The Best Fishing Spots in England
In England, fishing ranges from productive sea fishing from the shore or by boat to rewarding coarse fishing and game fishing on rivers and lakes. Key saltwater species include cod, mackerel, pollack, bass, plaice and skate, while freshwater anglers commonly target brown trout, rainbow trout, pike, perch, carp, roach, chub and barbel. Estuaries and tidal creeks are good for mixed sea catches and bass, while rivers and lakes offer fly and match opportunities for trout and coarse species.
Top Cities For Fishing
River Fishing
Thames River
Trent River
Severn River
Sea Fishing
Basildon
(11 km to coast)
Birkenhead
(2 km to coast)
Blackpool
(0 km to coast)
Bournemouth
(0 km to coast)
Brighton
(1 km to coast)
Bristol
(15 km to coast)
Chester
(18 km to coast)
Colchester
(12 km to coast)
Eastbourne
(1 km to coast)
Exeter
(11 km to coast)
Gillingham
(3 km to coast)
Grays
(8 km to coast)
Grimsby
(2 km to coast)
Hartlepool
(2 km to coast)
Hastings
(1 km to coast)
Ipswich
(6 km to coast)
Kingston upon Hull
(2 km to coast)
Liverpool
(2 km to coast)
Middlesbrough
(10 km to coast)
Plymouth
(0 km to coast)
Poole
(1 km to coast)
Portsmouth
(1 km to coast)
Saint Peters
(3 km to coast)
Southampton
(1 km to coast)
Southend-on-Sea
(1 km to coast)
Southport
(2 km to coast)
South Shields
(2 km to coast)
St Helens
(18 km to coast)
Stockton-on-Tees
(17 km to coast)
Sunderland
(3 km to coast)
Warrington
(15 km to coast)
Weston-super-Mare
(1 km to coast)
Worthing
(2 km to coast)
Top Saltwater Fishing Spots
The Solent
Between the mainland and the Isle of Wight, the Solent’s tides funnel bait and deliver prolific fishing for bass, bream, tope, and thornback rays, with winter chances for codling; boats run from Portsmouth and Lymington and shore marks dot the banks from Lee-on-the-Solent to Calshot .
Portsmouth Harbour
A broad natural harbour connected to the Solent, it produces spring–autumn mullet, bass, and gilt-head bream, with winter codling and whiting; convenient access from Old Portsmouth and Gosport plus plentiful charter boats nearby.
Plymouth Sound
Sheltered yet diverse, the Sound and its reefs yield pollack, wrasse, bass, and conger, with winter chances for whiting and codling; boats depart from Plymouth while shore anglers target the breakwaters and rocky points towards Rame Head .
Morecambe Bay
Vast sands and channels attract summer–autumn bass, flounder, and plaice, with thornback rays on the deeper edges; productive marks spread around Morecambe , Heysham , and towards Arnside when the tides align.
Dungeness
The shingle headland’s deep water close in makes for prime shore fishing, with summer bass, smoothhound, and bream, and winter targets like cod and whiting; classic spots include the Power Station outfall and the Point itself.
Chesil Beach
This iconic shingle barrier on the Jurassic Coast produces outstanding shore action for mackerel and bream in summer, rays and smoothhound through warm spells, and winter runs of cod and whiting; hotspots include the sections by Portland , Abbotsbury , and West Bexington .
Bristol Channel
Renowned for huge tides and powerful currents that bring conger, smoothhound, ray species, and seasonal cod, the channel offers prolific boat drifts and productive shore marks around Minehead , Watchet , and the shores near Weston-super-Mare .
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Windermere
England’s largest natural lake offers diverse targets including pike, perch, and occasional trout, with boat trolling and lure fishing popular; access hubs include Bowness-on-Windermere and Ambleside , with sheltered bays fishing well year-round.
Ullswater
A scenic Lake District water with reliable sport for perch, pike, and naturalized trout, best tackled by drifting or working drop-offs from the bank; productive sectors include around Glenridding and Pooley Bridge during stable weather windows.
River Trent
A powerhouse of coarse fishing with specimen barbel, prolific chub and roach, and notable pike and zander in places; renowned beats lie around Newark-on-Trent , Collingham , and Burton upon Trent .
River Test
The classic chalkstream delivers crystal-clear sight fishing for wild and stocked brown trout and superb autumn grayling; prime beats and carriers meander near Stockbridge and Romsey , with meticulous fly presentations rewarded from spring through late season.
River Itchen
Another storied chalkstream, the Itchen offers exquisite fly fishing for brown trout and late-season grayling in gin-clear flows; famed sections run near Winchester and upstream towards Itchen Abbas , with classic hatches from spring into summer.
River Avon
The Bristol Avon’s varied glides and deep holes produce quality chub, barbel, and pike, plus strong summer trotting for dace and roach; popular areas include stretches around Bath , Keynsham , and up towards Chippenham .
Chew Valley Lake
A celebrated venue for specimen pike alongside top-class trout fishing from bank and boat, with spring buzzer fishing and autumn fry-feeding drawing consistent catches; well-known areas lie near Herons Green and the Dam end.
Rutland Water
One of Europe’s largest man-made lakes, famous for prolific rainbow trout and large brown trout, plus notable zander and pike; anglers work classic drifts off Normanton and Armley Wood , with buzzer hatches and autumn fry-feeding peaks.
Top Saltwater & Freshwater Spots
Thames Estuary
Where the Thames opens into the North Sea, anglers target spring–autumn bass, smoothhound, and thornback rays, with winter codling and whiting; popular boat departures from Southend-on-Sea and Leigh-on-Sea complement accessible shore venues.
River Thames
England’s best-known river offers diverse fishing from the non-tidal reaches for barbel, chub, roach, and pike to the tidal stretches where bass and flounder show in warmer months; popular access around Richmond , Kingston upon Thames , and upstream near Oxford , with both bank and boat options across the seasons.
River Severn
England’s longest river is famed for powerful summer barbel fishing along the middle reaches, quality chub and roach sport, and in lower tidal sections chances for bass and flounder; productive stretches run near Shrewsbury , Bewdley , and Tewkesbury .
Humber Estuary
Mixing fresh and salt, the Humber delivers winter codling and whiting, summer bass and flounder, and reliable boat uptiding over banks and channels; shore access points span Immingham , Cleethorpes , and the approaches to Spurn Head .