	Cornwall IFCA rules; check GOV.UK on licensing	Check local access rules

For a first session or a family trip, the coarse lakes are the simplest option: one booking app and published rules. Fly anglers should check Siblyback first (see the trout section).

The Tamar lakes sit on the border, so pair a trip with our Devon fishing guide. Browse the UK fishing regions hub for other areas, or compare stillwaters in Lincolnshire and Cheshire.

Cornwall Fishing Lakes: Where to Fish for Carp, Pike and Bream

South West Lakes Trust gives each water its own page, so comparing the Cornwall fishing lakes means opening five tabs. Here they are side by side.

Lake	Nearest town	Size	Swims	Species	Notable	Watch out for
Argal Reservoir	Penryn (TR11 5PE)	65 acres	25	Carp, pike, tench, bream, roach, rudd, perch, eels	Carp to about 40lb (18kg)	Pike only 1 October to end of February; blue-green algae warning when checked
Porth Reservoir	Newquay (TR8 4JS)	40 acres	80	Carp to 34lb, pike, bream, tench, roach, rudd, perch, eels	Most swims for its size	Pike closed 1 March to 30 September; maintenance limits swims; no dogs
Bussow Reservoir	Near St Ives (TR26 3AH)	7 acres	12	Carp to 32lb	The only Trust lake where you can drive round and park behind your swim	Small water
Upper Tamar Lake	Kilkhampton (EX23 9SB), Devon/Cornwall border	81 acres, 3 miles of bank	100	Carp, bream, rudd, roach, perch, eels	Venue records of 34.04lb (common) and 36.08lb (mirror)	Competitions can take swims
Lower Tamar Lake	Next to Upper Tamar	35 acres	15 to 16	Carp to 39lb, bream to 14lb	Big fish, few swims	Hours unclear on the venue page; season tickets very limited

Argal, Porth, Bussow and Upper Tamar list dawn to dusk opening. Top weights are the Trust’s biggest-fish figures, not an average day.

2026 day ticket prices

The Trust’s prices page, updated 30 January 2026, lists these and notes prices can change during the year:

Lake	Full day	24 hour
Argal, Porth, Upper Tamar	£11.00 (concession £9.00)	£24.00 (concession £22.00)
Lower Tamar	£13.50 (concession £10.50)	£25.00 (concession £23.00)

Bussow isn’t priced separately on that page. The venue pages say dawn to dusk while the prices page lists 24-hour tickets, so confirm night fishing with the Trust before you book one.

How to book a day ticket

Hold an EA rod licence (under-13s don’t need one, and 13 to 16 is free).
Download Catch and create a free account.
Book your day ticket in advance. Since 16 November 2023 that is the only way to buy one. Season tickets are sold online or on 01566 771930.
Read the rules document for your lake.
Submit a catch return after your session.

Best for: carp and mixed coarse sessions, and family days with the car close by (Bussow). Skip if: you want summer pike, as both Argal and Porth close to pike from March to September. Check with the fishery before you travel.

Trout Fishing in Cornwall: Colliford and Siblyback Lakes

Cornwall’s two Trust trout reservoirs are both fly only, but one keeps you on the bank and the other puts you in a boat.

Colliford Lake is bank only, and the Trust advises against wading. It holds wild and stocked brown trout. The 2026 season runs from 15 March to 15 October, with up to 4 fish over 10 inches (25cm) a day. Use barbless hooks if you’re returning fish.

Siblyback Lake covers 140 acres, is stocked with rainbows and has boats you can book. Its season runs from 28 February to 31 December. In October 2026 the Trust’s page said it was closed because of very low water and dangerous mud, so check its status before travelling.

On both, under-18s fish free with a paying adult, and you need an EA rod licence. Prices for these two weren’t on the Trust’s prices page, so confirm them with South West Lakes Trust.

Boat anglers should wait for Siblyback to reopen. For a bank day after browns, pick Colliford.

River Fishing in Cornwall: Camel, Fowey and Tamar Rules in Plain English

It’s illegal to kill a salmon on the River Camel. The same applies on the Fal, Looe and Valency: every salmon goes back immediately. River fishing in Cornwall runs under the Environment Agency’s South West rod fishing byelaws, and they differ river by river.

Close seasons by river

River	Salmon close season	Sea trout close season	Brown trout close season
Camel	16 December to 31 March	1 October to 31 March	1 October to 31 March
Fowey	16 December to 31 March	1 October to 31 March	1 October to 31 March
Tamar (with the Tavy and Lynher for salmon)	15 October to last day of February	Check the EA byelaws	Check the EA byelaws

The Gannel and Looe share the Camel and Fowey salmon close season of 16 December to 31 March.

Camel method rules

Salmon bait: prawn or shrimp only, on a single barbless hook with a gape under 13mm.
Trout bait: a single worm on a single barbless hook.
No treble-hooked lures or spinners after 30 September.

Brown trout must be at least 18cm to keep on the Camel, Fowey and Tamar. On any river, barbless hooks and unhooking in the water give wild fish the best chance.

Getting on the water

No free river stretches in Cornwall could be verified for this guide, so assume you need a permit and ask the owner or club before you fish. Fish Pass sells Devon and Cornwall beats for trout, sea trout, salmon, grayling and coarse fish: choose a beat, buy tokens and submit a catch return. Beat lists and prices weren’t available when checked, so look them up on Fish Pass.

For the border river in depth, see our River Tamar fishing guide.

Sea Fishing in Cornwall: Bass Rules, Sizes and Shore Fishing

Sea fishing in Cornwall has its own rulebook, and the bass section of it is reissued each year. A bass that was legal to keep last season might not be this one.

Bass rules for 2026

Cornwall IFCA’s 2026 recreational bass leaflet sets these:

1 February to 31 March 2026: catch and release only.
The rest of the year: up to 3 bass a day.
Minimum size: 42cm.
Shore-caught bass can’t be sold.

Boat fishing for bass isn’t allowed in the nursery areas: the Plymouth rivers all year, the Camel Estuary from 1 May to 30 November, and the Fowey, Helford, Fal and Percuil from 1 May to 31 December. The 2027 rules weren’t out when checked, so check Cornwall IFCA each year.

Minimum sizes and protected species

A selection from the Cornwall IFCA recreational page, which has the full list:

Species	Minimum size
Conger	58cm
Hake	30cm
Brill and turbot	30cm
Flounder	25cm
Grey mullet	20cm
Dab	15cm

You can target tope, but you can’t land one, so unhook and release it in the water. Angel shark, white skate, allis shad and twaite shad are protected. Cornwall IFCA doesn’t restrict bait digging, though harbour byelaws may apply; follow the Angling Trust’s voluntary code.

Choosing and fishing shore marks

Cornwall’s shore marks fall into four broad types. Surf beaches suit bass and flatfish, rock marks give deep water close in for wrasse and pollack, harbour walls offer easy access for mackerel and mixed species, and estuaries hold flounder and mullet.

Check tide times and the forecast, and know your way off before the tide turns. Never fish rocks alone in a swell, and wear a lifejacket on rock marks. Our sea marks guides cover individual venues.

The EA rod licence covers salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt and eel, so you’ll need one if you target sea trout or eels in an estuary. For pure sea fishing, check the licensing position on GOV.UK.

Rod Licences and Close Seasons in Cornwall

Two checks keep you legal on any Cornish freshwater: a rod licence and the close season.

You need an Environment Agency rod licence to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt and eel in England, including on private land. Under-13s don’t need one, 13 to 16 year olds get one free, and a fishery ticket doesn’t replace it.

GOV.UK listed these trout and coarse prices for up to 2 rods when checked:

1 day: £7.30
8 days: £14.70
12 months: £36.80 (£55.30 for 3 rods)
12 months, aged 66 and over or disabled: £24.50

The page gives no year, so confirm before you buy, and check the separate salmon and sea trout licence if you need it. Our rod licence guide explains the options.

Coarse fish on rivers, streams and drains are closed from 15 March to 15 June. Most reservoirs, lakes, ponds and canals can be fished all year, but private waters set their own rules, like the pike windows at Argal and Porth. Our fishing seasons guide covers the rest.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a fishing licence in Cornwall?

Yes, for lakes, reservoirs and rivers you need an Environment Agency rod licence. Children under 13 don't need one, and 13 to 16 year olds get one free. For sea fishing, follow Cornwall IFCA rules and check the licensing position on GOV.UK. See Rod Licences and Close Seasons in Cornwall above for prices.

Can I buy a day ticket on the bank at Cornwall's lakes?

No, not at South West Lakes Trust coarse lakes. Since 16 November 2023, day tickets for Argal, Porth, Bussow and the Tamar lakes have been sold only through the Catch app or website. Book in advance, and check with the fishery before you travel.

Is there a close season for fishing in Cornwall?

Yes. Coarse fish on rivers are closed from 15 March to 15 June, while most lakes and reservoirs can be fished all year. Salmon and trout have river-specific seasons, such as 16 December to 31 March for salmon on the Camel and Fowey.

How many bass can I keep in Cornwall?

In 2026 you can keep up to 3 bass a day, each at least 42cm, except from 1 February to 31 March, when it's catch and release only. The rules change each year, so check Cornwall IFCA before your first trip.

Can I keep a tope in Cornwall?

No. Cornwall IFCA allows you to target tope, but you can't land one. Unhook it and release it in the water.