GovWire

Overview of North West and Border Esk byelaws

North West and Border Esk byelaws apply to anyone fishing with a rod and line for:

• salmon
• trout
• coarse fish
• eels
• smelt
• lamprey

They apply to all waters within river catchments that flow into the Irish Sea northwards:

• from and including the River Mersey catchment, including the River Weaver and River Gowy catchments
• to and including the Border Esk catchment, including that area of the Border Esk in Scotland

Principal river catchments include the:

• Border Esk
• Calder
• Crake
• Derwent
• Duddon
• Eden
• Ehen
• Ellen
• Esk (Cumbria)
• Irt
• Kent
• Leven
• Lune
• Mersey
• Ribble
• Weanatinalver
• Wyre

Angling clubs and private fisheries may enforce their own additional rules, but national and local byelaws still apply.

When and where you can fish

These rules apply across the North West and Border Esk, including the area that is in Scotland.

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.

Coarse fish

The national coarse fish close season (when you must not fish) from 15 March to 15 June applies to all rivers, streams and drains.

Salmon and migratory trout

The annual close season for salmon is 1 November to 31 January, except on the River Eden (including all tributaries and connected lakes and waters), where it is 15 October to 14 January.

The annual close season for migratory trout is 1 October to 31 March.

Non-migratory and rainbow trout

The annual close season for non-migratory trout (not rainbow trout) in all waters (except fully enclosed stillwaters) is 1 October to 14 March.

The annual close season for rainbow trout in all rivers, streams, drains and canals is 1 October to 14 March.

Char

The annual close season for char is 1 October to 14 March, with the exception of:

• Coniston Water (1 November to 30 April)
• Windermere (1 October to 30 April) except that you can fish for char from a moving boat using artificial lures from 15 March

Fishing near weirs and other obstructions

You are not allowed to fish between 30 September and the start of the salmon close season, within a distance of 20 metres above and 50 metres below the crest of any man-made construction that impounds water (for example, weirs, dams and sluices) in:

• the River Ribble and its tributaries upstream of the Naze at Freckleton (excluding the rivers Darwen, Calder and Douglas)
• all rivers and streams north of the Ribble catchment

You are not allowed to fish at any time of the year within a distance of 20 metres above and 50 metres below the crest of:

• Branthwaite Weir on the River Marron
• Calder Hall Pumphouse Weir on the River Calder, West Cumbria
• Stramongate Weir on the River Kent
• Holmehead Weir on the River Caldew
• Buckabank Weir on the River Caldew

Skerton Weir

You are not allowed to fish on the River Lune between the crest of Skerton Weir (including the fish pass) and the 4 black and white marker posts that create a line across the river between national OS grid references SD48036307, SD48106311, SD48166320 and SD48276320.

You are only allowed to fly fish with a rod and line between the line formed by the 4 black and white marker posts and the line formed by the 3 red and white marker posts placed down river (national OS grid references SD48126292, SD48186298 and SD48256296). This is provided you do not attach a weighted device to the line, cast or hook.

Fish passes

You are not allowed to fish in a fish pass or within a 5 metre radius of the entrance and exit of any fish pass.

River Border Esk

The Upper Esk, commonly known as the Border Esk marks the border between England and Scotland. However, the national and North West and Border Esk local byelaws apply to fishing on either bank of the Esk.

See the byelaws for the Border Esk and its tributaries (including the River Sark) in the section Catch limits, size limits and catch returns. The following local byelaws also apply.

The annual close season for:

• salmon is 1 November to 31 January
• migratory trout is 1 October to 31 March
• non-migratory trout (not including rainbow trout) is 1 October to 14 March
• freshwater fish and eels national byelaws apply

Fishing for eels

The annual close season for eels in non-tidal parts of rivers, streams and parts of rivers that have been canalised (made into canals) for navigation, is 15 March to 15 June.

There is no close season in tidal waters.

Waters where no fishing is allowed

Fishing is not allowed in some waters in Kendal. These are the River Kent between Victoria Bridge and its confluence with the former Dockray Hall mill race, situated 400 metres upstream of Victoria Bridge in the Borough of Kendal. You are not allowed to fish from the right (west) bank.

This rule does not apply to fly fishing, as long as no weights are attached or incorporated into the line, cast or hook.

Rods and nets

See the national byelaws for the rules on:

• the number of rods you are allowed to use
• using landing nets, keepnets, gaffs or tailers

There is one exception.

You are not allowed to use a keepnet during the statutory close season for coarse fish on rivers, streams, canalised rivers.

This also applies to:

• Bassenthwaite
• Brothers Water
• Buttermere
• Coniston Water
• Crummock Water
• Derwentwater
• Ennerdale Water
• Grasmere
• Loweswater
• Rydal Water
• Ullswater
• Wastwater
• Windermere

Tackle, lures and baits

National byelaws on lead weights apply in the North West and Border Esk.

National byelaws on using tackle, lures and bait apply to North West and Border Esk in addition to local byelaws.

North West and Border Esk byelaws

Here are the local rules on using bait in:

• Bassenthwaite
• Brotherswater
• Buttermere
• Coniston Water
• Crummock Water
• Derwentwater
• Ennerdale Water
• Haweswater
• Loweswater
• Red Tarn
• Thirlmere
• Ullswater
• Wastwater
• Windermere

In these waters you are not allowed to:

• use any dead or live freshwater fish, salmonids or eels as bait
• possess any live freshwater fish, salmonids or eels with the intention of using them as bait, ground bait or loose feed

There are specific rules which apply from 15 March to 15 June in:

• Bassenthwaite
• Brotherswater
• Buttermere
• Coniston Water
• Crummock Water
• Derwentwater
• Ennerdale Water
• Grasmere
• Loweswater
• Rydalwater
• Ullswater
• Wastwater
• Windermere

During this time in these waters you must not:

• fish with maggots, their pupae (or their imitations)
• use the baits specified above as lures or baits not on or attached to a hook

From 15 March to 15 June in rivers, streams and those parts of rivers that have been canalised for navigation:

• you are only allowed to fish for migratory and non-migratory trout with minnow, worm, shrimp, prawn or artificial flies or lures
• you must not use any lure or bait not on or attached to a h
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