Peak Forest Canal – Hyde Stretch

The Peak Forest Canal – Hyde Stretch is proper urban canal fishing on the Lower Peak Forest Canal, running through Hyde in Tameside between Dukinfield and the Woodley/Marple side. The identified fishing spot is around Moorside Place, south of Hyde, with housing and industrial development close to the towpath.

• 1 lake: Peak Forest Canal – Hyde Stretch
• Fish: carp
• Find it: Hyde · SK14 1SB

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

The Peak Forest Canal – Hyde Stretch is proper urban canal fishing on the Lower Peak Forest Canal, running through Hyde in Tameside between Dukinfield and the Woodley/Marple side. The identified fishing spot is around Moorside Place, south of Hyde, with housing and industrial development close to the towpath. It is a narrow waterway, so this is more about reading a swim than spreading half the tackle shop across the bank.

Start simple. On a canal, the margins are always worth a look before you go charging for the far side. Check the near shelf, any changes in depth, bits of cover and sections where the towpath edge looks slightly different. Then have a look across for a far-bank line. A tidy, compact setup makes life much easier here, especially with the towpath being a public shared route that must be kept clear.

The water is described as a coarse-fishing canal, but there is no confirmed Hyde-specific species list. So keep the approach flexible rather than building the whole session around one target. A light float, simple pole work or a small feeder can all make sense, depending on the conditions and what the swim shows you. Bring enough kit to switch lines without turning the peg into a tackle explosion.

Give the swim a few minutes before committing. Watch the water, look for any signs of movement and pay attention to how the canal changes along the towpath. The stretch includes urban surroundings, and Geograph records anglers fishing beside the canal at Moorside Place, as well as the canal approaching a winding hole in Hyde. Those sorts of changes are handy places to pause and think rather than just marching on.

The Peak Forest Canal runs for approximately 15 miles overall. The wider Canal & River Trust Waterway Wanderers fishing length runs from Dukinfield Junction to Bridge 38 at Whaley Bridge, making a valid Canal & River Trust Waterway Wanderers permit the relevant documented access route where no club permit applies. An Environment Agency rod licence is also required. Check the permit position, Canal & River Trust fishing conditions and any posted local restrictions before you get the gear out.

There is no confirmed day-ticket price, booking process, opening time or night-fishing policy for this named stretch, so do not assume anything about an evening session. The Canal & River Trust is the navigation authority, and the towpath stays shared space throughout the day. No toilets, tackle shop, café or dedicated parking have been confirmed for the fishing stretch itself, so pack sensibly, keep the footprint small and leave the swim bob on for the next angler.

We're not sure on ticket prices for this one — check with the club or local regulations before you leave.

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 — “Peak Forest Canal – Hyde Stretch is a proper urban coarse-fishing canal length near Moorside Place, with towpath access and Waterway Wanderers permit access documented for the wider canal. Expect a simple, feature-led canal session rather than a polished day-ticket fishery.”

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.