Derwent Reservoir

Fancy a proper reservoir session rather than a small pool? Derwent Reservoir near Consett, Durham, gives you approximately 1,000 acres of water, with rainbow trout, roach and pike among the species. There’s one reservoir here, not a collection of separate lakes, so the appeal is straightforward: big water and a choice between trout, coarse and predator fishing. Pick your target, sort the right permit and build your day around that.

• 1 lake: Derwent Reservoir
• Fish: trout, roach, pike
• Tickets from: Full-day eight-fish permit — £31
• Find it: Consett · DH8 9TT

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

Fancy a proper reservoir session rather than a small pool? Derwent Reservoir near Consett, Durham, gives you approximately 1,000 acres of water, with rainbow trout, roach and pike among the species. There’s one reservoir here, not a collection of separate lakes, so the appeal is straightforward: big water and a choice between trout, coarse and predator fishing. Pick your target, sort the right permit and build your day around that.

All banks offer any-method fishing, which gives Derwent a different feel from a fly-only trout venue. Loose feeding and groundbaiting are permitted too, handy to know if roach are your target and you’re planning a feeding approach. Don’t mistake that flexibility for a free-for-all, though. Permit conditions still matter, and anyone deadbaiting for pike must use sea deadbaits only. That’s one to sort before packing the bait bag.

The permit menu covers quite a few different days on the bank. There are full-day five-fish and eight-fish options, a concession eight-fish ticket, an under-17 ticket and a fly/spinning sporting permit. Coarse and pike fishing have their own day permit. Eligible tickets also offer a second-rod supplement, but don’t assume it applies to every option. Catch-limit tickets have a clear stopping point: once you reach your limit, fishing must stop.

For the 2026 season, fishing reopened on 3 March. Fishing hours run from 08:00 to 20:00 or sunset, whichever comes first, so this isn’t an overnight-session option. The park separately advertises an 08:00–21:00 day, but that later park closing time doesn’t extend your fishing. Keep the distinction in mind if you’re squeezing in an evening session; the fishing finish is the one that matters when you’re on the bank.

The practical bits are nicely covered. Fishing permits include parking, and there’s an on-site shop stocking angling essentials, plus a café for refreshments and snacks. Toilets and picnic areas help keep the day simple, while the children’s adventure playground gives accompanying families another option. There’s also an accessible fishing platform south of the dam. That’s a useful named spot for planning access, rather than assuming every stretch of such a large reservoir offers the same setup.

For the sat-nav, use DH8 9TT. A reservoir coordinate isn’t necessarily the entrance, so don’t let a map pin send you on an unnecessary detour. Pike permits are currently bought in the shop only; other permits are available through the shop, online booking or by calling the fishery. Bringing the dog? Leads are required outside the dedicated dog field. Overall, Derwent offers a cracking mix of fishing choices and day-out facilities, with clear permit decisions to make before you head off.

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 — “Derwent Reservoir near Consett is a proper big-water option, with roughly 1,000 acres and rainbow trout, roach and pike to go at. Any-method fishing is offered on all banks, with a £12 coarse/pike day permit and parking included.”

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.