The UK canal network is one of the most underrated fisheries in the country – consistent depth, reliable species, and easy access make canals an excellent choice for beginners and experienced anglers alike. This list covers the canals with the strongest reputations among UK coarse anglers.
[Image placeholder: A canal towpath with an angler fishing beside a lock gate on a calm UK canal]
1. Grand Union Canal
The longest canal in the UK, running from London through the Midlands. Holds roach, bream, pike, and perch consistently, with easy towpath access and free or low-cost fishing along much of its length. See our full Grand Union Canal guide.
2. Shropshire Union Canal
A clear-watered canal running through Cheshire and Shropshire, known for perch, pike, bream, and roach, with good towpath access along most stretches. See our Shropshire Union guide.
3. Basingstoke Canal
Renowned among perch specialists for clear water and strong fish, with lock walls, bridge holes, and mooring posts providing the structure perch use as ambush points throughout its Hampshire and Surrey stretches.
4. Kennet and Avon Canal
A long, historic canal connecting Reading to Bath, with a strong following among coarse anglers for bream, roach, tench, and pike across its varied stretches.
5. Oxford Canal
Runs through Oxfordshire and Warwickshire with a loyal following for general coarse fishing, particularly roach and bream, and reasonably easy access along much of its route.
6. Trent and Mersey Canal
Connects the River Trent to the River Mersey, holding a good mix of coarse species and benefiting from connections to river systems that can bring in additional species and bigger fish at certain points.
7. Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The longest single canal in the UK, offering enormous variety of swims and species across its length, from urban stretches through to more rural sections with strong roach and perch populations.
8. Macclesfield Canal
A contour canal in Cheshire known for clear water and good perch and pike fishing, with a more rural, scenic character than some of the busier urban canals.
9. Chesterfield Canal
A quieter canal in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, less heavily fished than some of the bigger-name canals, which can mean less pressured, more obliging fish for anglers willing to explore.
10. Regent’s Canal (London)
An urban canal running through central London, offering surprisingly productive fishing for roach, perch, and occasional bigger pike, in a setting most visitors would not expect to hold decent fish.
Licensing Reminder
Fishing UK canals requires both your standard Environment Agency rod licence and, for most Canal and River Trust-managed waterways, a separate CRT waterways licence. Check requirements for the specific canal before fishing. See our general canal fishing guide for tackle and technique.