Nidd Head Spring on the slopes of Great Whernside, Nidderdale to Joins the River Ouse at Nun Monkton, North Yorkshire · 58.7 miles
Fly Fishing on the River Nidd
1 beat on the River Nidd sell access by the day, from £15.
Where the River Nidd runs
The river's course with every beat and fishery we list on it. Tap a marker for a quick read on price.
Fishing Beats on the River Nidd
1 beat availableBrowse day tickets, syndicate rods, and permit fishing on the River Nidd. Each beat listing includes pricing, species, and booking details.
Clubs and syndicates on the River Nidd
1 clubMembership bodies holding water on the River Nidd. Some sell day tickets alongside membership, others are open to members only, and a few run a waiting list.
About the River Nidd
River Nidd at a glance
- Length
- 58.7 miles
- Source
- Nidd Head Spring on the slopes of Great Whernside, Nidderdale
- Mouth
- Joins the River Ouse at Nun Monkton, North Yorkshire
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Water type
- Spate
Fish species
Anglers on the River Nidd can target brown trout and grayling. Brown trout dominate most beats here; grayling, sea trout, and salmon appear on certain rivers and seasons.
The River Nidd rises at Nidd Head Spring on the slopes of Great Whernside and runs nearly 59 miles through Nidderdale to join the Ouse at Nun Monkton. In normal conditions the young river disappears into a sinkhole called Manchester Hole and comes up again at Nidd Head near Lofthouse. Three reservoirs, Angram, Scar House and Gouthwaite, sit on the upper river, and Gouthwaite gives a compensation release to the water below it.
It is a rain fed river with a peat bed, and the peat gives it its colour, a clear brown that local anglers call Yorkshire bitter. That makes it a spate river in the usual sense: it rises after rain, drops back again, and fishes best as it clears.
The Nidd holds brown trout and grayling. Gouthwaite is reported to be the only lake in England with a wild population of grayling, and the river below it carries the same fish. The trout season runs from the spring through to the end of September, with grayling fished from the autumn until the middle of March.
Below the reservoir the river runs through Pateley Bridge and Dacre Banks, then through Hampsthwaite and the Nidd Gorge before it flattens out towards Knaresborough. Much of the upper river is fished by local clubs and associations.
FAQ
River Nidd FAQs
Common questions about fishing the River Nidd, from day tickets and seasons to what to expect on the bank.
