Hertford Union Canal

Hertford Union Canal, also known as Duckett’s Canal or Duckett’s Cut, runs through Tower Hamlets in Greater London. It links the Regent’s Canal with the Lee Navigation and stretches for roughly 1.2–1.5 miles, or about two kilometres according to waterways information. Short, handy and very much a city canal.

• 1 lake: Whole Hertford Union Canal / Waterway Wanderers stretch
• Fish: carp, tench, bream, roach, pike, perch
• Tickets from: Adult Waterway Wanderers permit — £28 from 1 April 2026
• Find it: London · E3 5GG

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

Hertford Union Canal, also known as Duckett’s Canal or Duckett’s Cut, runs through Tower Hamlets in Greater London. It links the Regent’s Canal with the Lee Navigation and stretches for roughly 1.2–1.5 miles, or about two kilometres according to waterways information. Short, handy and very much a city canal.

The whole canal is covered by the Canal & River Trust’s Waterway Wanderers scheme. That means the venue is one continuous canal stretch rather than a conventional fishery with numbered pegs. Access is mainly from the public towpath, bridges and nearby streets, so there’s plenty of scope to move about and look for signs of fish.

Typical reported species include roach, perch, bream, tench, carp and pike. That gives you a decent mixed-bag spread for a small canal. Roach and perch are the likely banker targets, while tench, bream and carp could make a warmer-weather session more interesting. Pike add a cheeky winter option, subject to the relevant rules.

The three locks are useful features to keep in mind, but fishing is banned within 25 metres of any lock and in the lock chambers. The same 25-metre restriction applies around swing or lifting bridges and water points. Away from those exclusion zones, keep an eye on towpath features, moored boats and any changes in depth or cover.

A light, mobile approach should suit the venue. A float outfit for roach, perch and mixed silverfish lets you cover the margins and work through likely holding spots. For tench, bream or carp, a simple feeder or margin presentation could be worth a look, while pike anglers should make sure their tackle and methods meet current requirements.

There are a few practical urban-canal wrinkles. Fishing is from the towpath side only, not the offside bank, and anglers must keep clear of permanent moorings, overhead power lines and restricted boating areas. Visitor moorings give boats priority when space is tight during the boating season, so be ready to pack down or move.

Night fishing is allowed on Waterway Wanderers stretches, provided nearby residents are considered. Bivvies are only allowed where the towpath is wide enough and public access stays clear. There’s no reported dedicated fishery car park or on-site toilet, so check local parking restrictions and plan your kit around a public towpath session.

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 — “Hertford Union Canal is a compact, urban Waterway Wanderers stretch linking the Regent’s Canal with the Lee Navigation. It’s a year-round towpath option for roach, perch, bream, tench, carp and pike, with a permit rather than day-ticket setup.”

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.