Zander Fishing in Cambridgeshire and the Fens: 5 Places to Try

By Hooked Tackle · Last updated 27 October 2026
We are a tackle shop in Newmarket, and all five of these waters are within about an hour of the shop.

Quick Answer

The five best places to try for zander around Newmarket are the River Cam below Bottisham Lock, the Great Ouse at Ely, the Middle Level Main Drain at Three Holes, the Relief Channel at Denver and Grafham Water. The Cam stretch is Waterbeach Angling Club water with a £10 river day ticket that you must buy before you go. The Middle Level and the Relief Channel are King's Lynn Angling Association waters, with £6 day tickets from the bailiff on the bank. Grafham is boat-only for predators, with a £34 permit plus boat hire. Fish low light and coloured water, use a small deadbait or a 10–12cm soft shad, and put a wire trace on, because all five hold pike too.

The 5 Zander Venues at a Glance

Quick answer: two rivers close to Newmarket for a short session, two big Fenland waters for bigger fish, and Grafham for a boat day.

Venue	From Newmarket	Who runs it	Ticket	Known for
River Cam below Bottisham Lock	About 25 minutes	Waterbeach Angling Club	£10 river day ticket, bought in advance	Zander over 10lb reported by the club
Great Ouse at Ely	About 25 minutes	Mixed: town stretch and club water	Check the signs on the bank	Easy access and a long zander history
Middle Level Main Drain at Three Holes	About an hour	King's Lynn Angling Association	£6 day ticket from the bailiff	A former British record zander
Relief Channel at Denver	Under an hour	King's Lynn Angling Association	£6 day ticket from the bailiff	Big, open water where Fenland zander began
Grafham Water	About an hour	Anglian Water	£34 predator permit plus boat	Zander over 20lb

Tickets and prices checked on 27 October 2026. Clubs change their rules, so always confirm with the club or venue before you travel.

1. River Cam at Waterbeach

Quick answer: a quiet Fenland stretch of the Cam below Bottisham Lock, with zander over 10lb on the club's record. You need a £10 river day ticket, and it is not sold on the bank.

Waterbeach Angling Club's water on the Cam starts below Bottisham Lock and runs for about 1.4 miles along the west bank. The club describes it as a typical Fenland river with little flow and depths of up to 11ft, and says zander over 10lb, pike over 20lb and perch over 3lb have all been caught there.

The ticket is the thing to get right. The river day ticket is £10, but it is not available on the bank. Buy it first from the club's lake complex at 121b Waterbeach Road, Landbeach, CB25 9FA. From 1 November the site is open 7am to 4pm, so pick your ticket up within those hours. If you will fish it regularly, the club's adult river membership is £50 for the 2026–27 season. The details are on the club's memberships page.

How to fish it: with so little flow, a small deadbait on a free-running leger is easy to present here. Fish it along the deeper middle of the river or at the bottom of the marginal shelf. On the move, work a 10cm soft shad slowly along the bottom and cover water until you find fish.

2. Great Ouse at Ely

Quick answer: a wide, slow river right in the middle of Ely, with zander along most of its length. Access is a mix of free town water and club stretches, so check the signs before you set up.

Zander have been in the Great Ouse for a long time. They first spread into the river after they were stocked in the Relief Channel in 1963, and according to Fishing Magic they were present in good numbers as far upstream as Ely by the late 1960s. Today you will find them along a huge length of the Ouse, alongside good pike and perch.

Access around Ely is a mix. The town-centre riverside is widely listed as free fishing with just a rod licence, while the banks either side of town include club water that needs a ticket. These arrangements change, so look for signs on the bank before you fish, and ask us in the shop if you are not sure. The town stretch is also busy with walkers and moored boats, so keep your lines clear of moorings and boat traffic.

How to fish it: the river is wide and slow, with shallower ledges along the margins that drop into deeper water. Work lures along the bottom of those drop-offs, around bridges, and anywhere you can see small fish shoaling. At dusk, a small deadbait on the inside drop-off is hard to beat.

3. Middle Level Main Drain at Three Holes

Quick answer: a big, deep Fenland drain that produced a former British record zander of 19lb 5oz. It is King's Lynn Angling Association water, with £6 day tickets from the bailiff.

Three Holes is a hamlet on the Norfolk–Cambridgeshire border, where the Middle Level Main Drain meets the Sixteen Foot River and Popham's Eau. The drain here is part of what King's Lynn Angling Association calls Middle Level South, a man-made, reed-lined drain that holds bream, roach, tench, perch, pike and zander.

It has real history for zander anglers. The Middle Level produced a former British record zander of 19lb 5oz in 1998, and it is still one of the classic Fenland venues for a big one.

Read the warnings before you go. KLAA lists this stretch as affected by power lines, with extreme deep water, no vehicles on the banks and no fishing from the bridges. The drain can also run fast when water is being pumped through, which makes it hard to hold a bait. On a pumping day, find a slacker area or come back another time.

How to fish it: a deadbait on a free-running leger with a drop-off indicator is the classic approach, fished from dusk into dark. Use the lightest lead that holds bottom, and step up if the flow picks up.

4. Relief Channel at Denver

Quick answer: a huge, open channel where Fenland zander began, with miles of water and plenty of space. It is King's Lynn Angling Association water, and boats are allowed with a KLAA permit.

The Relief Channel runs from Denver Sluice towards King's Lynn as part of the flood defence system. Zander were stocked here in 1963, and from here they spread through the Great Ouse and the drains around it. KLAA describes the Relief Channel as one of the most challenging waters in the Fens, and popular with predator anglers who like their own space.

Boats are allowed between Denver and St Germans. Any boat fishing on KLAA water needs a full KLAA permit and an Environment Agency or Middle Level Commissioners registration number. From the bank, a day ticket from the bailiff covers you.

The warnings here are worth knowing. The channel is affected by power lines and by tidal surges and changes in water level. You cannot fish from the bridges, and you cannot fish the west bank downstream of Magdalen Bridge near the moorings.

How to fish it: on big, featureless water, location is everything. Rove with lures to find fish, or watch for shoals of small fish and fish deadbaits near them. A boat makes finding fish much easier if you have one.

5. Grafham Water

Quick answer: one of the best-known predator waters in the country, with zander over 20lb. It is boat-only for predators, with a £34 permit plus boat hire, and every zander goes back.

Grafham Water is an Anglian Water reservoir near Perry, south-west of Huntingdon. The Angling Trust's list of the biggest zander recorded in the UK includes fish over 20lb from Grafham. It is a trout reservoir first, so predator fishing runs to strict rules and set dates.

• Season: lure and fly fishing from 1 September 2026, and sea deadbaits from 1 October 2026, both to 31 January 2027. All predator fishing is from boats.
• Cost: a daily predator permit is £34. Boats are £32 a day, or £20 for one angler, when booked online, with a surcharge for boats that are not booked in advance.
• Rules: all pike, perch and zander must be returned alive. Hooks must be barbless or have a single barbed point, wire traces must be used when targeting pike, livebait is not allowed, trolling under power is not allowed, unhooking mats are compulsory, and the limit is two rods per angler.

The full rules and booking details are on Anglian Water's predator fishing page. Book your boat before you travel, and watch their boat safety video if it is your first time.

How to fish it: on a big reservoir, the boat is your best tool. Drift or anchor over drop-offs and look for baitfish on your sonar if you have one. Jig soft shads along the bottom, and from October you can fish a sea deadbait on the second rod. Check the bait size rules on Anglian Water's page first.

How Do You Catch Zander at These Venues?

Quick answer: fish low light and coloured water, keep baits and lures small, and use a wire trace.

The same approach works on all five waters. Zander hunt best in poor light, so dusk into dark, dawn, overcast days and coloured water after rain are the times to be out. A bright, clear, calm day is usually the hardest.

• Deadbaits. A small deadbait, such as a small roach, rudd or a section of a bigger fish, on a free-running leger. Zander drop a bait if they feel resistance, so fish the bail arm open or the baitrunner set light, with a PikePro Standard Drop Off Indicator (£9.99) on the rod.
• Lures. A 10–12cm soft shad, hopped slowly along the bottom. Fox Rage UV Zander Pro Shads are £4.25 for the 10cm and £5.49 for the 12cm, and Fox Rage Finesse Jig Heads are £2.99. Many takes come as the lure falls, so watch the line.
• Wire traces. All five waters hold pike, and King's Lynn Angling Association requires a wire trace and line of at least 10lb for all predator fishing. For lures, the 35cm Drennan E-Sox Spin Trace is £2.25. For small deadbaits, the Drennan E-Sox Semi Barbed Snap Tackle is £3.30, and the size 10 is made for small baits of 9–11cm.

Our full zander fishing guide covers the baits, rigs and lures in more detail.

What Rules Do You Need to Know?

Quick answer: a rod licence, the river close season, the club's own rules, and the rules on putting zander back.

• Rod licence. You need an Environment Agency rod licence to fish any of these waters if you are 13 or older.
• Close season. The Cam, the Ouse, the Middle Level and the Relief Channel all follow the river close season, from 15 March to 15 June. Grafham sets its own predator dates.
• Putting zander back. Zander are not native, and it is an offence to move them to another water. Grafham requires every zander to be returned alive, and King's Lynn Angling Association does not allow any fish to be taken away. On other waters, follow the club's rules.
• Livebait. A fish can only be used as bait on the water it was caught from. KLAA only allows livebaits under 5in caught from the same water, and Grafham does not allow livebait at all. Deadbaits keep things simple.
• Power lines. KLAA does not allow fishing within 30 metres of overhead power lines, and both of its waters on this list are affected by them. Look up before you set up.
• Unattended rods. It is illegal to leave a rod in the water unattended, which matters on long dusk-into-dark sessions.

What Most Anglers Get Wrong

Quick answer: turning up without the right ticket, and fishing for zander like they are pike.

1. Expecting to buy a Cam ticket on the bank. Waterbeach Angling Club does not sell river day tickets on the bank. Get yours from the lake complex first.
2. Fishing bright middays. Zander hunt in low light. Save your time for dusk into dark, dawn and dull, coloured days.
3. Using pike-sized baits. Zander are more delicate feeders than pike and often drop a big bait. Think small roach and 10cm shads, not half a mackerel.
4. Too much resistance. A zander that feels the rod will drop the bait. Fish a free-running rig with a drop-off indicator and the bail arm open.
5. Turning up at Grafham without a boat booked. Predator fishing is boat-only, and walk-in boats cost more. Book first and check the season dates.
6. Ignoring the warnings. Power lines, deep water and changing water levels are all flagged by the clubs. Read them before you go.

FAQs

Where can I catch zander near Cambridge?
The closest good option is the River Cam below Bottisham Lock, where Waterbeach Angling Club has about 1.4 miles of the west bank and reports zander over 10lb. The Great Ouse at Ely is also close. For bigger fish, try the King's Lynn Angling Association waters at Three Holes and Denver, or Grafham Water by boat.

Where is the best zander fishing in Cambridgeshire?
Grafham Water has produced zander over 20lb and is the best-known venue, though it is boat-only for predators. The Middle Level Main Drain produced a former British record of 19lb 5oz, and the Relief Channel and the Great Ouse hold good numbers of zander along most of their length.

Can you buy a day ticket for the River Cam at Waterbeach?
Yes, a river day ticket costs £10, but it is not sold on the bank. Buy it in advance from Waterbeach Angling Club's lake complex at 121b Waterbeach Road, Landbeach. From 1 November the site is open 7am to 4pm.

How much is a King's Lynn Angling Association day ticket?
£6, sold by bailiffs on the bank, and only for the association's river waters. A Basic adult season permit for the rivers is £50, and a Silver permit covering all KLAA waters is £80. Boat fishing needs a full permit and a registration number.

Can you fish for zander from the bank at Grafham Water?
No. Predator fishing at Grafham is boat-only. Lures and fly are allowed from 1 September 2026 and sea deadbaits from 1 October 2026, both until 31 January 2027. The predator permit is £34 a day, plus boat hire.

When is the best time to catch zander?
In low light: dusk into dark, dawn, overcast days and coloured water. Autumn and winter are the most popular months on the rivers and drains, which are open until the close season starts on 15 March.

Do you have to kill zander you catch?
Not on these waters. Grafham requires every zander to be returned alive, and King's Lynn Angling Association does not allow fish to be taken away. Zander are not native, so it is an offence to move them to another water, and you should always follow the rules where you fish.

Get Kitted Out

For a first zander trip, a PikePro Standard Drop Off Indicator (£9.99), a few Drennan E-Sox Semi Barbed Snap Tackles (£3.30), a pack of Fox Rage UV Zander Pro Shads (from £4.25) and some long forceps (£11.99) will cover most of it. If you want a ready-made selection of lures, the Westin Zander Jigging Lure Box is £44.99. Browse the full pike and predator range.

Prices correct as of October 2026 — check the product page for current pricing and availability.

All five waters hold pike too, so read our pike fishing tips and our guide to the best pike lures before you go. Caught a zander locally? Come into the shop and tell us about it, or get in touch.