Avon Springs River Beat
A cracking little chalk-stream beat on the upper Hampshire Avon, just north of Salisbury. Clear water, brown trout and chunky grayling, with fly-only fishing from the right bank and no wading.
Run by Avon Springs Fishing Lakes · checked 15 Oct 2026
River Avon (Hampshire)
Avon Springs River Beat
Our river artwork — photos for this stretch are on the way
River level
Measured — Environment Agency
Amesbury gauge
Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.
Loading latest reading…
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 Amesbury on Live River Levels
Angler Plus · My River Watch
Track River Avon (Hampshire) at Amesbury
Set the level range and direction you want, and get a heads-up when this Environment Agency gauge meets them. Your conditions, real readings — not a forecast or a safety check.
Join to set up a River WindowReadings, trends and typical ranges stay free for everyone. Alerts are part of Angler Plus (7 days free, then £4.99/month).
The lowdown
- This is a little under a mile of classic upper Hampshire Avon, running beside Avon Springs Fishing Lakes at Durrington.
- It’s bank fishing only, with the right bank doing all the talking. Up to four rods can fish the beat, so it should feel nicely uncluttered.
- The water is clear, and careful presentation is properly important. No crashing about — make the first cast count.
- Dry-fly fishing is allowed, with grannom, large dark olives, mayfly, damselfly and sedge all named as hatches to keep an eye on.
- The mayfly can carry on into July, which gives the dry-fly angler a decent window. Keep looking for rising fish rather than blindly flogging the water.
- Traditional nymphs can be used after 1 June. That gives you another string to the bow when the surface goes quiet, while keeping things firmly in the chalk-stream style.
- Brown trout are stocked, including many fish descended from the original Avon native strain. There’s also a good head of wild fish.
- Grayling are a real draw, reportedly reaching about 3 lb. Proper fish, and exactly the sort that makes a careful presentation worthwhile.
- The beat is associated with Frank Sawyer, inventor of the Pheasant Tail Nymph. There’s a bit of lovely Hampshire Avon fly-fishing history tied up in the place.
- A fishing hut, toilets and parking are available at the fishery. The river remains open while the lakes may be temporarily closed, and fishing runs daily from 8:30am until dusk during the river season.
- We're not sure on ticket prices for this one — check with the club or local regulations before you leave.
Methods: Fly fishing only. Start with the dry fly when fish are moving, then switch to traditional nymphs after 1 June when the surface goes quiet. The clear chalk-stream water rewards a neat, careful presentation.
Access & tickets
River ticket
Book through Fishing Breaks. River ticket price is not separately published on the holder’s prices page.
River bookings are directed through Fishing Breaks. Visiting anglers book a day rod; a sporting ticket may allow switching between the river and the two associated trout lakes.
Fish the club names
trout, chub
Key rules
- Bank fishing only.
- Wading is not permitted.
- Fly fishing only.
- Dry fly fishing is permitted.
- Traditional nymphs may be used after 1 June.
- Up to four rods can fish the beat.
- The river season runs from 13 April to 13 March.
- River fishing is available daily from 8:30am until dusk.
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
Recent angler updates
No angler updates yet — that's normal. Be the first to help the next angler.
How busy was it?
Nobody's said yet. It's part of the 20-second update below.
No live tracking — this is what anglers told us after their session, and it's never part of the venue score.
Water updates from anglers
No active water updates.