Night carp · 59

Night Carp Fishing in Nord

Venues sourced from the prefectural decree in force.

venues
25
rivers and canals
13
public lakes
9
private waters
3

The essentials in 20 seconds

Night carp fishing is legal in Nord on designated stretches defined by prefectural decree. Vegetable baits and boilies only, catch-and-release is mandatory. Geocarp lists 25 verified night venues in this department, with maps, access details and angler reports — in English.

Positions shown to within 1 km. The precise swim map is for members.See the map

Featured — largest lake

Étang du Pont Rouge

Le Quesnoy · 14 ha

See the venue

Verified venues

Venues sourced from the current prefectural decree; private estates follow their operator's rules.

Explore on the Geocarp map

Night fishing rules — Nord

Always check the departmental fishing federation's official list before your session.

Official list — Nord fishing federation

Frequently asked questions

Is night carp fishing legal in Nord, France?

Yes, on designated stretches defined by prefectural decree. Geocarp lists these venues with maps, access details and angler reports.

Do I need a French fishing licence?

Yes. A valid French fishing licence (carte de pêche) is mandatory and can be bought online at cartedepeche.fr. Some venues require an additional night carp option from the local angling club (AAPPMA).

What baits are allowed at night in France?

Vegetable baits and boilies only. Any carp caught at night must be released immediately — keeping or transporting carp at night is prohibited by French law (decree 2004-599).

Is the Nord (59) a good destination for a night carp fishing trip from the UK?

It is the most convenient department in France for a short trip, being the first one you reach from Calais or Dunkirk. The prefectural order in force allows night carp fishing with no closed season across the public waterway network of more than 150 communes — the Escaut, the Sambre, the Lys, the Deûle, the Scarpe, the Aa and the Bourbourg, Sensée, Nord and Roubaix canals — plus six stillwaters: Armbouts-Cappel, Val Joly at Eppe-Sauvage, Glageon, two lakes at Le Quesnoy, La Puchoie at Saint-Amand-les-Eaux and the Fressies marshes on set weekends. Check the commune table: some are open along the whole frontage, some on a named section only, and around twenty are closed. Night rules are strict and specific: plant baits or recomposed groundbait only, four rods, all carp returned, no boats or bait boats at night, back-leads compulsory, white or yellow lights only, green bivvies with light markers, no sounder box within 50 m of housing, five nights maximum on one stretch, and permission from the waterway authority or the commune before pitching on its land.

For a UK angler, the Nord is the first department you reach and one of the most generous: the prefectural order in force opens night carp fishing with no closed season across the public waterway network of more than 150 communes, from the Escaut around Cambrai and Valenciennes to the Sambre at Landrecies and Jeumont, the Lys, the Deûle through Lille, the Scarpe, the Aa and the Bourbourg, Sensée, Nord and Roubaix canals. Dunkirk and Calais are on the doorstep, so it works as a long weekend rather than a fortnight. Stillwater options are the lake at Armbouts-Cappel, the Val Joly country park at Eppe-Sauvage, the Étang du Haut at Glageon, the Pont Rouge and fer à cheval lakes at Le Quesnoy, La Puchoie at Saint-Amand-les-Eaux and the Fressies marshes on set weekends. Read the commune-by-commune table before you travel: some are open along their whole frontage, some only on a named section, and around twenty are closed. The night rules are unusually specific — plant baits or recomposed groundbait only, four rods, everything returned, no boats or bait boats after dark, back-leads compulsory, white or yellow lights only, green bivvies fitted with light markers, no sounder box within 50 m of houses, and a five-night maximum on any one stretch.