Featured — largest lake
Night carp · 62
Night Carp Fishing in Pas-de-Calais
Venues sourced from the prefectural decree in force.
- venues
- 74
- rivers and canals
- 44
- public lakes
- 29
- private waters
- 1
The essentials in 20 seconds
Night carp fishing is legal in Pas-de-Calais on designated stretches defined by prefectural decree. Vegetable baits and boilies only, catch-and-release is mandatory. Geocarp lists 74 verified night venues in this department, with maps, access details and angler reports — in English.
Verified venues
Venues sourced from the current prefectural decree; private estates follow their operator's rules.
Aire-sur-la-Lys – Étang des Ballastières
Ancien canal d'Aire – Lot n° 8 bis (AIRE-SUR-LA-LYS)
Annay-sous-Lens – Le grand marais
Arques – Étang de Beau Séjour Sud
Arques – Étang de Malhôve
Athies – Étang communal « Bernard BOUTTEMY »
Baralle – Marais communal
Brimeux – Étang communal Section A n° 493 pour 18 ha 60 a 50 ca Section A n° 1256 pour 9 ha 46a 26 ca (en partie)
Canal d'Aire – Lot n° 2 (BÉTHUNE)
Canal d'Aire – Lot n° 2 bis (BÉTHUNE)
Canal d'Aire – Lot n° 3 (BÉTHUNE)
Canal d'Aire – Lot n° 4 (BÉTHUNE)
Canal d'Aire – Lot n° 5 (BÉTHUNE)
Canal d'Aire – Lot n° 6 (BÉTHUNE)
Canal d'Aire – Lot n° 7 (LILLERS)
Canal d'Aire – Lot n° 8 (LILLERS)
Canal d'Audruicq – Lot n° 10 (AUDRUICQ)
Canal de Calais – Lot n° 1 (AUDRUICQ)
Canal de Calais – Lot n° 2 (AUDRUICQ)
Canal de Calais – Lot n°3 (CALAIS)
Canal de Calais – Lot n°4 (CALAIS)
Canal de Calais – Lot n°5 (CALAIS)
Canal de Calais – Lot n°6 (CALAIS)
Canal de la Deûle – Lot n°3 bis (COURCELLES-LES-LENS)
Canal de la Deûle – Lot n°4
Canal de la Souchez – Lot n° 2 (COURCELLES-LES-LENS)
Canal de Lens – Lot n°1 (NOYELLES SOUS LENS)
Canal de Lens – Lot n°2 (NOYELLES SOUS LENS)
Canal de Mardyck – Lot n° 11 (AUDRUICQ)
Canal de Neufossé – Lot n°4 (ARQUES)
Canal de Neufossé – Portion du Lot n°5 (ARQUES)
Canal de Neufossé – Portion du lot n°6 rive droite (SAINT-OMER)
Canal du Nord – Lot n°2
Canal du Nord – Lot n°3
Canal du Nord – Lot n°4
Canal du Nord – Lot n°6
Canal du Nord – Lot n°7
Contes Étang communal Section C n°266 pour 5 ha 12 a
Écourt-saint-Quentin – Étang communal Lots 3 et 4 Parcelles 985-759 et 692
Écourt-saint-Quentin – Marais du Becquerel « Lieu-dit le Becquerel »
Écourt-saint-Quentin parcelles A691-757 et 984 à 985
Éperlecques – Plan d'eau fédéral Section B 956 et Section B 958
Étang de Batavia – Lot n°8 (ARQUES)
Étang du Colombier-Virval
Fampoux – Marais Bleu section AD n° 96 à 101 / Marais Verlaine section AD n° 3 au 5 et du n°10 à 13
Fampoux – Marais des Mingots
Fampoux – Marais des Places (partie droite et gauche) situé à proximité de l'Hermitage de Fampoux section AC n° 195 et 196 – 263 à 273
Fampoux – Marais des places 16 ha section AD n°44 à 50 et ZP n°17
Feuchy – Marais communal Lieu-dit «Le Marais» section AB n°41
Hamblain-les-Prés – Étang communal section ZE 50 4 ha 38a
L'Aa canalisée - Secteur Saint Omer
La Gare d'eau de Béthune
Le Canal d'Aire – Secteur Bauvin
Le Canal de la Deûle - Secteur Courcelles Les Lens
Le Canal de la Deûle - Secteur Oignies
Le Canal de la Souchez
Noyelles-sous-Lens – Plan d'eau du 14 juillet
Oisy le Verger – Plan d'eau marais du Haut pont
Palluel – Plan d'eau du Grand Clair Étang communal Section B n° 125, 127 à 157 35ha 39 a 64 ca
Palluel – Plan d'eau du marais du Grand Clair
Plouvain – Étang communal Section AD 361
Rivière de l'Aa – Portion du lot n°1 (SAINT-OMER)
Rivière de l'Aa canalisée – Lot n° 3 (AUDRUICQ)
Rivière de la Houlle – Lot unique (SAINT-OMER)
Rivière de la Lys – Lot n°3 (SAINT-VENANT)
Rivière de la Lys – Lot n°4 (SAINT-VENANT)
Rivière de la Lys – Lot n°5 (SAINT-VENANT)
Rivière de la Lys – Lot n°6 (SAINT-VENANT)
Rivière de la Scarpe Supérieure – Lot n° 5
Rivière de la Scarpe Supérieure – Lot n° 6
Rivière de la Scarpe Supérieure – Lot n° 7
Rivière de la Scarpe Supérieure – Lot n° 8
Roeux – Marais communal
Vermelles – Étangs communaux
Night fishing rules — Pas-de-Calais
Always check the departmental fishing federation's official list before your session.
Frequently asked questions
Is night carp fishing legal in Pas-de-Calais, 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 Pas-de-Calais (62) a good destination for a night carp fishing trip from the UK?
It is the closest option there is — the Canal de Calais is authorised within sight of the ferry port. A dedicated prefectural order opens carp fishing all year across the waterway network (Canal d'Aire, Neuffossé, canalised Aa, Calais, Audruicq and Mardyck canals, Deûle, Souchez, Lys, upper Scarpe, Canal du Nord and the Houlle canal) plus twenty-five stillwaters, from the Aire-sur-la-Lys gravel pits and the Annay-sous-Lens marsh to the Arras-area waters at Fampoux, Feuchy, Roeux and Athies and the federation lakes at Éperlecques and Plouvain, some bookable online. The code of practice is strict and enforced: plant baits or boilies only — no maggots, worms, deadbaits or livebaits — four rods (two on federation lakes) within ten metres of you, back-leads compulsory, no boats or bait boats at night, green bivvies only with a light marker and prior permission, white or yellow lights, five consecutive nights maximum on one stretch, walking access only on towpaths, and no fires. Nothing may be fished within 50 m either side of a public waterway structure.
No French department is closer: the Pas-de-Calais starts at the ferry ramp, and the Canal de Calais is authorised for night carp fishing within sight of the port. A dedicated prefectural order, updated in-year by a consolidated version, opens carp fishing all year on two networks. The waterways run right across the department — the Canal d'Aire through Béthune and Lillers, the Neuffossé and old Aire canal at Arques and Aire-sur-la-Lys, the canalised Aa, the Calais, Audruicq and Mardyck canals, the Deûle, the Souchez, the Lys at Saint-Venant, the upper Scarpe, the Canal du Nord and the Houlle canal at Saint-Omer. Twenty-five stillwaters fill in the rest, including the Aire-sub-Lys gravel pits, the great marsh at Annay-sous-Lens, the Arras-area marshes at Fampoux, Feuchy, Roeux and Athies, and the federation waters at Éperlecques and Plouvain, several of which you can book online. The code of practice is one of the strictest in France, and it is enforced: plant baits or boilies only, four rods (two on federation lakes) within ten metres of you, back-leads compulsory, no boats or bait boats after dark, green bivvies only with a light marker and prior permission, white or yellow lights, and a five-night maximum on any one stretch.