Fishing in Wales – Your Guide to the Best Fishing Spots

To mark St David's Day, we, here at Angling Direct are sharing some of the top locations to fish in Wales for you to add to your 'must fish list'.

Wales has over 750 miles of coast and offers land dotted with some amazing rivers and lakes, perfect for fishing. Whether you are a keen river carp angler or prefer a spot of sea fishing for bream, we have gathered some great fishing locations across Wales for you to plan your next fishing venture.

What to consider when Fishing in Wales...

Before we jump into the top fishing locations there are just a few things to consider other than where the venue is and what fishing it offers you.

• Fishing laws in Wales: Before heading on your fishing trip, check whether it is legal to fish with consideration of ‘closed seasons’ and local Welsh byelaws. 
• Fishing License: You still need a rod licence to fish in Wales. Check which type of rod licence you will need and order through the government website. Don’t forget, if you are taking a 13-year-old or older, you will need to purchase a rod licence for them to fish legally in Wales. 
• Access to venues: In Wales, many fishing spots require a membership or day permit to be purchased. Even some coastal spots such as piers require a permit. Also, check how to get to the water’s edge without crossing private lands.
• Upon arrival at any venue: It is important to figure out if there are water features, channels, drop-offs or anything else that will attract or funnel fish into a run that you can tap into at the venue. Check for facilities, car parking and wheelchair access if required.
• COVID: Remember if visiting Wales, please follow the Welsh Government's COVID-19 visitor charter.
• Fish Care: Wherever you fish, use the Check-Clean-Dry method to stop the spread of damaging invasive species into any waters you visit.

Top Fishing Venues in Wales

View the map for all locations mentioned in this guide.

RIVERS

River Taff, Glamorgan

Situated in the south of Wales, the River Taff offers a diverse mix of fishing making it popular with match and fly anglers. Salmon, sea trout, brown trout, grayling large chub and barbel can be found along the Taff. The river has several angling associations as it runs from the Brecon Beacons to Cardiff Bay, running through many towns on its way.

A Coarse Fishing Permit for the Taff can be purchased from the Glamorgan Anglers Club with annual memberships starting from £82. This covers fishing from Canton Bridge to the M4 crossing.

Car Parking can be found in the Sophia Gardens Pay & Display Car Park.

Afon Teifi, Ceredigion

The Afon Teifi flows through Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire and forms a natural border between these two counties. Famous for trout and salmon fishing, anglers can fly fish, spin, worm and float fish here, depending on the stretch and which permit you to have.

A permit to fish along a stretch of the Teifi can be purchased from the Teifi Trout Association starting from £10.

Car parking can be found near Cenarth by the Salmon Leap Gift Shop.

Toilet facilities are also near the car parking, off the A484.

A platform for disabled access to the river is located by Newbridge and Pentrecagal sections of the beat.

River Usk, Brecon Beacons 

The River Usk is famous for its wild brown trout and salmon. A great fishing location for beginners, the Usk winds it way along Usk Valley from Brecon to Abergavenny, before ending its journey in the Bristol Channel.

A daily permit can be purchased for £15 by calling the telephone number of your chosen beat found on the Brecon Town Council Website.

A large Pay & Display car park with a compacted stone surface and disabled car parking spaces can be found within the Brecon Beacons National Park or there are pay and display car parks in the town closer to other stretches of the Usk.

Toilets are just inside the main entrance of Brecon Beacons Park or again found in local business in the town.

River Wye, Hay-on-Wye

The fifth longest river in the UK, the River Wye offers great opportunities for coarse and fly anglers with the chance to catch trout and salmon and on some stretches, barbel. The Middle of the Wye, on Caemawr beat, offers 7 named salmon pools, and fishes throughout its length. This beat of the Wye has excellent fly water, with spinning permissible in higher water.

The Caemawr beat boasts a beat hut, which is open when the ghillie is present.

Wading difficulty is varied with a mixture of rocks, boulders and gravel through most of its length.

Booking to fish this stretch of the Wye can be made through Fishing Passport with tickets stating from £20.

Car Parking close to the river can be found on Wyeford Road.

River Irfon, Llangammarch Wells

Located in mid-Wales, the River Irfon runs between Llangammarch Wells into the River Wye in Builth Wells, running mostly parallel with the A483. Ideal for fly and coarse angling, you will find trout, salmon and grayling in the River Irfon.

The Lake Country House and Spa in Llangammarch Wells offers a river retreat that handles fishing makes sure the river is well-stocked with trout.

All you need to do is have an EA Rod license and inform the hotel either on booking or on arrival that you would like to fish either the lake or river.

Car Parking can be found on the grounds of the hotel.

BEACH AND HARBOURS

                   ©RoughGuides.Com

Amlwch Harbour, Anglesey

Famous for its copper mines and nicknamed the Copper Kingdom, Amlwch Harbour offers sea anglers a place to catch strap congers, pollock, corkwing wrasse and more.

Car parking can be found for free at the Inner Harbour or down a rough path by Breakwater.

Facilities and refreshments can be found at nearby Cafes such as the Copper Stove.

Llandudno Pier, Conwy 

A popular tourist spot, Llandudno Pier is well-known for its sea fishing opportunities such as whiting, flatties, dogfish, cod, mackerel, bass, codling and coalfish. There is also the chance of something a fair bit bigger such as a bull huss, thornback ray or smooth-hound so bring a drop net. Fishing close to the pier structure can produce very good results!

Opening times for the Pier are 8 am - 6 pm (off-season) and 8 am - 10 pm (main season).

Day Fishing Permits are available from the Café at Pier Head at £5.00 per Person.

Car Parking can be found at Happy Valley Car Park at just £4.50 for all day.

St. Brides Bay, Pembrokeshire

A wide range of saltwater species as well as some large fish can be spotted in the bay with summer providing plenty of pollock. Bass, mackerel dogfish, bull huss, conger eels, herring and rays can also be fished for here. Charter boats operating from the harbours of Milford Haven, Neyland, Dale and St Davids can be booked for game fishing sessions, offering catch and release shark fishing.

There is Car Parking for 20 cars only at St Brides Haven Beach.

Nearest facilities are in Marloes village which has a pub, restaurant and café/bar.

There is also a selection of B&Bs and self-catering accommodation as well as campsites in the area.

Aberdyfi, Abadovey 

The coastline stretch between Aberdyfi and Tywyn offers a great session of bass fishing. The venue is also known for mackerel, grey mullet, flounder, black bream and specimen sized tope.

Aberdyfi is a seaside village with many fine restaurants and facilities.

A great spot to stay near to the shore is Penhelig Arms Hotel.

Charter boats based in Aberdyfi can be booked to take you out to distant wrecks to fish for pollack, cod, ling and conger eels.

Limpert Bay, Aberthaw

Overlooked by Aberthaw Power station, the shorelin in Aberthaw is a great sea fishing mark for multiple species, including bass in the summer and desirable species such as thornback and blonde rays, smoothound, hardback crabs and conger eel. In the winter, sea anglers have the chance to land some big cod, whiting, flounder and rockling. Limpert Bay is a low-tide venue. 

Parking can be found at Gilestone Beach Car Park

There are no facilities at the beach, but a pub found in East Aberthaw or for residents at local B&Bs.

Nash Point, Monknash Beach 

Great flatfish fishing as well as turbot, flounder, rays, plaice and Dover sole in the summer, Nash Point is a headland with a number of rock ledge fishing marks that allow an angler to put a bait into deep water. Sea anglers can also fish for conger eels, dog fish, bull huss, smooth-hound, cod, whiting and many other species from the shoreline. 

Food and Facilities can be found just south of Monknash village in the Plough and Harrow pub.

Roadside parking can be found on Water Street, next to a public footpath or in the Nash Point car park.

LAKES

                 ©visitbala.org.uk

Llangorse Lake, Brecon Beacons

 The largest natural lake in South Wales and in the heart of Brecon Beacons, Llangorse lake is great for coarse and pike fishing. There are also perch, roach, bream, tench and eels in the lake. However, fishing is only permitted from a boat, not from the bank as the shores contain many SSSI’s and conservation areas.

You can purchase a day permit from Lakeside Boat Hire, Lakeside Caravan and Camping Park, or Llangorse Common, costing around £34 a day, including fishing boats hire.

Toilets and Refreshments can be found at the Reception of Lakeside Caravan and Camping Park

This location has onsite car parking.

Llyn y Gors, Anglesey

​Situated on the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales, Llyn Y Gors Lake offers five coarse and carp lakes ideal for everyone, from beginners to specimen anglers. For net-busting carp to coarse species and the promise of pike, this fishery has a lake for your style of angling.

The Llyn-y-Gors Fishery provides an on-site tackle shop and baits.

Permits can be purchased from the shop starting at £10 depending on time and chosen lake.

The is the main car park that is open for day ticket holders until 7 pm.

Llyn Trawsfynydd, Snowdonia

Located in the heart of Snowdonia and sporting a surface area of 1,200 acres, Lake Trawsfyndd is the fishing venue for coarse and fly anglers. Stocked with rainbow trout, wild brown trout, perch, rudd, pike, large eels and a few elusive grass carp the lake offers an opportunity for some well-sized species. 

Managed by Prysor Angling Association, the lake offers a café on site.

The site also has a fishing tackle shop

There are toilets also on site.

Tickets to fish can be purchased from the permit office, starting from £24 for an adult day ticket.

Boats are also available for hire from £46.

Ian Heaps Fishing Resort, Pembrokeshire

This private fishery owned by a former world (1975) & European (1985) coarse fishing champion; Ian Heaps Resort offers a lovely fishing spot in Pembrokeshire. The fishing resort provides 90 pegs across three mature lakes. Anglers will generally hook carp, tench, crucians and bream on these lakes.

Open to fishing from 8am to 8pm or until half an hour before dusk (whichever is first)

Day tickets cost just £10 per day.

The Resort offers a tackle and bait shop on-site as well as snacks and refreshments available.

There is ample free car parking (at each lake)

Toilets on-site

Disabled access to all pegs.

New Celtic Lakes, Lampeter 

Situated four miles outside the market town of Lampeter, Celtic Lakes offers anglers six well-stocked lakes to choose from. Ideal for experienced anglers looking for a challenge, these lakes provide the chance of catching a Wells catfish that grow to over 80lb in weight. As well as the catfish, there are specimen sized carp that can weigh over 40lbs, quality tench, roach, rudd, perch and bream.

A tackle and bait shop is available on-site to provide a full stock of frozen baits, also stocking all pellets, pop-ups, glugs etc.

Day tickets can cost from £15 depending on the lake and amount of rods used and can be purchased via phone. Contact details can be found on the fishery’s Facebook page.

Onsite toilets, as well as disabled access to pegs, can be found at the fishery

The onsite car park can be used for the duration of your stay and cars can be used to drop gear off closer to your selected peg.

We hope you found this list of best fishing places in Wales helpful and are enjoying St David's Day.

Have you fished at any of these venues or can think of some great places you have cast your line that is not mentioned? Let us know about AD’s social media. You can check out more venues in other location guides found on the AD blog.

Fishing in Scotland - Your Guide to the Best Fishing Spots

Fishing in England - Your Guide to the Best Fishing Spots

For more locations not mentioned in this article, you can check the Angling Trust App, Fishing Passport, or the official British Sea Fishing Website.

REMEMBER; before you head off for your next fishing trip to grab all your needed tackle at your local AD store or from Angling Direct online.