Where can I go magnet Fishing?

There are many places that you can go magnet fishing but the first thing you’re going to need to check is if you are allowed and have permission to do so. 

It is highly recommended that you follow the magnet fishing code of conduct and always ask permission first or check with your local governing body.

Best Places To Go Magnet Fishing

Some of the best places to go magnet fishing are:

• Magnet Fishing in Rivers & Canals

Rivers and Canals are a fantastic place to go magnet fishing, especially the parts of the river that have had a lot of people nearby, for example when they are close to a road or a popular walkway. Many metallic items have been disposed of in the river over hundreds of years. Rivers and canals are also a common place for people to dispose of items from crimes and burglaries. 

Tip – Find a good bridge to magnet fish off

• Magnet Fishing in Lakes

Lakes can have interesting metal items lurking at the bottom of them, try to choose a lake that has been popular over the years, perhaps where people have gone swimming or diving in the summer. Common places to find “busy” lakes are country parks and campsites. 

Remember to get permission from the lake owner beforehand.

• Magnet Fishing Streams

I recently did some magnet fishing in a shallow stream located in a busy little village, it was near some houses and I found a few coins. Finds were scarce but there are metal items that have been dropped in streams over the years as people have waded through them.

Streams were a popular place for kids and adults to play during summer times. They were also very popular throughout history as a source of water.

• Magnet Fishing in The Sea or Ocean

The Sea and Ocean is probably one of the least fruitful bodies of water to go magnet fishing, but if you are at a loose end with nowhere to go it’s still an option.

It’s always a good idea to search for a heavy traffic area, like beneath piers or around rocky areas and rock pools. There is a chance that people have dropped metal items and if you’re lucky you may well just recover them.

• Magnet Fishing Wells

If you are lucky enough to have found an abandoned well or know of a place where there is a well then I imagine this would be a good place to drop a magnet down.

Although I have never actually managed to see what kind of items are found at the bottom of a well, I believe that lots of metal objects, including coins, may have been dropped and also purposely thrown down a well. 

Remember to be aware of your surroundings and always consider your safety first.

When magnet fishing in wells you have to remember that over the years silt may have built up at the bottom burying any potential magnetic objects, a good strategy is to remove some of the silt beforehand. You can do this with a bucket on rope. We advise against climbing down the well.

Please don’t drop a magnet down a well that is still in use or that people visit as part of a tourist attraction.

• Magnet Fishing at Historical Sites

It is becoming increasingly popular, as Magnet fishing becomes a more serious hobby for people to research historical sites with bodies of water. Then seek out permission, you may just find you are lucky enough to have the chance to magnet fish on a site rich in history.

Many natural lakes are more than 10,000 years old and were used frequently by many people in different periods of history. This means that over the years metal items of important historical interest were lost in these lakes.

If you find an item of important historical interest while magnet fishing, it is good practice to report it to your local Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) – https://finds.org.uk/contacts

• Magnet Fishing Off Bridges

Old bridges and sometimes even new ones are a great place to discover interesting metal items beneath them when magnet fishing.

You’ve got to think about how people’s minds work and where they would dispose of items. You see it in the films all the time for a reason.

Many people over the years have and will throw things from a bridge when in a rush to discard it. 

Not only purposely throwing metal items into the water but when leaning over the sides of the bridge perhaps dropped things.

Bridges are in fact one of my favourite places to magnet fish and some of my most interesting magnet fishing finds have been from them, including a safe (empty unfortunately), a large “Rambo” style knife and believe it or not numerous bikes. My favourite was an old Raleigh Racer.

Best Places For Magnet Fishing Summary

As a magnet fishing beginner, you are going to be very excited to rush out and start your hobby, we all felt the same at the beginning. However you must always be aware of the magnet fishing laws in your area and seek permission first.

There are many places you can go magnet fishing and you’ll find that some places have lots of interesting metal items and some you won’t find a single thing. The beauty of this hobby for me is just being outdoors with your mind focused on this wonderful hobby. 

It’s also worthy to mention that different bodies of water may require different magnet fishing setups. For example longer rope or a stronger magnet.

Do you have any other great ideas for places to magnet fish? If so let us know in the comments and we will add it to our best places to go magnet fishing list.