Tench · Tinca tinca

Tench in England's Rivers

The largest recorded measurement is 72.5 cm (28.5 in), from Victoria Park in Grand Union Canal on 23 March 1988.

Median length: 22.3 cm (8.8 in)
Fish measured: 16,474
Named waterways: 511
Latest observation: 18 Jun 2026

Direct individual measurements

Largest tench by waterway

Ranked by the largest individual measured in EA surveys. The sample size shows how many valid length measurements underpin each waterway's figures.

Rank	River or waterway	Largest	Median	Measured	Measured at
1	Grand Union CanalSouth East	72.5 cm (28.5 in)	28.5 cm (11.2 in)	70	23 Mar 1988Victoria Park
2	River NeneAnglian	65 cm (25.6 in)	27.8 cm (10.9 in)	563	16 Jul 2003Ferry Meadows
3	River StourAnglian	60.3 cm (23.7 in)	37.2 cm (14.6 in)	457	26 Jul 2001Bakers Mill A
4	River ThamesSouth East	59.9 cm (23.6 in)	38.3 cm (15.1 in)	632	19 Jul 2004Caversham-sonning - (Margin)
5	River Penton Hook - ChertseySouth East	57 cm (22.4 in)	39 cm (15.4 in)	16	8 Sept 2016Penton Hook to Chertsey (Laleham Main)
6	South Forty Foot DrainAnglian	56.8 cm (22.4 in)	9.5 cm (3.7 in)	206	8 Sept 2010Hubberts Bridge R/B Upstream
7	River Wensum (central)Anglian	56.7 cm (22.3 in)	23.1 cm (9.1 in)	119	22 Sept 2009Upstream Lenwade Mill
8	Lower GlenAnglian	55 cm (21.7 in)	44.5 cm (17.5 in)	198	2 Oct 2003Surfleet Road Bridge
9	Counter DrainAnglian	54.8 cm (21.6 in)	45 cm (17.7 in)	196	24 Apr 2017Welney
10	River StillwatersMidlands	54.5 cm (21.5 in)	37.8 cm (14.9 in)	43	27 Nov 2014Kingfisher, South Mskham

Equal maximum lengths are ordered by sample size. Measurements are shown as recorded and are not converted into estimated weights.

16,474 fish measured

Measured tench lengths

The median divides the measured sample in half. This distribution describes surveyed fish, not every tench living in England.

0–19 mm

20–39 mm

310

40–59 mm

482

60–79 mm

893

80–99 mm

1167

100–119 mm

1138

120–139 mm

989

140–159 mm

834

160–179 mm

786

180–199 mm

794

200–219 mm

708

220–239 mm

618

240–259 mm

467

260–279 mm

438

280–299 mm

406

300–319 mm

445

320–339 mm

442

340–359 mm

566

360–379 mm

661

380–399 mm

717

400–419 mm

921

420–439 mm

859

440–459 mm

731

460–479 mm

568

480–499 mm

299

500–519 mm

134

520–539 mm

540–559 mm

560–579 mm

580–599 mm

600–619 mm

640–659 mm

720–739 mm

Only positive individual lengths that pass RiverFish's general measurement checks are included. Each bar covers a 20 mm range.

Latest EA evidence

Latest tench observations

The ten most recent survey visits that recorded tench in named waterways.

Date	River or waterway	Survey location	Fish recorded
18 Jun 2026	River Medway	Yalding Leas	3
10 Jun 2026	River Darent	Lullingstone	1
10 Jun 2026	Counter Drain	Welney	3
2 Jun 2026	River Colnebrook	Wraysbury	2
1 Jun 2026	Sheldon Stream	Ashill (Sp)	1
28 May 2026	Silk Stream	Rushgrove Park	6
21 May 2026	Old River Lea	Cornmill Meadows 3 (Mile Nursery)	4
21 May 2026	River Box (Main Reaches)	Scotland Street	2
20 May 2026	Swavesey Drain	US Webs Hole Sluice	1
14 May 2026	Well Creek	Salters Lode	1

A survey record confirms tench at that place and time. It does not show present-day abundance or fishing access.

4,535 positive survey visits

Survey distribution

EA surveys recorded tench at 1,826 locations across 511 named waterways represented on RiverFish.

Region	Waterways	Locations	Survey visits	Latest record
Anglian	200	1,038	2,862	10 Jun 2026
South East	163	461	1,165	18 Jun 2026
Midlands	68	185	309	30 Apr 2026
South West	35	60	81	1 Jun 2026
North West	25	38	45	15 Jul 2024
Yorkshire and North East	20	44	73	4 Aug 2025

219 detailed pages

Tench by river

Open any river-specific page for its measured lengths, largest surveyed individuals, locations and observation history.

Anglian 120 pages

Midlands 20 pages

North West 1 pages

River Lostock4 locations · latest 2000

South East 59 pages

South West 9 pages

Bridgwater / Taunton Canal8 locations · latest 1994 Bristol Avon main river3 locations · latest 2006 Huntspill/South Drain Catchment3 locations · latest 2023 Main Avon Sites4 locations · latest 2014 Main River Brue2 locations · latest 2019 Main River Chew3 locations · latest 2016 Main River Yeo3 locations · latest 2005 River New Blind Yeo4 locations · latest 2024 West Sedgemoor Main Drain Catchment1 locations · latest 2016

Yorkshire and North East 10 pages

Holderness Drain1 locations · latest 2010 River Aire3 locations · latest 2009 River Dearne6 locations · latest 2022 River Don5 locations · latest 2025 River Don catchment5 locations · latest 2009 River Hull eel surveys3 locations · latest 2021 River Ouse4 locations · latest 2006 River Ouse/Ure eel surveys3 locations · latest 2014 River Rother4 locations · latest 2008 River Tees3 locations · latest 2007

How to read this page

Survey measurements, not angling records

Environment Agency surveys are designed to monitor fish populations. Their largest measurement is not equivalent to a verified rod-and-line record, and the survey sample does not include every river or every tench.

Waterway groups with administrative or mixed-river labels are excluded from the headline national totals and rankings. Their eligible river-specific pages remain available in the directory so no published destination is hidden.

The fish records use the Environment Agency source snapshot dated 10 August 2026.

How RiverFish handles the data →