Shropshire Union Canal

Fancy a canal session rather than a lake complex? This is the Chester fishing stretch of the Shropshire Union Canal, covering bridges 113–120. That bridge range is the important bit when planning your day: this guide covers the controlled fishing length, not the whole canal. It’s listed among Lymm Angling Club waters and also appears as partnership water with Liverpool & District Angling Association.

• 1 lake: Chester stretch — bridges 113–120
• Fish: roach, bream, perch, tench, pike, carp
• Tickets from: Lymm's Shropshire Union Canal day ticket — £2.50
• Find it: Chester · CH3 9BD

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

Fancy a canal session rather than a lake complex? This is the Chester fishing stretch of the Shropshire Union Canal, covering bridges 113–120. That bridge range is the important bit when planning your day: this guide covers the controlled fishing length, not the whole canal. It’s listed among Lymm Angling Club waters and also appears as partnership water with Liverpool & District Angling Association. Think canal bank, shared towpath and a proper mixed-species line-up.

Roach and bream shoals are present, alongside perch, tench and pike. That gives the stretch a decent spread of fish without having to hop between separate pools. There aren’t published weights or catch figures here to build expectations around, so keep the ambitions sensible. A mixed canal session is the clear draw; exactly what turns up on the day is another matter. No promises of getting bagged up before your first brew.

There’s a carp angle too. Large carp are reported at the eastern end, which is also described as relatively secluded. That’s the bit worth having in mind if carp are your main interest, rather than assuming the whole length offers the same prospect. There’s no stated weight to hang a PB claim on, though. Relatively secluded also doesn’t mean private: the towpath and canal still need to stay clear for other users.

The ticket side is refreshingly straightforward. Lymm’s Shropshire Union Canal day ticket costs £2.50 and allows up to two baited rods simultaneously. Day-ticket fishing runs from dawn until dusk and is advertised all year round. Buy before you fish through the club website, which links to Clubmate for booking. Don’t turn up expecting to hand over a few quid on the bank: no ticket money is accepted there. Night fishing isn’t covered by that ticket.

For getting there, the published directions lead down Red Lane from Huxley, with parking available on verges north of the canal. The access-point postcode is CH3 9BD. Treat that as an arrival point rather than a marker for the entire stretch. No access key is required, but you must use recognised access points and approach on foot along the towpath. Worth getting the access sorted before deciding where to settle in.

Once you’re on the bank, fishing is towpath-side only and every fish must go back. Keep your kit from obstructing either the towpath or canal, and don’t interfere with stationary or moving boats. General Lymm club rules apply alongside the canal-specific ones, so give those a read before setting off. Overall, the appeal is simple: a low-cost canal ticket, several species to target and a quieter eastern end, without pretending this is a purpose-built commercial fishery.

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 — “Proper canal fishing on the Chester stretch of the Shropshire Union, covering bridges 113–120. There’s a cracking mix of coarse fish, reported large carp towards the quieter eastern end, and a £2.50 dawn-to-dusk day ticket.”

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.