Can You Fish in Canals? Permits and Rules

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

Yes, you can fish the canals of England and Wales, but you cannot fish them for free. The Canal & River Trust (CRT), which cares for 2,000 miles of canals and rivers, says there is no free fishing on any of its waters apart from Let’s Fish! events.

Every session needs two things: a rod licence, and permission for that exact stretch. That permission is either a club permit or a CRT Waterway Wanderers permit.

This guide covers what the licence does and doesn’t cover, which canal fishing permit applies where, the towpath rules, the close season and what changes outside England.

Rod Licence vs Canal Permit: You Need Both

The classic canal mistake is turning up with a rod licence and nothing else, or assuming a boat licence counts.

You need an Environment Agency rod licence to fish for freshwater fish in England from age 13, and juniors aged 13 to 16 get theirs free. A 12-month trout and coarse licence for two rods is £36.80 (£24.50 if you are 66 or over or disabled), a 1-day licence is £7.30 and an 8-day licence is £14.70, according to GOV.UK. Prices change each April, so check our fishing licence guide and GOV.UK before you buy.

The licence makes it legal to use a rod, not to fish any particular water. For that you need permission from the rights owner or the club, and on Canal & River Trust waters the rights owner is CRT.

A CRT boat licence only allows navigation. It does not let you fish.

Document	What it lets you do
EA rod licence	Use a rod and line legally
Club permit or Waterway Wanderers	Fish a specific canal stretch
CRT boat licence	Navigate the canal, not fish it

With only a rod licence, you are halfway there. Next, work out who controls the stretch.

The Waterway Wanderers Permit: Price, Coverage and How to Buy

One permit gives you 12 months on unleased CRT canal water across England and Wales, and the adult version costs less than a 12-month rod licence.

Prices for permits bought from 1 April 2026, from CRT’s Waterway Wanderers page:

Permit	Price	Who qualifies
Adult	£28	Anyone
Concession	£18	Concessionary rod licence holders, over 65s, Angling Trust members
Junior	£7	Aged 16 or under on the purchase date

Check the current price with CRT before you pay. The permit runs for 12 months from the day you buy it and allows a maximum of two rods.

The catch is coverage. A Waterway Wanderers permit only covers stretches that are not rented to clubs, and the list changes as leases change. CRT has named examples such as the Llangollen Canal at Whixall and the Regent’s Canal between Hackney and Haggerston, but check the current stretches list before you travel.

John Ellis, CRT’s national fisheries and angling manager, describes the permit as great value for anglers who like to try out different venues. You can buy it three ways:

Online through a CRT account
By phone on 0303 040 4040, with your rod licence number ready
By post with a cheque, allowing up to 14 days

Best for: anglers who roam several unleased stretches. Skip if: your local canal is all club water.

Club Water or Waterway Wanderers? How to Check Who Controls a Stretch

Buy a Waterway Wanderers permit for a club-controlled stretch and you are still fishing without permission.

CRT owns the fishing rights on its canals, but on most of them local angling clubs rent those rights, and permits for those stretches come from the club. Only the unrented stretches need Waterway Wanderers. To work out which applies:

Get your rod licence.
Find the stretch on the CRT fishery list or map.
If a club rents it, join the club or buy its day ticket.
If it is unleased, buy a Waterway Wanderers permit.
Check the close season, night fishing and bait rules for that stretch.

Our guide to club day tickets and membership explains how club permits work, and the canal venue guides cover individual stretches.

If you fish the same club length every week, you need that club’s membership or day tickets, because Waterway Wanderers does not cover it. If you like to move between unleased stretches, one Waterway Wanderers permit does the job. For other waters, see where you can fish legally or the full set of UK fishing rules.

Canal Fishing Rules on the Towpath: Locks, Moorings and Power Lines

The most inviting swim on a canal is often the one beside a lock, and the 25 metre rule usually puts it off limits. Most of CRT’s canal fishing rules are about where you set up and what sits next to you.

The rules from CRT’s fishing FAQs and the Waterway Wanderers terms:

Locks, water points and bridges: no fishing within 25 metres of locks, water points, and swing or lifting bridges, and never in lock chambers.
Power lines: never fish near or under overhead power lines, and look up before you put a rod or pole together.
Moorings: no fishing between boats on permanent moorings or where signs prohibit it. At unsigned visitor moorings you may fish if there is space, but boaters have priority.
Marina entrances: fishing opposite one is legal unless signed, but don’t fish beyond the line across the entrance without the owner’s permission.
Matches: notice of match pegging is usually two weeks, and boaters on winter moorings should leave 5 metre gaps.

Towpaths are shared with walkers and cyclists, so keep rods, nets and boxes tidy and off the path. That is courtesy rather than a CRT rule, but it keeps everyone on side.

Report pollution to the Environment Agency hotline on 0800 80 70 60 (in Wales, Natural Resources Wales on 03000 65 3000), and report poaching to the police on 101.

Before you unpack, pace out 25 metres from the nearest lock or water point and look up for cables.

Close Season, Night Fishing and Bait Bans on Canals

Canals mostly escape the coarse close season. Mostly is the important word.

In England, the statutory coarse close season runs from 15 March to 15 June inclusive on rivers, streams, drains, most SSSI stillwaters and some canals. Most canals have none. Clubs can add their own close season but cannot shorten the statutory one.

CRT lists the affected canal sections, including the Kennet & Avon downstream of Kintbury, the Fossdyke, the Ashby Canal from bridge 44 to the end and the Montgomery Canal south of Bridge 92. That byelaw is England’s, so in Wales check with Natural Resources Wales, and see our fishing seasons guide for the wider picture.

Night fishing is the managing club’s call. On Waterway Wanderers stretches it is allowed, with consideration for neighbours, and bivvies only go up where the towpath is wide enough and access isn’t blocked. Our night fishing rules cover the rest.

Rule	Waterway Wanderers stretch	Club stretch
Close season	Check CRT’s list	Check CRT’s list and the club
Night fishing	Allowed, with consideration	Club decides
Bait bans	None	Ask the club

Before a spring or overnight session, check the rules for that exact stretch.

Canal Fishing in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

The CRT permit system stops at the Scottish border.

In Wales, CRT waters use the same club or Waterway Wanderers system, and CRT has named the Mon & Brecon at Govilon as an example stretch. For Welsh licence and close-season detail, go to Natural Resources Wales or GOV.UK.

Scotland’s canals are run by Scottish Canals, not CRT, and the Environment Agency rod licence is not the Scottish system. Check permits with Scottish Canals directly. For Northern Ireland, check with DAERA. Our licence guide for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland covers the differences.

Frequently asked questions

Do children need a permit to fish a canal?

Yes. Children need permission for the stretch like any angler. Under 13s don't need a rod licence, and 13 to 16 year olds get a free junior licence. The junior Waterway Wanderers permit is £7 for anyone aged 16 or under on the purchase date. On club water, follow the club's junior rules.

Can you fish from a boat or kayak on a canal?

Yes, with a club permit or a Waterway Wanderers permit. A canoe or kayak also needs a boat licence and must be moored while you fish. Some club insurance only covers bank fishing, so check with the club before you launch.

Can I take fish home from a canal?

No, not native fish. CRT's rules say native fish must never be removed from the fishery, so roach, perch, bream and the rest go back. Zander and other non-native species work the other way round: they must not be returned to the water. If you catch one, follow the club's or CRT's guidance.

Is magnet fishing allowed on canals?

No. Magnet fishing is not allowed on Canal & River Trust waterways, whether the stretch is club water or Waterway Wanderers water. On a canal run by another authority, ask that authority first.