Fishing the River Thames

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

The Thames runs 215 miles (346 km) from the Cotswolds to the sea, and it is tidal below Teddington. Yet the free fishing listed by Visit Thames comes down to four named sites plus the publicly accessible banks between Staines Bridge and Teddington.

That is the first thing to understand about river thames fishing. It is mixed coarse fishing across very different stretches, and every session needs two things: an Environment Agency rod licence, and the right to fish the bank you are standing on. That right comes from a free site, club water, a day ticket or an EA lock and weir permit.

Plenty of Thames fishing advice online blurs those lines. This guide starts with licence and permission, then covers free sites, lock and weir permits and the byelaws before moving on to stretches, barbel and chub methods, and the tidal river. For other rivers, see our UK river fishing guides.

What You Need Before You Fish the Thames: Licence and Permission

You walk a towpath, find a likely swim, set up, and ten minutes later someone asks for your club card. Or an Environment Agency bailiff asks for your licence. Two checks before you leave home prevent both.

The rod licence

You need an Environment Agency rod licence to fish for freshwater fish in England, and that includes private and club waters (GOV.UK). Children under 13 need no licence, and the junior licence for ages 13 to 16 is free. If you cannot show a licence when asked, you can be fined up to £2,500.

Trout and coarse licence prices (GOV.UK):

Licence	Price
1-day	£7.30
8-day	£14.70
12-month, 2 rods	£36.80
12-month, 3 rods	£55.30
12-month, age 66+ or disabled, 2 rods	£24.50

Check the current price on GOV.UK before you buy, because it changes each April. A standard licence covers up to 2 rods, or 3 on the 12-month 3-rod licence, and venues can set lower limits (GOV.UK). Our fishing licence guide covers the detail.

Permission for the bank

National byelaws also require the owner’s permission to fish club and private waters (GOV.UK). For river Thames fishing above Teddington, that permission comes from one of three routes: a listed free site, club water (membership or a day ticket from the controlling club), or an EA lock and weir permit.

Other banks are controlled by angling clubs or private owners, so find out who controls the exact bank before you travel. A local tackle shop or the Environment Agency can point you to the right club. Never assume a stretch is free because it has a towpath.

If you are travelling to fish one stretch, buy the licence online first, then confirm who controls that bank.

Where Is Free Fishing on the River Thames?

Is the Thames free to fish? Partly, and only in specific places. Visit Thames lists the free sites below (Visit Thames), and you still need a rod licence at every one of them.

Site	Area	Conditions
Hills Meadow	Reading	Limited spaces because of bankside trees. Pay-and-display parking off George Street at Reading Bridge
Caversham Lock and Meadow	Reading	Not from the Tesco mooring platform or the lock area. Pay-and-display parking off Napier Road
Christchurch Meadow	Oxford	No fishing upstream of Wolsey Road, which is a swan sanctuary
Sonning Lock	Sonning	Downstream towpath side only, 1 November to 14 March
Staines Bridge to Teddington	Surrey and south-west London	Anywhere with public access, about 16 miles of river

What “public access” means

The Staines to Teddington reach is the longest free stretch and the closest to central London, so it suits anyone already fishing in and around London. The key words are “public access”. The bank has to be open to the public. Private gardens, moorings and club banks along that reach are not included, however tempting the swim looks.

You may read elsewhere that most of the non-tidal Thames is free towpath fishing. The Visit Thames list does not support that. Outside the sites above, assume the water is controlled until a club, owner or the Environment Agency tells you otherwise.

Close season still applies

Free does not mean year-round. The coarse close season of 15 March to 15 June applies at free sites too. Sonning is tighter still: fishing there is allowed only from 1 November to 14 March. The full rules are in the byelaws section below.

Free sites suit a short session or a first look at the river, but they can be busy and space at Hills Meadow is limited. For quieter water, a club ticket or a lock and weir permit is the better bet. Check the free-fishing list on Visit Thames before you travel, as conditions can change.

Thames Lock and Weir Fishing Permits Explained

One Environment Agency permit opens fishing at weirpools and lock sites from Buscot down to Molesey (GOV.UK). For an angler who likes to move between venues, it is the most useful single ticket on the river.

The basics

You need the permit on top of your rod licence.
It allows 2 rods.
The season runs 16 June to 14 March only.
Swims are first-come, first-served.
Keepnets are not allowed.
A guest can join you up to 3 times a year.
Show your permit to the lock keeper and fish only the marked fishing sites.

The sites

From upstream to downstream, the permit covers Buscot, Grafton, Rushey, Shifford, Pinkhill, Eynsham, Sandford, Abingdon, Culham, Clifton, Day’s, Benson, Goring, Hurley, Bell Weir, Penton Hook and Molesey. That is 17 sites. Shiplake and Cookham are unavailable until further notice.

Hours vary by site. Buscot, Culham, Clifton, Hurley and Penton Hook are dawn to dusk. Everywhere else you fish during lock keeper hours. Eynsham and Bell Weir need a long-handled landing net, so pack one before you go.

The price

The EA does not publish the permit price on its guidance page. The current figure is on the application form, and the EA raised it by £1 in April 2025. Check the form rather than trusting an old price quoted online.

Why weir water is worth it

Weir and lock water is usually faster and better oxygenated than the slower reaches around it. That is why it draws anglers after barbel and chub, particularly in warm weather. The trade-off is the rulebook: no keepnets, and set hours that rule out night sessions.

Best for: mobile anglers who want fast water on one permit across a long stretch of river. Skip if: you need a keepnet for a match-style session, or you want to night fish.

Thames Close Season, Byelaws and Catch Limits

The Thames byelaws cover the whole catchment, not just the main river. The same rules follow you onto the River Kennet, the Wey, the Mole, the Lee, the Cherwell and the Wandle (GOV.UK).

Rule	What it means	Source
Coarse close season	15 March to 15 June inclusive on rivers, streams and drains in the Thames area	South-east byelaws
Eel close season	Same dates, except no eel close season downstream of the Thames Barrier	South-east byelaws
Gorge bait	Banned	South-east byelaws
Hooks	No more than 3 hooks on one rod and line, and no automatic hooking device	South-east byelaws
Salmon and weighing	Salmon must be released. Weigh fish as close as possible to where you caught them	South-east byelaws
Unattended rods	Never leave a rod unattended with bait in the water	National byelaws
Keepnets	Mesh no larger than 25mm, net at least 2m long	National byelaws
Foul-hooked fish	Must be released	National byelaws
Moving fish	Needs written agreement from the Environment Agency	National byelaws
Catch limits	Pike: 1 per day up to 65cm. Small coarse fish: up to 15 per day up to 20cm. Grayling: 2 between 30 and 38cm. Eels (other than conger): release alive	Catch limits

If you return everything you catch, the catch limits never come into play. They cap the occasional fish you keep, and GOV.UK advises checking local byelaws on top of the national limits.

This guide found no general Thames byelaw on night fishing, so check the club or venue rules before you plan an overnight session. For the close season position on the tidal reach, see the tidal section below. Our fishing seasons guide explains how close seasons work across England.

Byelaws are reviewed, so check the Environment Agency’s south-east byelaw page before the season opens on 16 June.

Upper, Middle and Lower Thames: Choosing a Stretch

The Thames at Buscot and the Thames at Molesey hardly look like the same river. Pick your stretch by the access you can get, because that decides where you can legally fish, then confirm the details locally.

Upper Thames (Cotswolds to Oxford). A narrower river with fewer verified access points. You can fish the lock and weir sites from Buscot down to Eynsham, plus the Christchurch Meadow free site in Oxford.

Middle Thames (Oxford through Reading to Windsor). Wider and busier with boats. Lock and weir sites run from Sandford to Hurley, and the free sites at Hills Meadow, Caversham and Sonning are all in this reach.

Lower non-tidal Thames (Windsor to Teddington). A big, urban river. Access is through Bell Weir, Penton Hook and Molesey on the lock and weir permit, or the public-access banks from Staines Bridge to Teddington.

Species

The Thames is widely reported to hold chub, barbel, roach, dace, bream, perch and pike, with carp, tench and eels also present. What you catch depends heavily on the stretch and the season, so ask the controlling club or a local tackle shop about recent catches before you choose your water.

Flow and safety

The Thames can rise and colour quickly after heavy rain. Check the river level on GOV.UK’s river levels service before you travel, and abandon the session if the water is over the bank. Stay off weir aprons, keep away from lock gates, and watch for boat traffic and wash in summer.

If you want a smaller river with many of the same species, compare the Kennet, a Thames tributary, or look further west at the River Severn and the Wye. Whichever stretch you pick, check with the fishery or controlling club before you travel.

Thames Barbel and Chub: Methods for Flowing Water

A barbel hooked in weir water heads straight for the snags, and a fish that breaks off with a hook in its mouth is a welfare problem. Thames barbel and chub reward the same basics: find pace and cover, feed steadily and use gear strong enough to land fish quickly.

Where to look. Steady glides, the crease beside faster water, weirpool tails and overhanging cover. The lock and weir sites give access to exactly this water.

Barbel. Use a cage or open-end feeder heavy enough to hold bottom, packed with pellet or hemp, and a hair-rigged pellet or boilie on the hook. Pair a strong hooklength and a hook matched to the bait with a rod that has the backbone to steer fish from snags. Rest each barbel in the net, facing into the current, until it holds upright before release. Our barbel fishing guide covers rigs in depth.

Chub. Trot maggot or bread under a stick float or an Avon float, or fish cheese paste or bread on a light link leger close to cover. Travel light and keep moving, as chub spook quickly. See our trotting guide for float set-ups.

When. Mild, slightly coloured water is often productive for both species, and so is the last hour of light. The river season opens on 16 June.

If you are new to river barbel, start on a lock and weir site with a feeder and pellet before trying trickier club stretches. For more barbel water, see the River Trent and the River Wye.

Tidal Thames Fishing: What Changes Below Teddington

Below Teddington the river rises and falls with the tide twice a day, so tidal Thames fishing needs its own planning.

Teddington is the tidal limit, and below it the Port of London Authority manages the river for navigation. One rule difference is confirmed in the Environment Agency byelaws: there is no eel close season downstream of the Thames Barrier (GOV.UK). The coarse close season on the tidal reach and any PLA rules on rod fishing are not covered in the sources this guide could verify, so confirm both with the Environment Agency and the Port of London Authority before you fish. You still need a rod licence to fish for freshwater fish or eels.

Do not confuse foreshore permits with fishing permits. PLA foreshore permits cover searching the foreshore between Teddington and the Thames Barrier, and magnet fishing is banned on the tidal Thames even with a permit (PLA).

The tidal river is reported to hold coarse fish in its upper reaches and bass, flounder and mullet towards the estuary. Check tide times before you go, never let the tide cut you off on the foreshore, and stand well back from boat wash.

Frequently asked questions

Is fishing on the River Thames free?

Only in specific places: Hills Meadow, Caversham, Christchurch Meadow, Sonning Lock (1 November to 14 March) and publicly accessible banks from Staines Bridge to Teddington. Elsewhere you need club membership, a day ticket or an EA lock and weir permit. A rod licence is always required.

When is the close season on the Thames?

The coarse close season is 15 March to 15 June inclusive on Thames-area rivers, so the river reopens on 16 June. Lock and weir permit fishing runs 16 June to 14 March, and Sonning Lock is open only from 1 November to 14 March.

Is there a close season on the tidal Thames?

The Environment Agency's south-east byelaws set no eel close season downstream of the Thames Barrier. For coarse fish on the tidal reach, confirm the position with the Environment Agency, and check the Port of London Authority's rules for your bank.

Can I use a keepnet at Thames lock and weir sites?

No. Keepnets are not allowed at any site on the Environment Agency lock and weir permit. For a match-style session, pick club water that allows them and use a net with mesh no larger than 25mm, at least 2m long.

How many rods can I use on the Thames?

Up to 2 on a standard trout and coarse licence, or 3 on the 12-month 3-rod licence. The lock and weir permit allows 2. Clubs and venues can set lower limits, so check before you set up.