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RiverDay ticket

Stanhope Gauging Station to Rookhope Burn, Eastgate

A cracking upland stretch of the River Wear, running from Stanhope Gauging Station upstream to Rookhope Burn at Eastgate. It’s day-ticket game water for wild brown trout, with sea trout and salmon also on the list.

Run by Weardale Fly Fishers Club · checked 11 Oct 2026

River level

Measured — Environment Agency

Stanhope gauge

Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.

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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

The lowdown

  • This is proper Weardale water, with the fishable section covering roughly 4.02 km between Stanhope and Eastgate.
  • The valley is rural and upland, with the Wear running through attractive countryside. Much of the river is tree-lined on both banks.
  • It’s game angling rather than coarse fishing, and the water is described as suitable for wild brown-trout fishing. The river isn’t stocked.
  • The Stanhope end includes a ford and stepping stones across the Wear, giving the stretch a bit of character and useful access points.
  • There are off-road access sections, but some bits are steep. Worth taking care underfoot, especially when the river’s carrying a bit of extra pace.
  • Fly fishing is permitted up to 1 September. That’s the main approach for the early part of the season.
  • After 1 September, worm and spinning are also reported as permitted, giving you a few more options as conditions change.
  • Sea trout are reported to arrive during the summer, while salmon are among the target species. Brown trout are the main wild-fish attraction.
  • Car parking is available in the wider fishing area, though exact parking details for individual swims aren’t published. Specific peg numbers aren’t published either.
  • Night fishing details haven’t been published, so treat this as a daylight ticket unless the club confirms otherwise. A current Environment Agency rod licence is required.
  • We're not sure on ticket prices for this one — check with the club or local regulations before you leave.

Methods: Start with the fly for brown trout, working the glides and tree-lined water carefully. From 1 September, worm and spinning are also reported as permitted, with summer sea trout and salmon among the target fish.

Access & tickets

Day permit

Available to non-members from Stanhope Newsagents, Front Street, Stanhope.

Environment Agency rod licence

A current licence is required in addition to the fishery permit.

Day permits for non-members are available from Stanhope Newsagents on Front Street, Stanhope. Ticket prices were not published, so check locally before setting off.

Fish the club names

trout, trout, trout

Key rules

  • Fly fishing is permitted until 1 September.
  • After 1 September, worm and spinning are also reported as permitted.
  • A current Environment Agency rod licence is required.
  • The water is game angling rather than coarse fishing.
  • The fishery is not stocked.
  • Night fishing information was not published; check with the club before fishing after dark.

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 fish

Where it is

Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.

Community reported

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