Fishing

The River Tees is rich with some of Britain's most popular fish. Upriver you will find wild brown trout, with the middle reaches not only offering brown trout but salmon and sea trout also. Grayling fishing is good and coarse fish begin to appear in numbers.

The lower reaches below Darlington provide excellent coarse fishing as well as game in the faster necks and runs. The tidal river has been cleaned considerably and above the Tees barrage fish are being caught throughout all stretches, from the Princess of Wales Bridge to Thornaby.

Fishing license

Before you go fishing on any canal or river you will need to purchase a rod licence. It's an offence to fish for salmon, sea trout, freshwater fish and eels without a valid rod license. If you're found fishing without the correct license you may be find up to £2,500.

Find rod license information at the Environment Agency.

Fishing guidelines

There's nothing better than relaxing on the river bank waiting for a fish to bite, however it is important to consider your safety, the safety of others and for the wildlife that inhabit the river.

Find fishing guidelines and safety tips from the Canal & River Trust.

Angling Clubs

Much of the River Tees is controlled by local angling clubs which offer very good fishing at reasonable prices. Here are some local angling clubs to get you started.

• Stockton Angling Limited

• Thornaby Angling Association

• Yarm Angling Ltd

River Tees fish count

The Environment Agency posts details of migratory fish passing the Tees Barrage. This monitoring process is carried out by an electronic fish counter, which is validated using underwater video footage and infra red lighting.

The counts are testament to the hard work on improving the overall environment and water quality of the River Tees.

See the River Tees fish count results from the Environment Agency.

Navigation Issues

The Canal & River Trust looks after the River Tees navigation from Worsall to the Tees Barrage.

Occasionally, the river is closed for maintenance work or events. You can get up to date information on river closures on  the Waterscape website , with regular stoppage and restriction updates. Waterscape lists all stoppages on all Canal and River Trust navigations as soon as they are notified, but emergency work may cause sudden closures.

As well as stoppages for planned maintenance or emergency repairs, Waterscape also lists temporary restrictions (when navigations remain open with restrictions in place), as well as local navigation advice and opening times and booking details for manned structures and facilities. 

Visit the Canal & River Trust website to find stoppages, restrictions and other navigational advice.