Houghton, Wyton & Hemingford - Main River
A cracking club-run stretch of the River Great Ouse, from above Four Gate sluice down to Houghton Lock, with more sections below. It’s navigable, boat-trafficked in summer and offers proper coarse fishing for members.
Run by Houghton, Wyton & Hemingford Angling Society · checked 10 Oct 2026 · boundaries only partly described by the club
River Great Ouse
Houghton, Wyton & Hemingford - Main River
Our river artwork — photos for this stretch are on the way
River level
Measured — Environment Agency
Houghton gauge
Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.
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We don't publish an "ideal level" — nobody can promise one. Flood water is dangerous: if it's up and coloured, stay well back from the edge. Open River Ready
The lowdown
- The Main River starts above Four Gate sluice, at the bit known as the JB’s section. From there it runs downstream to Houghton Lock.
- There’s plenty of water to explore, with the society holding about four miles of Great Ouse and associated backwater rights in total.
- The lower sections below Houghton Lock are known as the Sluice and Jap sections, so there’s more club water nearby if you fancy a wander.
- This is a navigable river, and summer boat traffic can affect the fishing. Expect the water to get busier as the warmer months roll in.
- It’s classic coarse-fishing country, with roach, rudd, bream, tench and dace named among the available species.
- Perch and pike are specifically named for the Main River too, giving you a few predator options alongside the silverfish and tench.
- The stretch includes a sluice at the top end and a lock downstream, so those are the obvious areas to keep in mind when looking at the river’s flow and character.
- There’s no official peg count for the Main River, and no separate mileage is given for this section beyond the society’s roughly four-mile total holding.
- All fish must go straight back, and the Countryside Code applies. Keep the banks tidy too — no litter, no faff.
- Parking is listed at the National Trust car park on Mill Street, Houghton, and at Meadow Lane, Hemingford Abbots. Check the access before setting up.
Methods: A flexible coarse approach fits the water: trotting or feeder fishing for the named silverfish and tench, with perch and pike worth considering where the river gives you a chance. Keep an eye on boat traffic during summer.
Access & tickets
Annual membership, ages 18–64
Club membership
£15 (as listed 10 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Annual OAP membership
Club membership
£10 (as listed 10 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Junior membership, under 18
Club membership
free (as listed 10 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Weekly membership
Club membership
£8 (as listed 10 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
No day tickets are available. Tickets can be bought from Houghton Post Office, Hemingford Stores and St Ives Tackle, with season and weekly tickets also available online through Clubmate.
Fish the club names
roach, rudd, bream, tench, perch, pike, trout, chub, crucian, eel, zander
Key rules
- All anglers must buy a valid club ticket before fishing.
- All fish caught must be returned to the water.
- Anglers must follow the Countryside Code.
- Do not leave litter on the banks.
- Anglers aged 13 and over must hold an Environment Agency rod licence.
- A free junior rod licence is available for anglers aged 13–16.
Coarse fishing on English rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. That's the law for coarse fish on rivers — it's not a club rule, and game-fishing seasons work differently.
GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fishWhere it is
Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.
Community reported
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