Fishing a river for pike is one of the last unknowns in our sport, you truly never know what is lurking beneath the flowing water, which is what makes it so exciting. Check out our river pike venue list below, all will give you a great opportunity of catching some pike with the realistic chance of potentially putting you up against a true monster.
River Torne, Epworth, S Yorks
This water is full of pike and perch making it a great choice for lure or dead bait fishing anglers. Roving is the best approach for the pike and wobbling small roach deadbaits is deadly for them. Otherwise use a lure in firetiger or perch colours for the best results.
Contact: www.ddaa.co.uk
River Bure, Wroxham, Norfolk
This free-to-fish stretch of the Bure is a pike hotspot with plenty of jacks to go at and a good number of doubles. The railway bridge is a hotspot for the pike but you can catch them from all banks here. Ledgered dead roach works well although mackerel usually pulls out the biggest specimens. Lures are also worth a chuckaround structure for the pike.
Contact: Angling Direct, 01603 782679
Hampshire Avon, Royalty Fishery, Christchurch
The infamous Royalty fishery on the Hampshire Avon is well known for its barbel but it also home to some truly huge pike, withfish over 30lb getting caught at least once a season. It can also be prolific for fish around the mid double to 20lb mark. The Water's Meet area, Railway Bridge or Piles area of the fishery is generally where you will find some of the resident pike lurking.
Contact: Davis Tackle 01202 485169 or www.swlakestrust.org.uk
READ OUR EXPERT GUIDE TO HELP IMPROVE ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR PIKE FISHING.
River Soar, Kegworth, Leics
The basin in front of the Sutton Bonnington lock gate is a pike hotspot with loads of fish in the 5lb -10lb bracket available. You can catch them next to your feet on the near bank where there’s a depth of 8ft. Float fish a roach deadbait and within 10 minutes you’ll probably have a bite!
Contact: www.levas.co.uk
River Wye, Monmouth, Wales
The Wyastone Leys stretch is a popular pike venue at this time of year where fish well into double figures can be found in the slack water below Boys Rock Pool. You can trot a deadbait along the slacks to catch them although ledgering is normally the way to go here.
Contact: 07976 908985, Angling Dreams or www.anglingdreams.co.uk
River Weaver, Winsford, Cheshire
Head for the boards by the Red Lion pub in the centre of town, fishable on a Winsford Anglers permit, and you’ll catch Pike to double figures. It can be great sport as they follow the silverfish into the town centre.
Contact: www.winsford-anglers.com
River Severn, Upton upon Severn, Worcs
The stretch downstream of Buttington Bridge is excellent for pike. Livebaits work best but if you’re struggling to catch them a trotted dead roach or bleak will work wonders. Twenties are a possibility along here although there’s lots of jacks to go at, with sport bring quite prolific at times, especially in the deeper holes.
Contact: www.baa.uk.com
River Lea Navigation, Ware, Herts
Spinning and jigging is working well in Ware town centre for specimen pike with double figure fish possible. There are plenty of roach showing on the Conkers stretch at Broxbourne and the pike have followed them in, so look out for crashing fish.
Contact: www.wareanglingclub.co.uk
West Sedgmoor Drain, Slathe, Somerset
The Pumping Station is a hotspot for pike and a 20lb fish is always on the cards. There’s no flow here so you can float fish a dead roach or rudd just off the bottom for the best results. Cast all around your swim to find where the pike are hiding out.
Contact: www.tauntonanglingassociation.co.uk
River Thames, Abingdon, Oxford
The open water near the town bridge is a hotspot for pike where double figure specimens lurk in the shadows for their next meal. You can catch bleak all along this stretch and they work wonders as a livebait fished on a float – otherwise you should leger a roach deadbait under the bridge for the best results.
Contact: www.abingdon.gov.uk
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