Quoile Basin

Nearest Town: - Downpatrick
Area/Length: - 40 hectares in the Basin
Species: - Pike, rudd, perch and some brown trout
Season: - All year
Methods: - All legal methods including ground bait and maggots for rudd and perch.
Daily Bag Limit: - 1 pike / 4 coarse per day
Size Limit: - Pike of 4Kg (8.8lb) and over and coarse greater than 25 cms must be returned to the water
Disabled Facilities: - See Disabled Fisheries
Licence: - DCAL Coarse Fishing Rod Licence (For coarse fish species)
Permit: - DCAL Coarse Fishing Permit (For Coarse Fish Species)

The fishing rights of the basin from the old barrier (flood gates) at Quoile Bridge to the new barrier at the head of Strangford Lough are owned by the Department. Access to the water is easy on the south side where the road runs near the water. A path and some stands have been provided and a disabled anglers’ car-park is now available at the old flood gates. This is a National Nature Reserve, managed by the Environment Service of the Department of the Environment, and anglers are requested to be careful to cause as little disturbance as possible to wildlife and to take care not to leave pieces of line, lead shot or other litter.

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure leases the fishing rights of the river from Downpatrick to Kilmore. Good trout fishing is available in the river downstream from Kilmore.

Access points are marked on the map.

From Belfast, proceed in a southerly direction by the A24 and A7 through Saintfield to Downpatrick.

Kilmore is on the minor road which runs due south out of Crossgar.

Annacloy is on the B2 which forks left off the A7, 2.4 km from Downpatrick