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River Wharfe at Tadcaster

Plan a session

A broad, mixed urban-and-rural-edge stretch around Tadcaster town and its historic bridge. The Wharfe here is a cracking coarse and game fishery, with specimen chub and barbel in the mix.

Run by Tadcaster Angling & Preservation Association · checked 14 Oct 2026 · boundaries only partly described by the club

River level

Measured — Environment Agency

Cock Beck Sluices 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 Cock Beck Sluices on Live River Levels

The lowdown

  • This is Tadcaster APA water, with fishing rights held both above and below Tadcaster. The exact fishable mileage isn’t reliably listed, so don’t expect a neat stretch-length answer.
  • The bridge area gives the place plenty of character. It’s proper town fishing, with the historic Tadcaster Bridge and weir as obvious landmarks.
  • Between Tadcaster Bridge and the weir, fishing is restricted to club members. That’s the key access point to check before setting off.
  • There’s cover and a few productive-looking pegs below the bridge. Worth paying attention to anything tight to cover, especially when the river has a bit of colour.
  • Barbel are the headline act. The water has specimen fish, and the Tadcaster stretch has become increasingly popular for barbel fishing.
  • Chub are also named from the fishery, with dace, roach, pike, eels and flounders making up the wider species mix. So it’s not a one-trick pony.
  • For barbel, feeder tactics are the obvious starting point around the crease and steadier depth. Keep things tidy near cover and be ready for a proper pull-round.
  • Chub and dace should suit a mobile approach where the flow eases, while roach give you a reason to explore quieter bits rather than camping on one swim.
  • There’s no reliable official information on night fishing, parking or the total peg count. Best bet is to confirm the permitted section, access and current arrangements with Tadcaster APA before travelling.

Methods: Feeder fishing for barbel around cover and the crease is the obvious shout, with lighter trotting or float work worth trying for chub, dace and roach where the flow settles.

Access & tickets

Current season day-ticket membership

Temporary membership. The current association form lists a registration fee including administration.

£52.50, including a £2.50 administration fee (as listed 14 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Adult day ticket — older published information

Older information listed this as a single day ticket price; it is not confirmed as current.

£4 in 2021 (as listed 14 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Earlier Angling Times day ticket

Older published information only; not confirmed as current.

£2.50 (as listed 14 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Tadcaster APA controls the water. Its current season day-ticket membership form lists a £52.50 registration fee, including a £2.50 administration fee; confirm the permitted section and current arrangements with the association before travelling.

Fish the club names

carp, tench, bream, roach, pike, perch, barbel, catfish, trout, rudd, chub, crucian, eel, zander

Key rules

  • Fishing between Tadcaster Bridge and the weir is restricted to club members.
  • Anglers must agree to the association’s rules and bylaws.
  • A valid Environment Agency rod licence is required.
  • Temporary day-ticket members do not have the same access rights as full association members.

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 fish

Where it is

Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.

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