Upper River Witham

River level

The lowdown

• The Upper Witham covers a fair old chunk between Lincoln and North Hykeham, so there’s plenty of water to explore rather than one tight little pool.
• Depth is the headline here. The river averages roughly 7–8ft, giving you a decent head of water for feeder work, float gear and searching the swims properly.
• It’s a canalised urban-edge river, running through Lincoln and North Hykeham. Expect a more managed feel than a tiny rural brook, with the waterway itself doing the talking.
• Roach are the main draw, with a good stock reported. Rudd and bream are also resident, so there’s scope for a few different approaches through the season.
• Perch and pike are both reported in good numbers. That adds a cheeky predator angle, especially if the coarse fish are on the munch and attracting attention.
• Chub and dace are listed for the fishery, while eels turn up occasionally. A proper mixed coarse list, then, rather than a one-species kind of stretch.
• The exact peg count isn’t given, and the fishery description covers a large area. Best bet is to have a wander and look for comfortable access and a swim with a bit of interest in the flow.
• Keep things simple to start: a float or trotting-style approach for roach and dace, then a feeder if you need to hold bottom in the deeper water. For bream, settling a bait on the deck is the obvious play.
• The coarse close season runs from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. Outside that window, it’s a dawn-to-dusk day-ticket water, so no late-night faffing.
• No vehicles are allowed on the embankments, and the association doesn’t list specific parking areas. Plan your access before setting off and don’t assume you can pull up beside the peg.

Methods: Float fishing and trotting-style tactics suit the roach, dace and mixed coarse fish, while feeder work is a sensible option in the average 7–8ft depth. Pike and perch are also present in good numbers, giving the stretch a proper predator option.

Access & tickets

The stretch is members-only and is not offered as a standard LDAA day-ticket water. LDAA does not publish a Laughterton day-ticket price; temporary membership is only available by buying a day ticket where day tickets are offered.

Fish the club names

carp, tench, bream, roach, pike, perch, rudd, chub, eel

Key rules

• A valid Environment Agency rod licence is required.
• The day ticket applies from dawn to dusk.
• The coarse-fishing close season runs from 15 March to 15 June inclusive.
• No vehicles are allowed on the embankments.

Where it is