Fishing in Northumberland National Park

Northumberland National Park covers the Cheviot Hills and the moorland running south toward Hadrian's Wall, and the water that drains this upland landscape is the defining feature of its fishing.

These are spate rivers — fast, peat-stained, responsive to rain — and the fish that live in them are wild. The River Coquet and the River North Tyne are the waters most anglers come for.

The North Tyne feeds Kielder Water before continuing south, and the Tyne system as a whole is England's premier salmon river. Salmon and sea trout run the Coquet and the Tyne; brown trout are present throughout the park's rivers and burns.

The River Rede, a North Tyne tributary, and the River Breamish in the Cheviots carry the same mix of game fish. Smaller burns — Chirdon, Warks, Hareshaw, Blakehope — hold wild brown trout and are worth exploring if you're already in the area.

Kielder Water, the large reservoir in the park's west, allows bait, spin, and fly fishing. The lower reaches of most rivers carry coarse fish: dace, roach, chub, and pike are found in the Tyne, with perch and gudgeon in the lower river stretches elsewhere.

Greenlee Lough, the largest natural lake in Northumberland, sits within the park near Hadrian's Wall.

It carries SSSI, National Nature Reserve, and European Special Area of Conservation designations — check current access and any restrictions carefully before fishing there. Because salmon run most of the park's rivers, free fishing is rare.

The Tyne Angling Passport is one access route worth looking into, but most water is controlled by clubs or estates and requires a day ticket or membership on top of a rod licence.

Check with the park and individual riparian owners for what's current — access arrangements on spate rivers change, and the salmon runs that make this water worth protecting are the same reason it's carefully managed.