Fishing in the Cotswolds
By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026
Most fishing in the Cotswolds happens on lakes, not on the rivers that run through the stone villages. The lakes of the Cotswold Water Park, now often called the Cotswold Lakes, sit on the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire border. Estimates put them at anywhere from 70 to 180, depending on who is counting.
They are flooded gravel pits, not one fishery, so there is no single ticket. Clubs and societies run the carp and coarse lakes, Cotswolds trout fishing comes from a handful of dedicated fisheries, and the Coln, Windrush, Churn and upper Thames are mostly controlled by clubs or landowners.
Below: which water suits which angler, how access works, the venues with verified details, and the licence rules. Prices change, so check with the fishery before you travel.
Cotswold Fishing at a Glance: What to Fish and Where
Decide what you want to catch first. The choice of water then mostly makes itself.
| If you want | Where to look | How access works | Check with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carp and big coarse fish | Society and club lakes, such as Horseshoe Lake at Lechlade | Membership plus a ticket | The operator, for current rules |
| General coarse fishing | Club lakes around Ashton Keynes and South Cerney | Club membership or guest permits | The club, as terms are not published here |
| Winter pike | Horseshoe Lake’s pike-only permit (1 November to 1 March) and club waters | Permit | The operator, for dates and price |
| Fly-caught trout | Lechlade and Bushyleaze Trout Fishery | Full-day, half-day or season ticket | The fishery, for prices |
| Families and first-timers | Bibury Trout Farm “Catch Your Own” | Turn up, no booking, rods provided subject to availability | The venue, for the fishing charge |
| River trout and coarse | Coln, Windrush, Churn, upper Thames | Club or landowner permission | EA byelaws and the controlling club |
Every one of these waters needs an Environment Agency rod licence, private lakes included (see our fishing licence guide). Coarse fishing on rivers stops from 15 March to 15 June, while most enclosed lakes stay open, as our fishing seasons guide explains.
The sections below take each row in turn. If you have one day for fishing in the Cotswolds and want a bite, start with a lake, not a river.
Cotswold Water Park Fishing: Who Runs the Lakes
How many lakes are there in the Cotswold Water Park? Nobody agrees. Wikipedia gives 180 lakes across 42 square miles, while other guides say 70, 100 or 140.
The counts differ partly because the lakes are gravel workings that filled as extraction ended, from the early 1970s onwards, and the total depends on what you include. The area is also being rebranded as the Cotswold Lakes (the rename was proposed in 2024), so searches for either name point to the same place.
Where the lakes are
The park straddles the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire border. The main clusters sit around South Cerney and Ashton Keynes in the west, and around Lechlade and Fairford in the east. Gravel pits often have clear water, gravel bars and weedbeds, so plumb the swim before you cast.
Who controls access
Individual lakes belong to different operators:
- Angling clubs, including Ashton Keynes Angling Club and South Cerney Angling Club
- Societies, such as The Carp Society at Horseshoe Lake
- Private fisheries, each with its own tickets and rules
Some may sell day or guest tickets, others are members only. Club membership terms and prices could not be verified for this guide, so contact the club directly before you plan around one of its waters.
What the Cotswold Lakes Trust is (and isn’t)
The Cotswold Lakes Trust is a registered charity (1120518). Its membership, from £24 for 12 months, is a parking and benefits scheme. It is not a fishing permit.
For Cotswold Water Park fishing, treat each lake as its own fishery and find out who controls it before you load the car. To compare stillwaters elsewhere, see our guide to other UK fishing lakes.
Horseshoe Lake, Lechlade: Carp Society Membership and Hourly Tickets
Turn up at Horseshoe Lake on a summer Sunday with the car packed and you can’t buy a day ticket. The venue publishes its rules, so read them before you go.
Horseshoe Lake is a 62-acre lake at Lechlade, run by The Carp Society (formerly the British Carp Society). Despite the name, it is not carp only: guides to the lake list tench, bream, roach and pike too.
Tickets and prices
These are The Carp Society’s published terms at the time of writing (checked October 2026):
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Carp Society membership | £30 a year, required before you can buy any ticket |
| Hourly ticket | £1.25 an hour, paid on arrival, unused hours not refunded |
| Annual permit | £650 |
| Pike-only permit | £160, covering 1 November to 1 March |
| Shop hours, 1 April to 31 October | Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, Saturday 9am to 12pm, no Sunday day-ticket arrivals |
| Shop hours, winter | Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm |
| Phone | 01367 253959 |
Rod limits and hook rules
The Carp Society’s own documents disagree here. One version says three rods, another says two, and a separate document mentions barbless hooks on day tickets. Confirm the rod limit and hook rules with the shop before you set up.
Big carp waters expect proper fish care, so ask what the lake requires in unhooking mats and landing nets.
Best for: carp and coarse anglers who want short sessions without paying for a full day. Skip if: you want to arrive on a Sunday or haven’t joined the society. Check with the fishery before you travel.
Cotswolds Trout Fishing: Bibury and the Lechlade Fly Waters
Some of the easiest trout fishing in the Cotswolds is at a working trout farm, and that tells you who it is for. Cotswolds trout fishing splits two ways: a catch-your-own farm for a first fish, or a fly-fishing stillwater for a proper session.
Bibury Trout Farm
Bibury Trout Farm sits in the Coln valley near Cirencester. Its “Catch Your Own” fishing needs no booking: you turn up and rods are provided, subject to availability, from 10am to 4pm, weather permitting.
Farm admission at the time of writing is £9.50 for adults, £8 for children, £8.50 for seniors and £49.50 for a family, with car parking at £10 from 23 May 2026. The fishing charge, and whether you keep what you catch, were not listed on the page checked, so ask on arrival or phone ahead.
Check that fishing is running on your day. It suits children and first-timers who want a good chance of a trout, not anglers looking for a fly-fishing challenge.
Lechlade and Bushyleaze Trout Fishery
For a fly-fishing day, Lechlade and Bushyleaze Trout Fishery sells full-day, half-day and season tickets and offers tuition, according to its listing. Prices could not be verified, and other Lechlade fisheries have similar names, so confirm both with the fishery.
For stillwater rainbows, a 9ft rod for a #6 or #7 line, with a floating line, is the usual starting point. Check with the fishery before you travel.
The Cotswold Rivers: Coln, Windrush, Churn and the Upper Thames
A clear stretch of the Coln seen from a footbridge is not an invitation to fish it. The Cotswold rivers look inviting, but most of them are controlled.
The main rivers are the Coln, Windrush, Churn, Leach and Evenlode, all flowing into the upper Thames. They are small, clear limestone streams. Trout are the main draw on many stretches, with coarse fish further downstream.
Most stretches belong to estates, clubs or syndicates. To find out who controls one, ask the local tackle shop, the club that fishes it or the landowner.
Coarse fishing on rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June. River trout seasons are set by Environment Agency local byelaws and by the controlling club, so check the EA byelaws for the Thames area and the club’s own rules before you go.
On the upper Thames itself, GOV.UK says fishing at Thames locks and weirs needs an additional permit. Our River Thames fishing guide covers the river in more depth.
If river fishing in the Cotswolds is the point of your trip, sort permission before you book the cottage.
Rod Licence and Close Season Rules in the Cotswolds
A day ticket is the owner’s permission to fish. It is not a licence, and fishing without one can bring a fine of up to £2,500.
The Cotswolds lie entirely in England, so English rules apply throughout. You need an Environment Agency rod licence for rod-and-line fishing, including on private fisheries and club waters. Under-13s don’t need one, and 13 to 16 year olds need a free junior licence. Our fishing licence guide covers the details.
Trout and coarse licence prices (up to 2 rods), checked October 2026:
| Licence | Price |
|---|---|
| 1-day | £7.30 |
| 8-day | £14.70 |
| 12-month | £36.80 |
| 12-month concession (66 and over, or disabled) | £24.50 |
Prices change, so check GOV.UK before you buy.
The coarse and eel close season on rivers, streams and drains runs from 15 March to 15 June. It does not apply to canals or, generally, to enclosed stillwaters. Private waters can set their own close season, though, so a Water Park lake may still have its own rules (see our fishing seasons guide).
Before any Cotswold session, check five things: licence, lake or river, ticket or membership, arrival hours, and rod limits.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cotswold Water Park one fishery?
No. The Water Park has many lakes and many owners, including angling clubs, The Carp Society and private fisheries, each with its own tickets and rules. The Cotswold Lakes Trust is a charity, and its membership covers parking and benefits rather than fishing.
Do I need a rod licence to fish in the Cotswolds?
Yes, on every water, including private lakes and club waters, unless you are under 13. Juniors aged 13 to 16 need a licence too, but it is free. See our fishing licence guide for prices and how to buy one.
Can I fish the Cotswold lakes during the close season?
Usually, yes. The 15 March to 15 June coarse close season applies to rivers, streams and drains, not to most enclosed stillwaters. Individual fisheries can set their own close season, though, so check with the fishery before you go.
Where else is good for a fishing trip in England?
Worcestershire is the nearest of our regional guides, so it is a natural next step from the Cotswolds. Further north, see our Peak District and Yorkshire guides, or browse all our UK regional fishing guides.