Located in East Flanders, Flanders, Visserij Canal is a small canal of 22 hectares open to public fishing. Species include Carp, Bream, Roach, Tench, Pike, Perch, Zander, Sea bass, with carp the main target for travelling anglers.
Night fishing is permitted at Visserij Canal. Night fishing permitted with Flemish visverlof. Historic canal near Ghent with tidal influence, giving it a mix of coarse and sea species. Less well-known than the Ringvaart but productive for carp.. Regarding boats: Small boats and electric boats permitted on most stretches.. Bivouac camping is permitted: Bivvy fishing permitted on night stretches. Urban setting in some areas — check local access..
At just 132 miles from Calais, Visserij Canal is one of the closest quality fishing venues to the UK. Flanders — a flat, canal-rich landscape within easy reach of the Channel Tunnel — makes an excellent short-break destination.
Night fishing is permitted at Visserij Canal. Night fishing permitted with Flemish visverlof. Historic canal near Ghent with tidal influence, giving it a mix of coarse and sea species. Less well-known than the Ringvaart but productive for carp.
Boats: Boat access is restricted at Visserij Canal. Small boats and electric boats permitted on most stretches.
Bivouac: Bivvy fishing permitted on night stretches. Urban setting in some areas — check local access.
Permits required: Flemish visverlof (groot visverlof) required.
Fishing in Flanders requires a VISpas (Flemish fishing permit, groot visverlof), available from Sportvisserij Vlaanderen. Night fishing permissions are built into site-specific rules — no separate night permit is required in Flanders.
Local authority: Agentschap Natuur en Bos (ANB) · natuurenbos.vlaanderen.be
Visserij Canal holds carp, bream, roach, tench, pike, perch, zander, sea bass. Carp fishing is the primary draw for visiting UK anglers.
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All year for coarse and sea species.
Fishing in Flanders requires a VISpas (groot visverlof, ~€14.50/year) from Sportvisserij Vlaanderen. Buy online at sportvisserijvlaanderen.be before leaving the UK — no separate night permit is needed in Flanders as night fishing permissions are built into site-specific rules. Always carry your licence while fishing.
Visserij Canal is 132 miles from Calais, around 2 hours from the Channel Tunnel. Always verify current rules on the individual venue page before your session.
East Flanders is home to a number of public fishing venues accessible with a valid Belgian fishing permit. Use PiscaMaps to find all venues in East Flanders and across Flanders.