Montgomery Canal

The Montgomery Canal around Welshpool is a cracking option if you fancy canal fishing without loads of faff. The managed Welshpool stretch runs from Bridge 115 at Heulwen Wharf to Bridge 119a at Maes y Dre Footbridge, with Montgomeryshire Angling Association looking after the section.

• 1 lake: Welshpool fishing section — Bridge 115 at Heulwen Wharf to Bridge 119a at Maes y Dre Footbridge
• Fish: perch, roach, pike, tench, carp, rudd, bream
• Find it: Welshpool · SY21 8QA

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

The Montgomery Canal around Welshpool is a cracking option if you fancy canal fishing without loads of faff. The managed Welshpool stretch runs from Bridge 115 at Heulwen Wharf to Bridge 119a at Maes y Dre Footbridge, with Montgomeryshire Angling Association looking after the section.

It’s a narrow canal with little or no flow, and it’s relatively shallow, especially across the non-navigable parts. That makes it a good fit for pole work, with bread, sweetcorn, hemp, maggots and worm all listed as suitable baits.

There’s a decent mixed bag on offer. Perch, roach, pike, tench, carp, rudd and bream are reported from the canal, while wider restored northern sections also hold dace and crucian carp. The wider canal has reported tench over 6 lb, roach over 3 lb, rudd and perch over 2 lb, plus double-figure pike.

For a relaxed float session, the pole is the obvious starting point. A waggler, small feeder or bomb gives you a few more options if the fish are holding away from the bank. Keep an eye on the margins too — shallow canals can produce when fish move into the edges, especially during warmer spells.

If predators are your thing, lure, drop-shot, soft-lure and spinning tactics can target perch and pike. The canal’s mixed character means you can have a proper rummage around rather than being boxed into one style of fishing.

Access is generally decent, with a maintained towpath serving many swims and disabled-access fishing facilities available on the Welshpool section. Nearby parking is listed at Welshpool town centre, Flash Leisure Centre, Corfields Bridge and Rhallt Bridge. Spring vegetation growth can make some banks trickier, though.

This section is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, so check the rules before setting up. A Montgomeryshire Angling Association permit and a valid Environment Agency rod licence are required. Day and weekly permits are available from Welshpool Information Centre in Vicarage Gardens, but current permit prices and official daily opening hours are not published.

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.

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• Our read

  Checked Sept '26 — “A proper little canal venue around Welshpool, with club-controlled fishing, a handy towpath and a mixed bag of coarse species. The Welshpool section runs from Bridge 115 at Heulwen Wharf to Bridge 119a at Maes y Dre Footbridge.”

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.