Rod fishing byelaws: South East
South East byelaws are statutory (regulated by law) rules and regulations explaining who can fish, where, when and what fish you can take.
Applies to England
Overview of South East byelaws
These byelaws apply to anyone fishing with a rod and line for salmon, trout, coarse fish, eels, smelt and lamprey.
See the national rod fishing byelaws for rules that cover the whole country.
The South East is divided into 2 byelaw areas – Thames and Southern byelaw.
Thames byelaw area
This byelaw area includes all waters within the River Thames catchment. It includes the Thames, Darent and Cray, Wandle, Lee, Roding, Mole, Wey, Colne, Kennet, Cherwell, Windrush and Coln, and the Cotswold Water Park. It excludes the River Medway catchment.
Southern byelaw area
This byelaw area includes all waters within river catchments that flow into the English Channel, from Highcliffe (Dorset) in the west and eastwards to the Thames estuary. It includes these river catchments – Medway, Great Stour (Kent), Rother, Cuckmere River, Sussex Ouse, Adur, Arun, Wallington, Meon, Hamble, Itchen, Test, Beaulieu, Lymington and river catchments on the Isle of Wight.
Angling clubs and private fisheries may enforce their own additional rules, but national and local byelaws still apply.
When and where you can fish
Dates are inclusive
All dates mentioned in these byelaws are inclusive. This means a stated period, such as 15 March to 15 June, includes the full day of 15 March and the full day of 15 June.
Close season rules
National and local close season rules (when you must not fish) apply across both the Thames and Southern byelaw areas.
In the Thames byelaw area:
- the national coarse fish close season, from 15 March to 15 June, applies to rivers, streams and drains
- the national coarse fish close season applies to fishing for eels in rivers, streams and drains, but there is no close season on the tidal River Thames downstream of the Thames Barrier
- the close season for brown and rainbow trout in rivers, streams and drains is 1 October to 31 March
- there is no close season for brown trout in fully enclosed waters or for rainbow trout in all stillwaters
- the close season for salmon and migratory trout in all waters is 1 October to 31 March
In the Southern byelaw area:
- the national coarse fish close season, from 15 March to 15 June, applies to coarse fishing and fishing for eels in rivers, streams and drains
- the close season for brown and rainbow trout in rivers, streams and drains is 1 November to 2 April
- there is no close season for brown trout in fully enclosed waters or for rainbow trout in stillwaters
- the close season for salmon in all waters is 3 October to 16 January
- the close season for migratory trout in all waters is 1 November to 30 April
Canals and stillwaters with a close season
The canals in the Thames and Southern byelaw areas that have a close season for coarse and eel fishing (15 March to 15 June) are:
- the Kennet and Avon Canal, downstream of its confluence with the River Kennet at Kintbury
- the Lee Navigation, upstream of Aqueduct Lock
- 2 designated stretches of the Basingstoke Canal, from SU719514 to SU967575, and from TQ016597 to TQ046616
- the Wey Navigation
The Regents Park Canal, Grand Union Canal, Lee Navigation (downstream of Aquaduct Lock) and the Oxford Canal have no statutory close season.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) with a close season in the South East
Some stillwaters are designated SSSIs. You are not allowed to fish at the following waters during the close season, from 15 March to 15 June.
Bedfordshire
Houghton Regis Marl Lakes – TL008235
Berkshire
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Heath Lake | SU829652 |
| Rapley Lakes | SU889653, SU901647 – within Broadmoor to Bagshot Woods and Heaths SSSI |
| Swinley Park and Brick Pits | SU895675, SU905670 |
| Wasing Wood Ponds | SU578636, SU583633 |
| Wraysbury and Hythe Gravel Pits | TQ014737 |
East Sussex
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Ashburnham Park | TQ695148 |
| Ashdown Forest - Pippingford Lakes only | TQ450300 |
| Eridge Park | TQ576344 |
| Herstmonceux Park | TQ650107 |
| Pett Level | TQ903157 |
East Sussex, Kent
Walland Marsh (Royal Military Canal) – TQ933227 to TQ991320
Essex
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Abberton Reservoir | TL970180 |
| Colne Estuary | TM075155 |
Gloucestershire
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Frampton Pools | SO753073 |
| Soudley Ponds | SO662112 |
| Cotswold Water Park | SU000930 to SU200990 |
Greater London
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Mid Colne Valley | TQ043896 |
| Brent Reservoir | TQ217873 |
| Denham Lock Wood | TQ055863 |
Hampshire
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Alresford Pond | SU593331 |
| Avon Valley (Bickton-Blashford) | SU150100 |
| Bramshill | SU766605 |
| Fleet Pond | SU822551 |
| Lower Test Valley | SU360153 |
| Shortheath Common | SU775366 |
| Southampton Common | SU415145 |
| Titchfield Haven | SU539035 |
| Warren Heath Ponds | SU769599, SU782588 |
| Castle Bottom to Yateley Common | SU815587 |
| New Forest – Cadman's Pool | SU229121 |
| New Forest – Hatchet Pond | SU367014 |
| New Forest – Little Hatchet Pond | SU364011 |
Hampshire, Surrey
Basingstoke Canal – SU719514 to SU967575 and TQ016597 to TQ046616
Kent
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Dungeness | TR050180 |
| Holborough to Burham Marshes | TQ712618 |
| Marden Meadows | TQ762445 |
| North Warren and Thorpeness Mere | TM460594 |
| Medway Estuary and Marshes | TQ850720 Excluding Stoke Angling Club reservoir and section of the Delph Ditch (TQ835751), and Abbot's Court northern 2 lakes (TQ795723) |
| Oldbury and Seal Chart | TQ571558 |
| Orlestone Forest | TQ982350 |
| Romney Warren | TR085262 |
| Sandwich Bay | TR353585, excluding Cottington Lakes (TR357532), and Finglesham Ponds (TR340535) |
| Scotney Castle | TQ690350 |
| Sevenoaks Gravel Pits | TQ522569 |
| South Thames Estuary and Marshes | TQ770785, excluding Beckley Hill ponds (TQ717741) |
| Stodmarsh | TR222618 |
| The Swale, excluding Murston pits | TR000670 |
| Walland Marsh | TQ960240 |
Oxfordshire
Wychwood – SP335168
Surrey
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Ash to Brookwood Heaths | SU920540, SU956545, SU958555, SU945537 |
| Bookham Commons | TQ128565 |
| Chobham Common | SU973648 |
| Epsom and Ashtead Commons | TQ181602 |
| Godstone Ponds | TQ353516, TQ360509 |
| Hedgecourt | TQ355403 |
| Langham Pond | TQ002721 |
| Ockham and Wisley Commons | TQ082585, TQ084592, TQ078595, TQ070585 |
| Papercourt | TQ035563, TQ035569, TQ042565 |
| Puttenham and Crooksbury Commons | SU915464, SU890453 |
| Staines Moor | TQ040730 |
| Vann Lake and Ockley Woods | TQ156392 |
| Whitmoor Common | SU985535 |
| Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons | SU885405, SU915410, SU855405 |
West Sussex
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Arun Banks | TQ029100 |
| Arundel Park | TQ015082 |
| Buchan Hill Ponds | TQ245343 |
| Burton Park | SU977177 |
| Cow Wood and Harrys Wood | TQ270299 |
| Ebernoe Common | SU977270 |
| Forest Mere | SU820300 |
| Shillinglee Lake | SU968311 |
| St Leonards Ponds | TQ200308 |
| Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods | TQ334316, TQ348323 |
| Waltham Brooks | TQ025159, TQ021152 |
Wiltshire
Coate Water – SU188820
Rods, tackle, lures and baits
Rods and nets
See the national byelaws for rules on:
- the number of rods you are allowed to use
- using landing nets, keepnets, gaffs or tailers
Tackle, lures and baits
National byelaws on lead weights apply in the South East.
National byelaws on using tackle, lures and bait apply in the South East, in addition to the local byelaws.
These 4 local byelaws also apply:
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In the Thames byelaw area, you must not fish with any form of gorge bait. A gorge bait is a piece of stick, plastic or bone hidden in the bait parallel to the line. When swallowed, a tug on the line causes the gorge to turn sideways in the fish’s throat.
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In the Thames byelaw area, you must weigh fish as close as possible at the point of capture.
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In the Thames and Southern byelaw areas you must only fish for sea trout, trout or rainbow trout with an artificial fly or lure during the coarse fish close season. In the Thames byelaw area, you may also use a minnow, provided it is caught from the same water with a minnow trap. The minnow trap must be authorised by the Environment Agency – please call 03708 506 506 (see call charges).
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In the Thames byelaw area, you must not use more than 3 separate hooks attached to the same rod and line. You must not use any device that is designed to hook a fish automatically.
Catch limits, size limits and catch returns
Salmon and migratory trout catch limits
It is illegal to catch and remove any live or dead salmon from these rivers, their tributaries and estuaries:
- Ems, West Sussex
- Meon, Hampshire
- Medway, Sussex and Kent
- Stour, Kent
- Thames
You must release all salmon you catch from these waters immediately, with the least possible injury.
Coarse fish and eels catch limits
National byelaws apply across the South East.
Trout size limits
In the Thames byelaw area you must not take any trout that are less than 25cm (measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail).
In the Southern byelaw area, you must not take any trout less than 23cm, and migratory trout less than 38cm (measured from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail).
Last updated 12 October 2021 + show all updates
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Removed Janesmoor Pond - New Forest from table of Hampshire stillwaters with a coarse fish close season.
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Added Hatchet Pond, Little Hatchet Pond and Janesmoor Pond (all in the New Forest) to the table of Hampshire stillwaters with a coarse fish close season.
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We have clarified which locations are covered by the South East byelaws, and where national and local byelaws apply.
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First published.