River guide
River Tees in County Durham
12 checked stretches so far — day tickets, club waters and guest tickets, each checked against the club's own pages.
The lowdown
The River Tees through County Durham offers a mix of coarse-fishing and game-fishing interest, with the Gainford stretch covering salmon, sea trout, trout, coarse fish and grayling. The river can rise quickly, so keep an eye on conditions and don’t underestimate the flow.
This is a foot-access river rather than a drive-up-and-fish venue. The banks are private despite the public footpath, and the local rules are tight around seasons, bait, spinning, catch limits and fish welfare. Get the permit and rod licence sorted, then settle in and fish the water in front of you properly.
Close season reminder
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 fishStretches
12 of 12 checked stretches. No rankings — we don't know which is "best" on your day, and neither does anyone else.
Gainford Riverside – River Tees from St Mary's Well to Barforth Wath
River Tees · Day ticket
A cracking River Tees stretch from St Mary’s Well below Gainford Churchyard upstream to Barforth Wath. It’s permit-only water run by the volunteer Gainford Riverside Trust, with day and annual permits available.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Raby Estate Upper Tees – North Bank between Cauldron Snout and Dent Bank
River Tees · Day ticket or members
A proper wild Upper Tees beat on the north bank, running between Cauldron Snout and Dent Bank near Middleton-in-Teesdale. Expect upland river character, with pools, riffles, rapids and rocky water, plus some serious wading to think about.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Blackwell Waters – River Tees between Blackwell Road Bridge and Blackwell Pumping Station
River Tees · Day ticket or members
Blackwell Waters is Darlington Anglers Club’s most popular River Tees stretch, running for roughly 1.5 miles along the County Durham bank. It’s a cracking mix of gravelly river features, flowing water and deeper holding areas, with plenty of rural scenery around Blackwell Holm and Stapleton Corner.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
High Coniscliffe Waters – River Tees between High Coniscliffe and Merrybent
River Tees · Day ticket
A cracking 1.5-mile middle-reaches stretch on the northern bank of the Tees, running from High Coniscliffe to Merrybent. It’s varied water too, with deep holding pools, gravelly runs and easy wading — bob on for a proper day on the river.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Nags Head and Oxney Flatts Waters
River Tees · Day ticket
Nags Head and Oxney Flatts is a cracking two-mile River Tees stretch on the County Durham bank, run by Darlington Anglers Club. It runs from Blackwell Pumping Station down to the mouth of the River Skerne, with some of the club’s best-performing pegs in the mix.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Barnard Castle Angling Club – River Tees, Barnard Castle section
River Tees · Day ticket or members
A cracking bit of River Tees around Barnard Castle, run by Barnard Castle Angling Club. You get roughly 3 miles of varied water, with town-centre scenery, rocky runs, weirs, proper pools and deeper sections to pick apart.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Darlington Anglers' Club River Tees waters — Cleasby to Croft section
River Tees · Day ticket
A proper middle-Tees stretch from Cleasby down to Croft, run by Darlington Anglers’ Club. Expect flowing water, bankside woodland and deeper pools and runs, with day tickets available for the river.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club – River Tees water at Cotherstone
River Tees · Members only
A proper fly-only bit of the Tees at Cotherstone, run by Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club. Boulders, wooded banks, riffles and pools give it a cracking bit of river character, with access near the Tees–Balder confluence and footbridge.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Darlington Brown Trout AA North Bank – River Tees
River Tees · Day ticket
A cracking three-mile north-bank beat on the River Tees, run by Darlington Brown Trout Angling Association and available through The Fishing Passport. It’s fly only, with deep pools, long gravelly runs and plenty of brown trout, grayling and salmon.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Tees North – Meeting of the Waters
River Tees · Club members or guest ticket
A cracking, broad and varied Tees beat on the Durham bank, centred on the Meeting of the Waters where the Greta joins the Tees. The Bay of Plenty pool sits just below the confluence, with wide, deep water and some proper river character.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Strathmore Estate Upper Tees – south/west bank from Middleton-in-Teesdale towards High Force
River Tees · Day ticket
A proper wild upper-Tees beat, with around 10 miles of south and west bank fishing from the Middleton-in-Teesdale area towards High Force. It’s fly only, with dark peat-stained brown trout, salmon water lower down and some seriously lively wading.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Tees South
River Tees · Members only
A secluded, fly-only beat on the Yorkshire bank of the Tees below Barnard Castle, run by Darlington Fly Fishers Club. It’s a proper varied bit of river, with broad pools, lively runs and some cracking wild brown trout and grayling water.
Checked 8 Oct 2026
Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.
Access & tickets
Day permit
Gainford Riverside Trust
Available by permit only. Prices depend on permit and age category.
Up to £12.50 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Gainford Riverside – River Tees from St Mary's Well to Barforth Wath
Annual permit
Gainford Riverside Trust
Annual fishing permits are available. Prices depend on permit and age category.
Up to £50 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Gainford Riverside – River Tees from St Mary's Well to Barforth Wath
Under-12 permit
Gainford Riverside Trust
Children under 12 may fish free but must obtain a zero-cost permit.
£0 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Gainford Riverside – River Tees from St Mary's Well to Barforth Wath
Annual Trout and Grayling adult membership
Raby Estates
Raby Estates ticket portal
£125 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Raby Estate Upper Tees – North Bank between Cauldron Snout and Dent Bank
Annual Trout and Grayling concession membership
Raby Estates
Raby Estates ticket portal
£113.75 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Raby Estate Upper Tees – North Bank between Cauldron Snout and Dent Bank
Annual Salmon, Trout and Grayling adult membership
Raby Estates
Raby Estates ticket portal
£150 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Raby Estate Upper Tees – North Bank between Cauldron Snout and Dent Bank
Day ticket
Darlington Anglers Club
Available from Darlington Anglers Club’s honorary secretary. Online day-ticket booking is also provided on the official club website.
Covers: Blackwell Waters – River Tees between Blackwell Road Bridge and Blackwell Pumping Station
Weekly ticket
Darlington Anglers Club
Available from the club’s honorary secretary.
Covers: Blackwell Waters – River Tees between Blackwell Road Bridge and Blackwell Pumping Station
Salmon special permit
Darlington Anglers Club
Required for salmon fishing and available from the honorary secretary.
Covers: Blackwell Waters – River Tees between Blackwell Road Bridge and Blackwell Pumping Station
River day ticket
Darlington Anglers Club
Available for Darlington Anglers Club river waters via the Clubmate online booking system.
Covers: High Coniscliffe Waters – River Tees between High Coniscliffe and Merrybent
Salmon permit
Darlington Anglers Club
Special permit required from the club secretary.
Covers: High Coniscliffe Waters – River Tees between High Coniscliffe and Merrybent
River day ticket
Darlington Anglers Club
Day ticket for the river only. Book via the official booking page linked from the Darlington Anglers Club website.
Covers: Nags Head and Oxney Flatts Waters
Full-day salmon ticket
Barnard Castle Angling Club
Available through The Fishing Passport.
£15 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Barnard Castle Angling Club – River Tees, Barnard Castle section
Full-day river-trout ticket
Barnard Castle Angling Club
Available through The Fishing Passport.
£10 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Barnard Castle Angling Club – River Tees, Barnard Castle section
Winter-grayling full-day ticket
Barnard Castle Angling Club
Available through The Fishing Passport.
£8 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Barnard Castle Angling Club – River Tees, Barnard Castle section
River day ticket
Darlington Anglers Club
Day ticket for the river only, booked through Clubmate via the club website.
Covers: Darlington Anglers' Club River Tees waters — Cleasby to Croft section
Salmon special permit
Darlington Anglers Club
Required for salmon fishing; obtain it from the honorary secretary.
Covers: Darlington Anglers' Club River Tees waters — Cleasby to Croft section
Full, senior or associate membership
Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club
Membership of Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club. Associate membership is available to people living outside Cotherstone Parish.
£70 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club – River Tees water at Cotherstone
Junior membership
Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club
For anglers under 18.
£15 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club – River Tees water at Cotherstone
Member-accompanied guest/day ticket
Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club
Guest/day access is for a member-accompanied visit and is not described as a freely available public day ticket.
£10 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club – River Tees water at Cotherstone
Full-day salmon ticket
Darlington Brown Trout Angling Association
The Fishing Passport day ticket; maximum four tickets listed per day.
£20 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Darlington Brown Trout AA North Bank – River Tees
Full-day river-trout ticket
Darlington Brown Trout Angling Association
The Fishing Passport day ticket; fly fishing only.
£14 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Darlington Brown Trout AA North Bank – River Tees
Full-day winter-grayling ticket
Darlington Brown Trout Angling Association
The Fishing Passport day ticket; fly fishing only.
£8 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Darlington Brown Trout AA North Bank – River Tees
Annual membership
Darlington Fly Fishers Club
Darlington Fly Fishers Club membership; limited to approximately 40 rods.
£135 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Tees North – Meeting of the Waters
Guest day ticket
Darlington Fly Fishers Club
Available when brought by a fully paid-up member by prior arrangement.
£5 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Tees North – Meeting of the Waters
Trial day
Darlington Fly Fishers Club
Prospective new members may be offered a complimentary trial day with a sponsoring member.
Covers: Tees North – Meeting of the Waters
Full-day salmon ticket
Strathmore Estate
Listed through The Fishing Passport; maximum 20 tickets per day.
£25 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Strathmore Estate Upper Tees – south/west bank from Middleton-in-Teesdale towards High Force
Weekly salmon ticket
Strathmore Estate
Listed through The Fishing Passport.
£70 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Strathmore Estate Upper Tees – south/west bank from Middleton-in-Teesdale towards High Force
Full-day winter grayling ticket
Strathmore Estate
Listed through The Fishing Passport.
£12 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Strathmore Estate Upper Tees – south/west bank from Middleton-in-Teesdale towards High Force
Annual club membership
Darlington Fly Fishers Club
Darlington Fly Fishers Club membership; limited to approximately 40 rods and available when a vacancy exists.
£135 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Tees South
Guest day ticket
Darlington Fly Fishers Club
Available to fully paid-up members’ guests by prior arrangement.
£5 (as listed 08/10/2026)
Covers: Tees South
Prospective member trial day
Darlington Fly Fishers Club
A complimentary trial day may be available when accompanied by a sponsoring member.
Covers: Tees South
Species
We only tag a stretch with a fish when the club names it. Some clubs name fish across all their water rather than stretch by stretch — those are flagged on the card.
● named by the club for this stretch · ●* named across the club's waters · blank = not named (not "absent").
Rules — who runs what
Gainford Riverside Trust
Daily and annual permits are available from Gainford Riverside Trust. Children under 12 must obtain a zero-cost permit; concessionary rates apply to people over 65 and children aged 12–15.
Raby Estates
Fishing permits are available online through the Raby Estates ticket portal, or from the High Force Hotel. The Raby fishing page lists River Tees permits, including Trout and Grayling, and Salmon and Trout options.
Day and weekly tickets are available from Darlington Anglers Club’s honorary secretary. The official club website also provides a day-ticket booking link for River Tees fishing.
Club pageDay and weekly passes are available through The Fishing Passport. The club also provides online membership and visitor-pass access; an Environment Agency rod licence is required as well.
Club pageFishing is controlled by Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club. Membership is open to Cotherstone Parish residents, past and present, with associate membership for people living outside the parish; new members need a bank walk plus proposal and seconding by current members. Guest/day tickets are member-accompanied rather than freely available public tickets.
Club pageDarlington Brown Trout Angling Association
Tickets are available through The Fishing Passport day-ticket system. A maximum of four tickets is listed per day.
Club pageThe beat is run by Darlington Fly Fishers Club, whose membership is deliberately limited to approximately 40 rods. Annual subscription is £135; a fully paid-up member may bring a guest by prior arrangement, with a guest day ticket listed at £5. Prospective new members may be offered a complimentary trial day with a sponsoring member.
Club pageStrathmore Estate
Tickets are offered through The Fishing Passport booking platform. The listed prices are £25 for a full-day salmon ticket, £70 for a weekly salmon ticket and £12 for a full-day winter grayling ticket; a maximum of 20 tickets per day is listed.
Fished the river recently?
Pick the stretch you fished and add a 20-second update there — one stretch at a time keeps it useful.
Each stretch page lists its own key rules. You'll need an Environment Agency rod licence on all of them.
River levels
Measured readings straight from the Environment Agency. These are the nearest gauges we've matched — not readings from the stretches themselves.
Measured — Environment Agency
Broken Scar 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
Measured — Environment Agency
Middleton 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
Measured — Environment Agency
Hurworth 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
Tips & reports
Our take (editorial, not club advice): on any decent-sized river, a lead that holds bottom without dragging is half the battle — go up in weight before you go up in bait. A bit of extra colour after rain often brings barbel and bream closer in, but a fast-rising, debris-filled river is dangerous; if in doubt, don't. Weather tools built for still lakes don't translate neatly to rivers, so we haven't bolted a lake-style weather score on here.
No angler reports on these stretches yet — we'll only show real ones once our moderated river reports are live.
Where this comes from · checked 8 Oct 2026
- GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fish
- Gainford Riverside Trust — home (gainfordriversidetrust.org.uk)
- Raby Estates — fishing (raby.co.uk)
- Darlington Anglers Club — home (darlingtonanglersclub.org.uk)
- Barnard Castle Angling Club — home (bcaclub.co.uk)
- Cotherstone Fly Fishing Club — home (cotherstoneflyfishingclub.co.uk)
- Darlington Brown Trout Angling Association — home (dbtaa.org.uk)
- Darlington Fly Fishers Club — home (darlingtonflyfishers.com)
- Strathmore Estate — strathmore estate upper tees maize beck (fishingpassport.co.uk)
Rules, prices and ticket availability change — the rights holder's own page always wins.