Priory Country Park – River Great Ouse

River level

The lowdown

• This is a big, varied park at roughly 360 acres, with the river mixed in among lakes, meadows, woodland and reed beds.
• The Great Ouse runs through the park’s bend, but only designated waters and established swims are fishable. Check the fishing maps around the park or at the Visitors’ Centre before settling in.
• There’s plenty of wildlife habitat here too. The park is a designated County Wildlife Site, so keep bank disturbance to a minimum and leave the vegetation between swims alone.
• The permit covers permissible waters inside the park boundary. Some park waters and areas are closed to fishing, so don’t assume every bit of water is fair game.
• It’s a seasonal setup rather than a quick day-ticket wander. The Council sells whole-season permits only under the current 2026–27 arrangements, with no single-day tickets available.
• Day and night anglers can stay in one swim for up to 48 hours. After that, you must leave the water for 72 hours before returning. Small tents or bivvies are allowed in the swim area, provided they don’t block the bank-side path.
• Keep things tidy and fish-safe. All fish go straight back, keepnets are banned, and large fish need a large landing net and unhooking mat.
• Barbed and bent hooks are out. Lure fishing must be barbless, while predator fishing needs wire traces and semi-barbed treble hooks.
• Bait rules are tight: no live bait, no coarse fish as dead bait, no nuts or beans, no floating baits, no pre-baiting, no mass baiting and no bait boats. Only soluble boilies and fresh or frozen sea baits for dead bait are allowed.

Methods: The checked details don’t name particular fish or give swim-by-swim features, so stick to the established pegs and use methods that fit the conditions while following the park’s bait and hook rules.

Access & tickets

Permits are issued by Bedford Borough Council for the 2026–27 season. The listed permit period is 16 June 2026 to 14 March 2027, and no single-day tickets are available.

Fish the club names

The club doesn't list species for this stretch, so we haven't guessed.

Key rules

• Fishing is permit-only, and an Environment Agency rod-fishing licence is also required.
• Fishing is prohibited during the closed season, and some park waters or areas are closed to fishing.
• Only established swims may be used. Do not disturb or damage vegetation between swims.
• All fish must be returned to the water from which they were caught. Keepnets are prohibited.
• A permit allows up to three rods in the same swim when the angler has two rod licences.
• Barbed hooks and bent hooks are prohibited. Lure fishing must use barbless hooks.
• Live baiting, fishing for live bait, coarse fish as dead bait, nuts, beans, floating baits, pre-baiting, mass baiting and bait boats are prohibited.
• Camping, fires and barbecues are prohibited. Small tents or bivouacs are allowed in the swim area only if they do not obstruct the bank-side path.

Where it is