UK Fishing Calendar: What to Catch Through the Year

By Alex Clayton · Updated 24 October 2026

Something is worth fishing for in the UK every month of the year. The fishing calendar UK anglers actually use comes down to two checks: what the rules allow on your water, and what the water temperature says will feed.

Get both right and you stop spending cold mornings on fish that have switched off, or arriving at a river that is closed. This seasonal fishing guide covers coarse, predator, carp, game and sea fishing by season across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

On Windermere, my year reads as perch and bream through the warmer months, then pike as the lake cools.

Below are the two things that set the calendar, each season in turn, then a month-by-month table to come back to.

What Sets the Calendar: The Law, Then the Water Temperature

The coarse close season does not stop most coarse fishing in England. It covers rivers, streams and drains, while most lakes, ponds, reservoirs and canals stay open all year.

The legal calendar

England: no coarse fishing on rivers, streams and drains from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. Some canals and listed stillwaters also close, varying by Environment Agency region, so check the regional byelaws on GOV.UK.
Wales: the same river dates; no close season on stillwaters and canals apart from certain SSSIs.
Scotland: no close time for coarse fish, but brown trout close from 7 October to 14 March. You need the rights owner’s permission, not a licence.
Northern Ireland: generally no coarse close season, but game seasons apply on game waters.

Trout and salmon seasons are set regionally and vary widely. In England and Wales you need a rod licence from age 13. See the full close season dates by nation and region.

The tactical calendar

Water temperature, not the date, decides what feeds. Angling Times puts most coarse fish close to shutdown below about 4°C, with pike and chub feeding on and off. A sudden drop switches fish off. Several settled days, or a small rise after a cold spell, gets them going.

At the warm end, the Pike Anglers’ Club advises not fishing for pike at 18°C or above. Carp anglers generally find feeding slows below about 8°C and is steadiest between 12°C and 18°C.

Carry a thermometer or watch the week’s temperature trend, and read how weather and pressure affect a session before you pick a species.

Spring (March to May): Stillwaters, Spawning and the First Trout

Rivers close to coarse anglers on 15 March, just as the water starts to warm. Switch venue instead: stillwaters, open canals, trout waters and the coast.

Coarse fish spawn anywhere from February to August, mostly peaking in April, May and June. Pike and dace go first (March and April), then perch, roach and rudd (April and May), with bream and carp in May and June and tench running into July. The north can run a month behind the south, and a cold spring can delay spawning by up to three weeks. In England and Wales it is an offence to knowingly take or wilfully disturb spawning fish, close season or not.

Perch hang their egg strands on submerged weed from mid-April, so on Windermere I leave the weedy margins alone then.

Tench and carp start to feed on stillwaters as the water warms through late April and May. Brown trout open from 15 March in Scotland, 3 March on most Welsh rivers, and mid-March to early April on English rivers, by region. On the coast, bass stay catch-and-release until 31 March.

More on what to fish for in spring and the spawning calendar by species.

Best for: stillwater tench and early trout. Skip if: you only fish rivers for coarse fish. Wait for 16 June.

Summer (June to August): Rivers Reopen, Tench, Carp and Bass

16 June is the date river anglers wait for: chub and barbel are back, and tench, bream and carp rule the stillwaters.

Angling Times notes the first two hours of daylight are often the most productive, while bright sun and high pressure put most fish off (rudd excepted). Predators often feed best at dusk. See the best time of day to fish.

On Windermere, the warm months are when I fish the feeder for bream.

Summer pike fishing is legal in England, but the 18°C guidance above applies, and many clubs keep a 1 October start by tradition. In heat, the Environment Agency asks anglers to take care with pike, barbel, trout and salmon, use less bait and skip long out-of-water photos. Report distressed fish on 0800 80 70 60.

On the coast, most bass come between late April and late October. BASS records make August the top month, though that may reflect effort, and dawn and dusk fish best from the shore. In 2026 you may keep three a day at 42cm or more; check the MMO bass guidance, your local IFCA or, in Wales, the Welsh Government. More in bass season month by month and summer fishing tactics.

Direct recommendation: on hot, bright days fish dawn and dusk, and leave pike alone once the water reaches 18°C.

Autumn (September to November): Predators Wake Up, Trout Seasons Close

The famous autumn feed-up for carp is a myth, according to Korda. Sudden temperature drops switch carp off, so little and often beats a big bed of bait. Adam Penning, writing in Angling Times, plans around a dozen baits at most.

Predators take over as the water cools. Many clubs, and the Canal & River Trust, treat 1 October to 14 March as the traditional pike season, but that is tradition and venue rule, not statutory law in England. Read more on when pike season starts and ends.

On Windermere, autumn is when I turn to pike: trolling or deadbaiting along the drop-offs, with lures or a drop-shot rig for the perch.

Most brown trout river seasons in England and Wales close between the end of September and the end of October, depending on region, and Scotland’s close time starts on 7 October. Salmon dates vary by river and district, so check the byelaws. On the coast, bigger bass often show in September and October.

Dig into autumn species, weather and tactics or back-end pike and zander tactics.

The verdict: autumn is the best block of the year for predators. If you fish for carp, cut the bait right down.

Winter (December to February): Settled Cold Beats Sudden Frosts

The classic winter blank comes the morning after a hard frost, when the water has just dropped fast. Angling Times rates a rapid drop as the worst scenario for winter fishing.

Fish feed better after several days at a steady low temperature, and a rise of even half a degree after a cold spell can switch them on. Roach, chub and barbel can feed through settled cold, and pike and chub may still feed on and off below 4°C.

Carp are harder. Feeding generally slows below about 8°C, and the angling press view is that carp mostly stop below about 4°C. See winter carp tactics.

For pike, start with cold-water pike tactics. On Windermere in winter I slow everything down for pike and perch and keep baits and lures close to structure, because neither will chase far in cold water.

On the coast, January is still open for keeping bass within the bag limit, then it is catch-and-release only from 1 February. Keep handling short on very cold days, and read what still bites in winter for the full picture.

Quick comparison: a mild, settled day after pike or chub beats a post-frost carp session most days. Pick the first.

What Fish to Catch Each Month: Quick Reference Table

What fish to catch each month, at a glance. It assumes an average year in England and Wales; the north runs later, and local rules come first.

Month	Good targets	Why	Rules to check
January	Pike, chub, roach, perch	Settled cold and mild spells	Bass: up to three a day in 2026
February	Pike, chub, roach	Last full river coarse month	Bass catch-and-release only from 1 February
March	Stillwater coarse, early trout	Pike spawn in March and April	Rivers close to coarse from 15 March; trout openings vary
April	Stillwater tench and perch, trout	Water warming, spawning under way	Bass may be kept again from 1 April
May	Tench, carp, trout	Bream, carp and tench start spawning	Coarse rivers still closed
June	River coarse from 16 June, tench, bream	Rivers reopen	Venue rules on spawning fish
July	Carp, tench, bream, bass	Fish early and late	Pike: avoid at 18°C or above
August	Carp, bass	Top bass month in BASS records	Hot-weather fish care
September	Perch, bass, carp	Cooling water, bigger bass	Trout seasons close from late September
October	Pike, perch, bass	Many clubs start pike on 1 October	Scottish brown trout close from 7 October
November	Pike, perch, chub	Cooling water suits predators	Carp: little and often
December	Pike, chub, roach	Fish the stable spells	Club and fishery rules

Rules change, so check the right authority before you travel: Environment Agency regional byelaws, Natural Resources Wales, gov.scot, NI Direct, or the MMO and your local IFCA for bass.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best month to go fishing in the UK?

There is no single best month; it depends on the species. Summer suits tench, carp and bass, autumn is prime time for pike and perch, and settled winter days suit chub and roach. Water temperature matters more than the date.

Can I fish for coarse fish in spring?

Yes, on most stillwaters and canals in England and Wales. Rivers, streams and drains are closed to coarse fishing from 15 March to 15 June inclusive, and some canals and listed stillwaters close too, so check your regional byelaws. Scotland has no close time for coarse fish.

Is pike fishing allowed in summer?

In England, yes: there is no statutory pike-only close season. The Pike Anglers' Club advises against fishing for pike at 18°C or above, and many clubs keep a 1 October to 14 March pike season by tradition. Check your club or fishery rules before you go.

When can you keep bass in the UK?

Outside the 1 February to 31 March catch-and-release period. In 2026 the recreational limit is three bass per person per day, each at least 42cm. The rules are reviewed every year, so check the MMO, your local IFCA or, in Wales, the Welsh Government before you keep a fish.