River Thames at Sonning — Sonning River
RDAA’s Sonning River gives you 1,450 yards of Thames fishing at Sonning, Berkshire, with chub, roach, perch, bream, pike and occasional carp. There’s day-ticket access too, plus night fishing for Bronze Ticket holders.
Run by Reading & District Angling Association · checked 5 Oct 2026
River Thames
River Thames at Sonning — Sonning River
The lowdown
- This is RDAA’s named Sonning River venue, with 1,450 yards of fishing on the Thames. That’s the published length to work with when planning your day on the bank.
- There’s a cracking mixed line-up here: chub, roach, perch, bream and pike are all named for the stretch. Carp get a mention too, but specifically as occasional fish.
- Keep those occasional carp in perspective when picking your target. They’re part of the venue’s fish list, not a promise of a carp-heavy session — there’s a broader mix to consider.
- Calendar first, tackle second: the stretch shuts from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. Don’t let a tempting day for a river session catch you out during the closure.
- You don’t have to be a member for a daylight visit. RDAA’s non-member river and canal day permit is £10, and Sonning River isn’t among the listed exclusions.
- Fancy staying after dark? Sonning lists Bronze Night Permit access. It’s also exempt from RDAA’s general river ban on bedchairs, bivvies and brollies with sides — a useful distinction.
- Sort your arrival before setting off. Main parking is simply.stroke.filed; the additional small parking area is listed at the northern end of the lake, at rapid.pulse.grass. Stick to marked car parks.
- Check the water-booking sheet before loading up — save yourself some faff. Use RG4 6TU for the venue postcode, and keep ripe.shelf.payer handy as the separate venue location reference.
Methods: Pick your target from the named mixed-species line-up, rather than banking on those occasional carp. Keep your setup within the venue’s two-rod maximum.
Access & tickets
Non-member river/canal day permit
Daylight fishing only. Sonning River is not among the listed exclusions. Buy through RDAA’s official Clubmate booking link.
£10 (as listed 5 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
General Permit
Listed as an access option for Sonning River.
Bronze Night Permit
Night fishing at Sonning River is available to Bronze Ticket holders.
Buy the £10 non-member day permit through the Clubmate booking service linked by RDAA. Guest tickets are also listed for Wallingford B.
Fish the club names
chub, roach, perch, bream, pike, carp
Key rules
- Closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive.
- Check the water-booking sheet before visiting.
- Maximum of two rods.
- Park only in official marked car parks and secure gates and barriers again after passage.
- No fish may be taken away.
- Remove all litter within your swim when leaving.
- No open fires.
- Day permits allow daylight fishing only. Bronze Ticket holders may night fish; Sonning River is exempt from the general river ban on bedchairs, bivvies and brollies with sides.
Coarse fishing on English rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. That's the law for coarse fish on rivers — it's not a club rule, and game-fishing seasons work differently.
GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fishRiver level
Measured — Environment Agency
Sonning Lock gauge
Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.
Loading latest reading…
We don't publish an "ideal level" — nobody can promise one. Flood water is dangerous: if it's up and coloured, stay well back from the edge. Open River Ready
Where it is
Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.
Community reported
Recent angler updates
No angler updates yet — that's normal. Be the first to help the next angler.
How busy was it?
Nobody's said yet. It's part of the 20-second update below.
No live tracking — this is what anglers told us after their session, and it's never part of the venue score.
Water updates from anglers
No active water updates.