Wood Lane — Hinton St Mary
A quiet, peaceful middle-Stour stretch at Hinton St Mary, with left-bank access from Wood Lane. It’s got shallower, weedy water upstream and deeper, more varied swims below Dunch Mouth — proper mixed fishing with a cheeky pike angle too.
Run by Sturminster and Hinton Angling Association · checked 16 Oct 2026 · boundaries only partly described by the club
Dorset Stour
Wood Lane — Hinton St Mary
Our river artwork — photos for this stretch are on the way
River level
Measured — Environment Agency
Hammoon 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 Hammoon on Live River Levels
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The lowdown
- The Wood Lane section sits on the middle reaches of the Dorset Stour, with fishing from the left-hand bank only.
- You can head upstream towards Cutt Mill, but the final bit through the woods has limited bank access. Worth knowing before you load up with too much kit.
- Above the car park, the river is shallower, typically around 6 feet deep. Summer weed can get high here, so expect a bit of poking about to find the clearer lines.
- There are several swims tucked between bushes and cleared reed areas. Nice bits of cover, and plenty to keep a float or feeder angler interested.
- Downstream of Dunch Mouth, where the Divelish joins the Stour, the character changes. The river becomes more varied and the swims can reach roughly 13 feet.
- The wide bend at Dunch Mouth is noted for pike. If you’re targeting them, stick to the association’s conditions and keep everything fish-safe.
- Chub sit under the trees on the far bank, while the downstream section can hold larger roach shoals. Bream may show as coloured water starts to clear after a spate.
- For a mixed day, try trotting or a light feeder in the shallower water, then work the deeper downstream swims when the river has a bit of colour.
- The Wood Lane car park holds about 10 cars. Access is via an unmetalled lane from the B3092 through Hinton St Mary, and it can be muddy and rutted in winter.
- From the car park, head through the nearby gate and across the field to the river. It’s a peaceful spot, but the limited access through the woods means planning your route pays off.
Methods: Trotting and light feeder work suit the shallower upstream water, while deeper downstream swims are worth trying with a feeder or float. Pike can be targeted around the wide bend at Dunch Mouth, subject to SHAA’s pike-fishing conditions.
Access & tickets
Day ticket
Available to non-members and guests. Must be bought before fishing. Online through the SHAA website or from listed local outlets; cash is required at outlets.
£10 (as listed 16 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Weekly ticket
Available through the association’s ticket arrangements and must be bought before fishing.
£20 (as listed 16 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Day tickets can be bought online through the Sturminster and Hinton Angling Association website or from listed outlets. Outlet purchases require cash, and tickets must be sorted before you start fishing.
Fish the club names
bream, chub, perch, pike, roach, rudd, tench, trout
Key rules
- Fishing is from the left-hand bank only.
- Tickets must be bought before fishing.
- Fishing is permitted from sunrise to one hour after sunset.
- Night fishing is not permitted.
- Fishing is limited to two rods, with conditions applying when pike fishing.
- Live bait, gorge hooks, gaffs, night lines, trimmers and bank runners are prohibited.
- All fish, including pike and eels, must be returned unharmed.
- Dogs are not allowed to accompany anglers on association waters.
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.
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