Lancaster Canal – Garstang Stretch

The Garstang Stretch sits on the Lancaster Canal in Lancashire, with the canal basin and River Wyre aqueduct part of the local scene. This is proper canal fishing rather than a tidy commercial lake, so expect a long, linear venue with different swims and access points along the towpath.

• 1 lake: Lancaster Canal – Garstang Stretch
• Fish: tench, bream, pike, roach, perch, carp, rudd, eel
• Tickets from: Adult coarse-fishing membership, one year — £20
• Find it: Garstang · PR3 1PA

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

The Garstang Stretch sits on the Lancaster Canal in Lancashire, with the canal basin and River Wyre aqueduct part of the local scene. This is proper canal fishing rather than a tidy commercial lake, so expect a long, linear venue with different swims and access points along the towpath.

The local section averages around 1.1 metres deep, with a reported maximum of roughly 1.5 metres. The Lancaster Canal is lock-free through the Garstang area, which gives the stretch a straightforward feel for anglers who fancy working along the towpath and picking a swim that looks right.

There’s a useful spread of canal species on offer. Tench, bream, pike and roach are reported targets, while perch, gudgeon, rudd, carp and eel are also listed among the wider Lancaster Canal fish. That makes it a versatile bit of water rather than a one-species ticket.

For a coarse angler, the appeal is the variety and the chance to fish a natural-looking canal setting close to Garstang. The canal runs for around 42 miles from Preston to Tewitfield, although this listing covers the Garstang Stretch within the wider PAC-controlled Lancaster Canal fishery.

Access is listed at Kepple Lane, Garstang. The towpath is reported as always open, but there are no dedicated fishery toilets, tackle shop, café or parking facilities listed on the fishery page. Local cafés, pubs and customer toilets are available around Garstang, so a brew and a bacon butty are not far away.

The big bit of admin is getting sorted before fishing. Memberships and day tickets are bought online through the PAC Clubmate platform, and day tickets are not available on the bank. You’ll also need an Environment Agency rod licence, plus the relevant Lancaster Canal permission. Pike anglers need PAC membership as well as the canal permit.

Fishing is available all year round, subject to the fishery rules, canal restrictions and permits. No dedicated opening hours or official night-fishing permission are published, so stick to the confirmed daytime access details and carry your permit. Keep the place tidy, follow the Waterways Code and leave the native fish where they belong.

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 — “Lancaster Canal – Garstang Stretch is a permit-controlled canal venue with tench, bream, pike, roach and other coarse fish. It is a year-round option, but permits must be sorted before you arrive — no cheeky bank-side ticket purchase.”

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.