Chichester Canal

Chichester Canal gives you roughly four miles of water from Chichester Basin to Chichester Harbour, with the fishing stretch running towards Donnington. Around two miles, as far as Donnington, are navigable. It’s a canal rather than a string of lakes, so expect a linear venue with towpath access and plenty to explore.

• 1 lake: Chichester Canal — Chichester Basin to Donnington
• Fish: roach, rudd, perch, bream, tench, pike, eel, carp
• Tickets from: Annual Canal Trust fishing licence — £25
• Find it: Chichester · PO19 8DT

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

Chichester Canal gives you roughly four miles of water from Chichester Basin to Chichester Harbour, with the fishing stretch running towards Donnington. Around two miles, as far as Donnington, are navigable. It’s a canal rather than a string of lakes, so expect a linear venue with towpath access and plenty to explore.

The fish list is nicely mixed. Roach, rudd, perch, bream, tench, pike and eels are all present, while the Trust also lists common, crucian and mirror carp. Dace and chub are reported too. That gives you options, whether you fancy a float session, a bit of margin fishing or a pike trip with the right gear.

For a relaxed coarse session, the usual canal approach is keeping things tidy and mobile. Look at the margins, reedier bits and any changes in depth, then build the swim rather than chucking halfway across for the sake of it. Roach, rudd and perch should suit float tactics, while bream and tench give you something else to target as the season moves on.

There are a few important access details to get straight before setting off. The current fishing-page guidance says fishing is permitted from the south side of the A27 bridge onwards, but not north of the A27 bridge, in the Canal Basin or at Hunston Jetty. The published rules also give seasonal arrangements, so it’s worth checking the latest position with the Trust or bailiff before travelling.

Tickets are sold by the Canal Cafe during its opening hours. A day ticket is £7 and the annual Canal Trust licence is £25, but neither replaces the Environment Agency rod licence. Cafe opening hours aren’t fixed on the published pages, so a quick call to the Trust is bob on before making the trip.

This is a rules-led venue. Fishing is year-round, but normal permit fishing between the A27 bridge and Donnington Road Bridge is listed as 8:00am to 8:00pm from 1 April to 30 September. Winter arrangements allow fishing from the towpath north of the A27 bridge and in the Basin, while the current fishing page gives the south-side-of-A27 guidance. Children under 12 need a responsible adult, and night fishing needs Trust or bailiff permission.

The Canal Cafe adds refreshments, toilets, seating and tourist information, with limited free car parking for canal visitors. Anglers with limited mobility are catered for. Keep the towpath clear, take litter and tackle home or use the bins, and return every fish safely to the canal.

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 — “Chichester Canal is a proper urban coarse-fishing venue running from Chichester Basin towards Donnington, with roach, rudd, perch, bream, tench, pike and more. A £7 day ticket or £25 annual Canal Trust permit gets you fishing, with an EA rod licence needed as well.”

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.