Night Fishing Rules in the UK

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

No law in England or Wales says you have to pack up at dusk. Some anglers still get moved on, or fined, after dark.

Both are true, because night fishing rules come in layers. There is no national ban, and the same rod licence applies day and night. Whether you can fish after dark comes down to the owner’s permission, local byelaws, club and venue rules and, in a few places, a council order. Scotland and Northern Ireland work differently and get their own section.

Is Night Fishing Legal in the UK? The Licence and Permission Rules

If you already hold a rod licence, you need nothing extra from the Environment Agency to fish at night. GOV.UK sets no separate night licence.

In England and Wales you need a rod licence for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel, even on private water. Under 13s need none, and 13 to 16 year olds need a free junior licence (GOV.UK); see our rod licence guide.

You also need the land or fishery owner’s permission, and you must follow national and local byelaws. That permission is where most night restrictions sit, so check whether your ticket or membership covers nights. Area byelaws can also limit the hours of the day you may fish (local fishing byelaws).

The freshwater fishing rules in England and Wales and the rules hub cover the rest. Planning a first night session? Start with the ticket or club rulebook, not GOV.UK.

Night Fishing on Canals: What the Canal & River Trust Actually Says

You will read online that bivvies are banned on canal towpaths. The Canal & River Trust’s own FAQ says otherwise.

On CRT waters there is no blanket night ban: “the decision as to whether to allow night fishing or not is made by the managing angling club” (CRT fishing FAQs). Night fishing is allowed on Waterway Wanderers stretches, with consideration for people living nearby. That permit allows two rods at most and no fishing within 25 metres of a lock, swing bridge or water point (Waterway Wanderers).

Bivvies are allowed only where the towpath is wide enough and the public can still get past.

Not every canal is CRT. The Chichester Canal bans fishing from 9pm to 6am (code of conduct). Our canal fishing permits guide shows how to find who runs your stretch.

On a club stretch the club decides, Waterway Wanderers stretches allow nights, and non-CRT canals set their own rules.

Byelaws That Restrict Fishing After Dark: Salmon, Sea Trout and Weirs

A sea trout angler on a North East river can be legal at dusk and breaking a byelaw an hour later. It depends on the time and what is on the hook.

Under the Environment Agency North East byelaws, you must not fish for salmon or migratory trout (sea trout) in rivers, streams and drains from the end of the first hour after sunset to the beginning of the first hour before sunrise. The exception is a natural or artificial fly where each hook can pass through a 10mm tube.

The same byelaws ban night fishing within 25 metres upstream and 95 metres downstream of listed structures, including:

Structure	River	Restriction
Lesbury Weir	Aln	Night, plus any time September to November
Chollerford Weir	Tyne	Night, plus any time September to November
Wylam Bridge	Tyne	Night only
Tees Barrage	Tees	Closed at all times

The full list is longer, so read the byelaw page.

No night rule appears on the other EA regional pages checked (North West, South West, South East, Midlands and Anglian; see the North West byelaws) or on Natural Resources Wales’s byelaw page. Absence on a page is not a legal guarantee. Coarse anglers on stillwaters are unlikely to be affected; anyone after sea trout in the dark should read their regional byelaws first.

Council Night Fishing Bans on Town Riversides

On parts of the South Shields riverside you can hold a valid licence and still be fined for casting at 11pm.

A South Tyneside Council Public Spaces Protection Order bars fishing from 10pm to 6am in signed areas. It runs from 17 May 2024 for three years unless extended, with a £100 fixed penalty (£50 if paid within 7 days), enforced by police, PCSOs and council officers (South Tyneside Council). Orders can be extended or lapse, so check the council’s page for the current position.

Other councils can make similar orders. On a public riverside, the sign on the railings is the rule.

Fishery Night Rules: Permits, Night Limits, Age and Lights

The rule most likely to get you banned from a lake after dark sits in the fishery’s rulebook, not in any byelaw. For example:

Venue	Who can night fish	Nights limit	Other rules
Dinton Pastures (2023-24 rules)	Specimen group members, 16+	4 days in any 7	Small, unobtrusive lights, used sparingly; swim left 2 hours max
Hemsworth Water Park	Permit holders 18+; under 18s only with a holder	Two consecutive nights	Day ticket rules also apply
Warwickshire County Parks	Specimen night permit (limited)	Three consecutive nights	Canal Pool and Broomey Croft Pool

Night fishing lights rules work the same way. GOV.UK’s tackle rules cover bait and rods (outer rod butts no more than 3 metres apart) but say nothing about lights, so venues set them. As a courtesy, keep your head torch low and pointed away from the water and other swims.

Check any rulebook for:

a separate night permit
a cap on nights
a minimum age
rules on lights and shelters

Check with the fishery before you travel. For tactics, see overnight carp fishing tactics; this page sticks to the rules.

Night Fishing in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Cross the border and the licence question changes completely.

Scotland needs no rod licence except in the Border Esk region, where the England and Wales licence applies, but you still need the landowner’s or club’s permission (GOV.UK). For salmon and sea trout after dark, ask the river’s fishery board or permit seller.

Northern Ireland needs a rod licence and an angling permit from a Northern Irish agency, so read the permit conditions. Either way, ask about nights before you book.

Close Season, Staying Overnight and Night Safety

One date check keeps most river anglers clear of a night-time offence.

There is no coarse fishing on any river in England and Wales from 15 March to 15 June, day or night. Private waters can set their own close seasons (GOV.UK), and most canals no longer have one, except certain SSSIs (CRT). See UK fishing seasons.

Permission to fish is not permission to stay. Whether you can put up a bivvy or sleep on the bank is down to the landowner or fishery, so ask first.

Tell someone your swim and return time, and read our fishing safety guide.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a special licence to fish at night?

No. In England and Wales the standard rod licence covers night fishing and GOV.UK sets no separate night licence. Many venues do require their own night permit, so check the fishery's night rules before you book.

Are there rules on using lights when night fishing?

No national lights rule appears on GOV.UK. Venues set their own: Dinton Pastures, for example, asks for small, unobtrusive lights used as little as possible. Check your fishery's rulebook.

Can you get fined for night fishing?

Yes, where a council order applies. On signed parts of the South Shields riverside, fishing between 10pm and 6am carries a £100 fixed penalty. Fisheries can also remove you for breaking their night rules.

Can you night fish for pike in the UK?

Yes. No national rule stops it, and the same licence, permission and venue rules apply. Some waters restrict predator fishing or night sessions, so check the rulebook first.