Lough Erne coarse fishing stands — Fermanagh's famous coarse fishing stands on Lough Erne: purpose-built pegs where a first-timer can catch bream and roach all day.
Licence & permits: DAERA coarse rod licence. Some stretches need a permit, others are free. Check nidirect for the exact water.
What you can catch: Bream, roach, perch, tench, rudd and hybrids; pike on heavier tackle.
Beginners & kids: The most beginner and family-friendly fishing in NI: made stands, easy species, no wading. Tackle shops in Enniskillen can set you up.
Cost: Coarse rod licence plus any permit; many stands are free or low-cost. Check current prices on nidirect.
Booking: No booking. Buy a coarse rod licence, check whether your stand needs a permit, then fish.
Facilities: Purpose-built bank stands; wheelchair-accessible stand at Corradillar, level paths near Broadmeadow car parks. Tackle shops in Enniskillen.
Plan your visit
Why the stands suit beginners and families
A coarse stand takes the hard part out of fishing. You are not wading or clambering; you sit on a made peg and fish the swim in front of you. The Upper Lough is rated among the finest coarse waters in Europe and the bream are forgiving of a beginner's cast. Feed a little bait, keep still, and fish come. Because there is no close season for coarse fishing, you can go any time of year, and a calm summer evening is a fine first outing.
Purpose-built bank stands for shore fishingBream, roach, perch, tench, rudd and hybridsThe most beginner and family-friendly fishing in NISome stands free, some permitWheelchair-accessible stand at Corradillar
Good to know before you go:
The Fermanagh coarse stands host big spring festivals, when hundreds of match anglers from across Europe fish Lough Erne from Enniskillen.
Before you set off
What to bring
🎣Your rod & tackleSome fisheries hire gear — check first if you’re travelling light.
🪪Your rod licence & permitMost NI freshwater fishing needs a DAERA rod licence plus a permit — sort it before you go.
🧥Waterproofs & warm layersYou’re at the water’s edge for hours — dress for it whatever the forecast.
🥪A flask and a pieceThere’s not always a café on the bank, so pack your own.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Type
Coarse fishing stands (beginner and family-friendly bank pegs)
What you can catch
Bream, roach, perch, tench, rudd and hybrids; pike on heavier tackle
Licence & permits
DAERA coarse rod licence. Some stretches need a permit, others are free. Check nidirect for the exact water
Beginners & kids
The most beginner and family-friendly fishing in NI: made stands, easy species, no wading. Tackle shops in Enniskillen can set you up
Cost
Coarse rod licence plus any permit; many stands are free or low-cost. Check current prices on nidirect
Booking
No booking. Buy a coarse rod licence, check whether your stand needs a permit, then fish
Facilities
Purpose-built bank stands; wheelchair-accessible stand at Corradillar, level paths near Broadmeadow car parks. Tackle shops in Enniskillen
Address
Coarse stands on Upper and Lower Lough Erne, around Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh
Questions
Before you go
What licence or permit do I need?
DAERA coarse rod licence. Some stretches need a permit, others are free. Check nidirect for the exact water
Is it OK for beginners and children?
The most beginner and family-friendly fishing in NI: made stands, easy species, no wading. Tackle shops in Enniskillen can set you up
How much does it cost?
Coarse rod licence plus any permit; many stands are free or low-cost. Check current prices on nidirect
What can I catch?
Bream, roach, perch, tench, rudd and hybrids; pike on heavier tackle
Do I need to book?
No booking. Buy a coarse rod licence, check whether your stand needs a permit, then fish
Getting there
Lough Erne coarse fishing stands is at Coarse stands on Upper and Lower Lough Erne, around Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. Tap below for directions.
If you have never held a rod, this is where to start in Northern Ireland. Fermanagh's coarse fishing stands are wooden and concrete pegs set along the banks of Lough Erne, put there so anglers can fish comfortably from the shore. The fishing is generous: bream in shoals, roach in numbers, plus perch, tench, hybrids and rudd. Many stands are free or cheap, and some are built for wheelchair access, which makes this a rare fishing day out the whole family can share.