Crinan Canal – Argyll Stretch

The Crinan Canal runs for approximately 9 miles — around 14.5 km — between Crinan and Ardrishaig. It’s a cracking bit of water in Argyll and Bute, with fishing available along the canal bank and brown trout as the principal target. Scottish Canals describes the canal as holding good trout, so there’s plenty here for the fly angler to get stuck into.

• 1 lake: Crinan Canal – Locks 9–13 stretch
• Fish: trout
• Tickets from: Day ticket — £10
• Find it: Crinan · PA31 8SW

Based on how each lake is set up — not a ranking.

The Crinan Canal runs for approximately 9 miles — around 14.5 km — between Crinan and Ardrishaig. It’s a cracking bit of water in Argyll and Bute, with fishing available along the canal bank and brown trout as the principal target. Scottish Canals describes the canal as holding good trout, so there’s plenty here for the fly angler to get stuck into.

If you’re planning your first look, keep the Crinan end firmly on the radar. The best canal fishing areas are said to be towards Crinan, especially between locks 9 and 13. That gives you a useful starting point rather than turning up and wandering the full length straight away. Have a look at the water, work out where you can cast safely and keep mobile if the fish aren’t showing.

This is fly fishing only, so bring the proper fly gear and avoid turning up with a load of tackle you can’t use. The canal is used by leisure craft and other vessels, and fishing mustn’t obstruct boats or anyone else using the waterway. Keep your eyes peeled when casting, too, especially around overhanging branches and overhead cables. A bit of common sense goes a long way here.

Dusk can be especially productive, with night fishing also noted as a potentially good time. That gives the venue a proper evening-fishing angle, particularly if you enjoy working a fly as the light fades. The official fishing page doesn’t publish a specific angling season date, though, and its opening information is seasonal rather than a set of daily fishing hours. Check the current position before making a special trip.

The canal itself generally doesn’t require a fishing licence for non-migratory freshwater fish. Permits are still required in some circumstances, particularly for designated reservoir fishing, so don’t assume every bit of the wider arrangement works the same way. Some reservoirs feeding the canal are stocked, while other feeder reservoirs contain wild fish. Fyne Tackle handles permits, and the official page directs anglers there for booking advice.

The current listed rates are £10 for a day ticket, £20 for three days and £30 for one week. Bag limits are advised when booking, so get the exact rules sorted before setting off. It’s also worth asking Fyne Tackle about the permit you need, any seasonal guidance and where fishing is appropriate on your chosen stretch. For a first session, pack the fly gear, check your casting space, watch the canal traffic and be ready to move between likely areas. Proper simple, and bob on for planning a safe day on the bank.

Good background reading. Most of it is a few years old, so treat it as a starting point and ask on the day.

Videos linked by the fishery

• Our read

  Checked Sept '26 — “A proper Argyll canal trout venue, stretching roughly 9 miles between Crinan and Ardrishaig. Fly fishing only, with the strongest fishing areas reported towards Crinan between locks 9 and 13.”

This is our own summary of recurring public feedback and the venue details we checked, not a copied customer review or a promise you’ll catch. Feedback changes, so we keep it separate from the Tackle Index score.