UK Fish Species Guide

By Alex Clayton · Updated 24 October 2026

There are around 50 freshwater UK fish species, plus a far longer list of sea fish. The exact number depends on which field guide you open, because brackish species, lampreys and introduced fish all move the total.

Anglers only target a fraction of them, and the useful way to sort British freshwater fish and sea fish is by how you fish for them, not by biology.

This guide uses five groups: coarse, carp, predator, game and sea. Below is what separates each one, how to tell lookalike fish apart on the bank, and which licence and close-season rules depend on the species you are after.

How Many Fish Species Live in UK Waters?

Ask three field guides how many freshwater fish Britain has and you will get three answers. The Field Studies Council AIDGAP key covers 42 bony fish species that breed in fresh water in Britain and Ireland, plus three lampreys. Everard’s Britain’s Freshwater Fishes covers more than 50 freshwater and brackish species.

The gap comes down to three choices:

whether estuary and brackish fish such as smelt and flounder count
whether lampreys count
whether introduced species with breeding populations count

That last one matters to anglers. Several of the most popular UK freshwater fish species were brought here, including carp, zander, wels catfish and rainbow trout, and an introduced fish is not managed the same way as a native one.

The sea list is longer again. The UK sea fish species hub covers the fish anglers target from shore and boat, so the rest of this page concentrates on sorting the catchable species into groups.

The Five Groups UK Anglers Use: Coarse, Carp, Predator, Game and Sea

The labels get used loosely in tackle shops. Carp anglers and predator anglers both fish “coarse” waters, so beginners struggle to tell which group a fish belongs to. The split is about method, water and law, not science.

Group	Typical species	Usual waters	Typical methods	Rules to know
Coarse	Roach, rudd, bream, tench, chub, barbel, dace	Rivers, lakes, canals	Float, feeder, pole	No coarse fishing on rivers 15 March to 15 June (England and Wales)
Carp	Common, mirror, leather, crucian, grass carp	Mostly stillwaters	Bolt rigs, method feeder, surface baits	Most enclosed stillwaters open all year
Predator	Pike, perch, zander, wels catfish, eel	Lakes, rivers, canals	Lures, deadbaits, drop-shot	Coarse close season applies on rivers; eel rules vary, so check
Game	Atlantic salmon, sea trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, grayling, Arctic char	Rivers, reservoirs, upland lakes	Fly, spinning	Seasons differ from coarse fish; check local byelaws
Sea	Bass, cod, mackerel, flatfish, wrasse	Shore and boat	Bait and lure	Sea rules differ from freshwater; see the sea hub

Grayling is the crossover fish. It belongs to the salmon family and fly anglers target it alongside trout, so check which season rules apply on your river before you go.

Coarse. The everyday fish of rivers, lakes and canals, caught on float and feeder. The coarse fish species guide has full profiles.

Carp. Technically coarse fish, but carp fishing has its own tackle, rigs and waters. The guide to the types of carp covers every variety, from commons to crucians.

Predator. Fish that eat other fish, targeted with lures and deadbaits. On Windermere I find pike and perch working the same drop-offs as the bream shoals, so in practice the predator and coarse labels overlap. Start with UK predator fish.

Game. The salmon family plus grayling, mostly fished with fly or spinner. See game fish: salmon, trout and grayling.

Sea. Anything caught in salt water, from the beach, rocks, pier or boat.

If you fish one local lake, you are probably already fishing for three of these groups.

How to Tell Similar UK Fish Apart

Check the fins and the mouth before the colour, because colour shifts with the water and the light.

Most wrong IDs come from five lookalike pairs:

Pair	What to check	Tell-tale sign
Roach vs rudd	Dorsal fin position, mouth, eye	Rudd’s dorsal fin sits behind the pelvic fins and its lower lip juts upward. Roach have a red iris.
Chub vs dace	Anal fin edge, head and mouth	Chub’s anal fin edge is convex (rounded outward) and red-tinged; dace’s is concave. Chub have a much bigger head and mouth.
Common bream vs silver bream	Eye size, fin colour	Silver bream have a larger eye and paler, often reddish-tinged lower fins. Common bream fins are grey to dark.
Brown trout vs rainbow trout	Tail spotting, flank	Rainbows are spotted right across the tail fin and carry a pink band along the flank. Browns have few or no spots on the tail.
Perch vs ruffe vs zander	Bars, dorsal fins, eye, teeth	Perch have dark vertical bars and two separate dorsal fins with a spiny front. Ruffe lack the bars and have joined dorsal fins. Zander have a glassy eye and prominent canine-like teeth.

Hybrids muddy it further. A “bream” that looks oddly slim and silvery may be a bream x roach cross, which turns up in many waters.

If you can’t settle it on the bank, photograph the fish flat on a wet unhooking mat, fins spread, and check it against a full profile at home.

Why the Species Changes the Rules

Fishing without a licence can bring a fine of up to £2,500, and in England the species you fish for decides whether you need one.

According to GOV.UK, you need a rod licence in England (except on the River Tweed) to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel with a rod and line. Under-13s don’t need one, and 13 to 16 year olds get a free junior licence. Check the current price on GOV.UK before you buy. The fishing licence rules page covers the detail.

The close season depends on species too: you cannot fish for coarse fish on any river in England and Wales from 15 March to 15 June. Most enclosed stillwaters and canals stay open, but local byelaws and private waters can differ. See UK fishing seasons for the full calendar.

In some areas game fishing carries on through the coarse close season with restricted baits: fly, minnow, worm, shrimp, prawn, sand eel or artificial lures in the Midlands, Yorkshire, the north east and the north west, and artificial fly only in the south east.

Outside England, check with Natural Resources Wales for Wales, and with the relevant authority in Scotland or Northern Ireland, before you fish.

If you are unsure which group a fish belongs to, assume the stricter rule and check the source.

The Rarest UK Fish Species

Britain’s rarest native freshwater fish lives naturally in just two Lake District lakes.

That fish is the vendace. According to NatureScot, it survives naturally only in Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake. It is extinct as a native fish in Scotland, although introduced populations now live in Loch Skeen and Daer Reservoir.

Its close relative, the powan, is barely more widespread. Known as schelly or gwyniad in other parts of its range, it has natural populations in only seven places in the British Isles. In Scotland those are Loch Eck and Loch Lomond.

Neither is an angling target, and you are very unlikely to hook one. If one does turn up by accident, return it quickly with as little handling as possible.

Fish this rare can live in the same lakes anglers visit for pike or bream, which is one reason to take biosecurity and invasive-species rules seriously wherever you fish.

British Record Fish: Who Keeps the List

The official record for a UK species can change in a single season, so weights quoted on older websites are often out of date.

The British Record (Rod Caught) Fish Committee is the official body for UK angling records. It has been part of the Angling Trust since 2009, and the current lists are published on the Angling Trust site.

For a sense of how big UK species grow, these weights come from the June 2024 coarse list:

pike: 47lb 5oz (about 21.5kg)
perch: 6lb 3oz (about 2.8kg)
mirror carp: 68lb 1oz (about 30.9kg)
wels catfish: 143lb 14oz (about 65.3kg)

Any of these may have been beaten since, so check the latest list or the current British fishing records page before you quote one.

Which Group Should You Fish for First?

Start with coarse fish on a commercial stillwater. Most enclosed stillwaters are open all year, the tackle is simple and bites usually come often enough to learn from.

If you live near a lake or commercial fishery, start with coarse or carp.
If you live near a river, fish for coarse species outside the 15 March to 15 June close season, or try game fishing where local rules allow.
If you live on the coast, start with sea fishing.

In my experience, a simple float or feeder set-up for bream and perch is the best way to learn. You read the water, watch for bites and handle fish without needing specialist gear.

Frequently asked questions

How many freshwater fish species are there in the UK?

Around 50, depending on who is counting. The Field Studies Council key covers 42 bony fish that breed in fresh water in Britain and Ireland plus three lampreys, while Everard's Britain's Freshwater Fishes covers more than 50 freshwater and brackish species.

What is the rarest fish in the UK?

The vendace is Britain's rarest native freshwater fish. According to NatureScot, it survives naturally only in Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake in the Lake District. It is not an angling target, so return it quickly if you ever catch one by accident.

What types of fish live in UK rivers?

UK rivers hold roach, chub, dace, barbel, perch, pike, brown trout and grayling, and many also have salmon and sea trout runs. Each river differs, so ask the local club. Coarse fish cannot be fished for on rivers in England and Wales from 15 March to 15 June.

Do I need a licence to fish for coarse fish?

In England, yes, if you are 13 or over. Licences for 13 to 16 year olds are free, and under-13s need none. In Wales, check with Natural Resources Wales, and in Scotland and Northern Ireland check with the relevant authority before you fish.