Fishing the River Severn

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

The Severn runs about 220 miles from Plynlimon to its estuary and carries the largest flow of any river in England and Wales. It starts as a clear Welsh grayling and trout stream and finishes as one of the best-known barbel rivers in Britain.

That makes river severn fishing three fisheries in one. The upper river in Wales holds grayling and wild brown trout, the middle river is barbel and chub water, and the lower river adds pike, perch and zander in winter. The rules change too: Natural Resources Wales governs the Welsh stretches and the Environment Agency the English Severn.

This guide covers the three reaches, Severn barbel and the other species, who sells tickets, the rules and how to read river levels. For other venues, see our UK river fishing guides.

The River Severn at a Glance: Reaches, Species and Rules

One table answers the two questions that decide every Severn trip: which reach suits your fishing, and whose rules you are under.

The Severn rises in mid Wales and flows through Llanidloes and Welshpool before crossing into England. It then runs through Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Bewdley, Worcester, Tewkesbury and Gloucester, picking up the Vyrnwy, Clywedog, Teme, Warwickshire Avon and Stour on the way.

Reach	Main towns	Main species	Whose rules
Upper	Llanidloes, Caersws	Grayling, wild brown trout	Natural Resources Wales
Middle	Shrewsbury to Worcester	Barbel, chub, winter predators	Environment Agency (Midlands byelaws)
Lower	Worcester to Gloucester	Barbel, chub, pike, perch, zander	Environment Agency (Midlands byelaws)

One Environment Agency rod licence covers you in both England and Wales. The differences that matter, such as trout and salmon seasons and weir no-fishing zones, are in the rules section below.

Upper Severn in Wales: Grayling and Wild Trout Around Llanidloes and Caersws

The cheapest confirmed day ticket on the Severn is on a clear, wadeable grayling stream in mid Wales, not on barbel water.

Llanidloes Angling Association controls the river from just above the town down to the waterworks on the A470. It holds grayling to over 50cm and wild brown trout, with easy wading on fine gravel. The Llyn Clywedog dam buffers floods, so this stretch often fishes when the river lower down is blown out.

Llanidloes AA river permits cost £10 a day or £30 a season at the time of writing, sold at Bradleys Petrol Station in Llanidloes. Take cash, and check with the club before you travel.

Caersws Angling Association has about 7 miles of double-bank fishing. It is predominantly fly only, with spinning and worm allowed downstream of the village. Maggots are not allowed, and club rules make grayling catch and release. Day tickets come from the Spar, CostCutter garage and Maes Mawr Hotel in Caersws; ask there for the price.

Welsh rules apply. Brown trout run from 18 March to 7 October in the Upper Severn Area, and the coarse open season on rivers runs from 16 June to 14 March. NRW also lists emergency byelaws for the Severn in Wales, so check NRW for grayling dates and current restrictions before you fish. More on the fish in our grayling species guide.

Best for: fly anglers, winter grayling, a cheap day ticket.
Skip if: you want barbel.

Middle Severn: Shrewsbury to Worcester, the Barbel Heartland

Much of the best barbel water on the middle Severn is club water, and nobody sells you a ticket on the bank. Sort access before you load the car.

From Shrewsbury the river grows bigger, faster and deeper as it runs through Buildwas, Bridgnorth, Hampton Loade, Highley, Arley, Bewdley and Stourport to Worcester. This is where the Severn’s barbel reputation comes from, and it is the stretch most anglers mean when they talk about river severn fishing for barbel.

Hampton Loade, sometimes called Barbel Alley, is the best-known name. Angling Times describes about 50 pegs of barbel water on the left bank, roughly 6 miles downstream of Bridgnorth. The deeper pegs at the bottom end are the ones to try in winter when the river is up and coloured.

Kinver Freeliners AC and Middle Severn Angling at Hampton Loade are the ticket and information sources named in the angling press. Ticket arrangements change, so check with the shop or club before you go.

Fish size is a big part of the appeal. Angling Times describes barbel around Highley and Bridgnorth as plentiful in the 5 to 7lb (2.3 to 3.2kg) range. Treat that as a press description, not a guarantee.

Birmingham Anglers Association also has Severn water, with Knowle Sands, Brook Section and Ribbesford on its night-permit list. All BAA water is members only (see the tickets section below).

Two weirs on this reach carry legal no-fishing zones: Shrewsbury Weir and Diglis Weir at Worcester. The distances are in the rules section.

For a first Severn barbel trip, ring Middle Severn Angling for current tickets and river conditions before you set off.

Lower Severn: Worcester to Gloucester

The barbel draw the crowds, but Angling Times singles out winter on the Severn for big perch, zander and pike. The slower, wider water below Worcester suits that fishing.

Below Worcester the river runs on to Tewkesbury, past Haw Bridge and down to Gloucester. Barbel and chub carry on through this water, and the predators take over as the main target once the temperature drops.

The BAA’s Severn night-permit list also includes Ladyham, Hallow and Ripple. These are members only, so check the BAA’s own venue details for exactly where each stretch sits.

The landmarks to know are the weirs. Tewkesbury, Maisemore and Llanthony weirs each have a no-fishing zone of 5m above and 15m below, set by the Environment Agency’s Midlands byelaws.

If you fish for winter predators, start your search here, and confirm who controls the bank before you travel.

Barbel Fishing on the River Severn: When, Where and How

You cannot keep a Severn barbel of any size worth catching. The national river catch limits only allow barbel up to 20cm to be taken, so every decent fish goes back. That makes fish care as important as finding them.

When to fish

The coarse season opens on 16 June, but September to November is the prime period for river severn barbel. Autumn rain gives the river extra pace and colour.

Conditions matter more than the calendar. A river fining down after a rise, still carrying some colour, is the time to be on the bank. When the river is up, move to the deeper, slower swims, such as the bottom-end pegs at Hampton Loade. The river levels section below explains how to check before you go.

Baits and methods

Legered or rolled luncheon meat and feeder-fished pellets are the standard approaches for barbel fishing on the River Severn.

The Severn’s flow is heavy, so the tackle needs backbone. Start with a barbel rod of 1.75lb to 2.25lb test curve, 12lb to 15lb mainline and a strong hooklength. Use a lead or feeder heavy enough to hold bottom, and size the hook to the bait. Our barbel fishing techniques guide and best baits for barbel cover rigs and baits in detail.

Looking after big barbel

Use a large landing net and an unhooking mat.
Keep the fish out of the water for as little time as possible.
Rest it in the margin facing upstream until it swims off strongly.
Check club rules and the national byelaws before using a keepnet.

Night fishing on BAA water needs a members’ night permit, £10 a night at listed venues. Elsewhere, ask the club.

To compare rivers, the River Wye and the River Trent are the other barbel rivers in our guides. For slower lowland water and mixed coarse fishing, see the Great Ouse, Thames and Cam.

Best for: autumn sessions on a fining-down river.
Skip if: you want a day ticket without phoning ahead.

Chub, Pike, Perch and Zander on the Severn

A cold, clear day that shuts the barbel down can still produce pike and perch in the slacks. The Severn’s other species keep a winter session alive.

Chub are found right through the middle and lower river. Bread and cheese paste are the usual winter baits, fished into slack water close to cover. As with barbel, chub over 20cm cannot be taken.

Pike, perch and zander are the winter targets. Fish deadbaits and lures in slacks, eddies and anywhere off the main flow, where predators wait for food to come to them. The national limit allows one pike up to 65cm a day, and anything bigger goes back.

On Windermere I find winter perch sit tight to structure, and a slowly worked drop-shot beats a fast lure most days. The same principle is worth trying in a Severn slack.

For the methods themselves, see our guides to pike deadbaiting and zander fishing.

Cold, clear day	Mild, coloured river
Predators in the slacks	Barbel on meat or pellet
Fish slowly, close to structure	Fish the deeper, steadier swims

Severn Fishing Tickets: Who Controls the Water

Some online guides tell you to buy a Birmingham Anglers Association day ticket for the Severn. The BAA’s own permits page says it does not issue day permits for any of its waters. Follow the wrong guide and you are fishing without permission.

The table below covers the Severn fishing tickets confirmed at the time of writing.

Club or seller	Where on the Severn	What you can buy	Price at time of writing	Notes
Birmingham Anglers Association	Middle and lower river, incl. Knowle Sands, Brook Section, Ribbesford, Ladyham, Hallow, Ripple	Membership only; members’ night permits	Night permit £10; membership price from the BAA	Carry your card; 2026 membership expires 31 December 2026
Llanidloes AA	Upper river at Llanidloes	Day and season river permits	£10 day, £30 season	Cash at Bradleys Petrol Station
Caersws AA	Upper river at Caersws	Day tickets	Ask at the outlet	Spar, CostCutter garage, Maes Mawr Hotel
Kinver Freeliners AC / Middle Severn Angling	Hampton Loade	Ask the shop	Ask the shop	Check before travelling

Prices change, so check with the club before you travel.

Other clubs control water around Shrewsbury, Bewdley, Stourport, Worcester and Tewkesbury, but their current tickets could not be confirmed for this guide. Ask the local tackle shop or the club directly. Do not assume any stretch of the Severn is free to fish.

For a day ticket, start on the upper Severn or ring Middle Severn Angling about Hampton Loade. If you plan to fish the middle river regularly for barbel, a BAA book puts many Severn stretches in one card, which no day ticket on this list can match.

River Severn Fishing Rules: Licence, Close Season and Limits

Five rules cover almost every Severn trip.

Licence. You need an Environment Agency rod licence from age 13, and one licence covers England and Wales. A trout and coarse licence for 2 rods costs £7.30 for 1 day, £14.70 for 8 days or £36.80 for 12 months, and juniors aged 13 to 16 are free. A 12-month salmon and sea trout licence is £93.10. Prices change, so check GOV.UK or our fishing licence guide.

Close season. Coarse fishing on rivers closes from 15 March to 15 June inclusive in both England and Wales, reopening on 16 June. The Environment Agency kept the close season after its 2019 consultation. See fishing seasons.

Game seasons. Trout and salmon dates differ between the English and Welsh Severn.

Rule	England (Midlands)	Wales (Upper Severn Area)
Coarse close season	15 Mar to 15 Jun	15 Mar to 15 Jun
Trout season	Closed 8 Oct to 17 Mar	Open 18 Mar to 7 Oct
Salmon season	Closed 8 Oct to 31 Jan	Open 1 Feb to 7 Oct, fly and spin
Salmon rules	Release all; no worm, prawn or shrimp; barbless or de-barbed hooks	Return all; no float with lure or bait, no worm, no groundbait; no maggots

In Wales, shad and eels must also be returned.

Limits. From rivers you may take 1 pike up to 65cm, 2 grayling of 30 to 38cm and 15 small fish up to 20cm a day. Eels go back, fish are measured snout to tail fork, and salmon and trout must never go in a keepnet. More at fish size and take limits.

Weirs. No rod fishing is allowed within these distances.

Weir	No fishing above	No fishing below
Shrewsbury	15m	45m
Diglis (Worcester)	15m	35m
Tewkesbury, Maisemore, Llanthony	5m	15m

On the Welsh Severn, check NRW’s emergency byelaws first. For coarse keepnets, check the national byelaws and club rules.

River Levels, Floods and Staying Safe on the Severn

A long drive to a river that is bank-high and the colour of tea wastes the whole day. The Severn can go from fishable to dangerous quickly, so check the gauge nearest your stretch before you leave.

The Environment Agency’s river and sea levels service has real-time gauges along the river, including:

Montford and Crew Green upstream of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury Welsh Bridge, Buildwas and Bridgnorth
Bewdley, then Worcester Diglis and Barbourne
Mythe Bridge (Tewkesbury), Haw Bridge and Gloucester

Compare the reading with the station’s normal range, and check whether the river is rising or falling. A river dropping back after a rise is a very different prospect from one still climbing. On the upper river, the Clywedog dam often keeps Llanidloes fishable when lower stretches are blown out.

Stay safe on the bank:

Severn banks are steep and slippery, so watch your footing.
Do not wade the big river.
Keep off flooded banks.
Fish with someone when the river is high, and carry a charged phone.

Check the gauge that morning, then ring the local tackle shop for an honest read on conditions.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a licence to fish the River Severn?

Yes. Anyone aged 13 or over needs an Environment Agency rod licence, and one licence covers both England and Wales. A 1-day trout and coarse licence costs £7.30 at the time of writing (juniors aged 13 to 16 are free), so check GOV.UK before you buy.

When is the close season on the River Severn?

The coarse close season runs from 15 March to 15 June inclusive on the Severn in both England and Wales, reopening on 16 June. Trout and salmon seasons differ by nation, and the rules section on this page has the full dates.

Can you buy a day ticket for the River Severn?

On some stretches, yes. Llanidloes AA sells £10 day permits and Caersws AA sells day tickets on the upper river. The Birmingham Anglers Association issues no day permits. For the middle and lower river, ask the local club or tackle shop.

Can you keep barbel or salmon from the Severn?

Not in practice. All salmon caught in the Severn must be released in both England and Wales. Barbel over 20cm cannot be taken from rivers under the national catch limits, so in practice any barbel worth catching goes back.

Where is the best barbel fishing on the River Severn?

The middle river between Bridgnorth and Bewdley, including Hampton Loade, has the best-known barbel reputation. Sort access first, as much of it is club water.