Where Can I Fish along the Gipping?

There are many places to fish along the Gipping, but you must be in possession of a rod fishing licence and if fishing within a club section you must be a member too. River Baliffs regularly patrol the river, with fines of up to £2,500 if you cannot show your licence when asked. Much of the river bank is in private / club ownership and the right to fish is at their discretion. Please do not fish where ‘No Fishing’ signs are posted. All fish must be returned to the river and not taken away. Fishing is not allowed during the close season (15th March to 15th June). The map shows the approximate club fishing section locations along the river in red.
Everyone who fishes along the Gipping needs a fishing rod licence. Buy online here

GVAG - (Gipping Valley Angling Club) 

GVAG advise that; Their "Riverside" section is located on the Great Blakenham/ Claydon border. Members may fish both sides of the bridge.

This venue has produced some fine roach nets and permitted baits such as maggots, caster, worm and punched bread work very well using pole or rod and reel tactics.

Running a stick float through the pegs when there is a flow and colour will always produce. Otherwise, nail the bait to the bottom and target the skimmers.

They also have three other sections above the old navigation (Green's Meadow, Pike's Meadow and King's Meadow).
More about GVAG here

The Barham Lakes
The Barham Lakes complex have 1000m of private fishing along the river, from the railway line south of Blakenham lock to the GVAC section north of Claydon bridge.
More about The Barham Lakes here

GAPS - (Gipping Angling Preservation Society)

GAPS advise that they have 4 stretches along the Gipping. 

A Rivers only membership is just £35pa

Elton Water Bank. Accessible from the ‘Hadleigh Road Industrial Area. This is a prime stretch of the River Gipping with a large head of Roach, Tench & Bream, with all other species present at various times of the year. It seems to fish best at times of flow and colour but holds other surprises.

Sproughton. The Sproughton stretch of the River Gipping starts at the road bridge and progresses downstream until the pumping station. It contains every species that a river should have although at times of weedy or low levels can be difficult to fish, but can be very rewarding.

Bramford. The Bramford stretch is a favourite venue for the winter river fishermen of the club as it presents an ideal river environment for all river species with Roach, Perch, Tench, Bream and Pike being the main species. The stretch starts just below the picnic site at Bramford and goes downstream through ‘Hazel Wood’ and all the way down to Sproughton Mill. It usually fishes best when the winter floods have removed the weeds from the river and there is a reasonable flow going through.

Sharmford Lock (historically known as Shamford Lock). The fishing mainly comprises silver fish, the odd Tench, Perch and Pike. The river gets weedy in the summer, clear spots can be found, although a weed rake is a valuable addition to the tackle bag, particularly when fishing for the Tench.

This part of the River Gipping is a widened section which runs downstream from the Causeway Lakes complex. The river is fishable from one side only starting from the old Lock behind Causeway Lake, down to the Bailey Bridge at the entrance to the gravel workings. Because of the width there is little flow unless the river is in flood, although this does make the venue suited to the Tench which reside in this section of river. There are beds of Lily pads and marginal reeds which make good features.

This venue is relatively shallow making it more suited to waggler or pole tactics, although the depths increase towards the Bailey Bridge. When it is in flood a stick float, or a maggot feeder is more suited.

There are two car parks, one just beyond the dairy farm on the right of the access track, and another at the far end of the fishery by the entrance to the gravel workings parallel to the railway line.
More about GAPS here


Where Can I fish with just a licence?

Walking upstream from Central Ipswich to Stowmarket;

Horseshoe sluice to Elton Water bank - GAPS

Horseshoe sluice to Black Bridge at Morrisons - FREE

Black Bridge Sproughton pumping station. Public Footpath side - Babergh Council No Fishing

Sproughton Millennium Green to end of 1st field at Bramford - GAPS … Except Sproughton Mill which is private

Bramford 1st field below road bridge to Fisons - FREE

Fisons (Paper Mill Lane) to A14 ????

A14 to Blakenham- GVAC

Behind Barham - was GAPS but think this is now part of Barham Lakes syndicate

Blakenham railway bridge to quarry entrance - FREE

Quarry entrance to Causeway lake (Charmford lock) GAPS

Charmford lock to Baylham Rare Breads GAPS

Baylham to Pipps Ford (near A140 junction) ???

Pipps Ford to Alderson Lake ????

Footbridge at Needham Lake, upstream past Needham Lake  to Kings Meadow - mostly private where no fishing signs are displayed 

Kings Meadow to Alder Carr bridge - mostly private where no fishing signs are displayed

Alder Carr bridge to above the lock - private no fishing

Above the lock to Stowmarket, apart from the short PPG (ICI/Meadlands) stretch. FREE


Please note that this information has been gathered from various sources and is believed to be correct, but it is down to you to ensure that you are not on private property or club controlled water.  No responsibility/liability is held by the author.

With many thanks to Garry M and GAPS for this very useful guide.