Coarse Fishing Destinations in the UK

North West and Cumbria

Ellerbeck Farm and Fishery, Brigham, West Cumbria

This was featured on Channel 4's Screaming Reels Good Fishing Guide and has two waters with carp up to 16lb. It also has bream to 10lb, plus roach, rudd, perch, bream, tench and chub, providing good sport even for the beginner. Day tickets are available with cheaper summer evening tickets after 6pm also available.

Lathom Fisheries, Burscough, Lancashire

The fishery boasts two lakes, situated right next to each other. Both are well stocked with a variety of fish including carp, koi, tench, barbel and roach to up to 3lb. There are also bream, chub, rudd and perch. More than 50 pegs are available in total.

London

Clapham Common Pond, Clapham Common, SE London

This is one of very few venues left offering free fishing. The venue consists of two small well-stocked coarse fishing lakes with great potential on the public common. It’s controlled by Clapham APS and Lambeth Council. Fishing includes carp to 20lbs, roach, bream and tench. Best baits are apparently boils and trout pellets.

Fairlop Water, Barkingside, London

Fairlop Water is a small coarse fishing lake containing carp to 32lbs, pike to 20lbs, small roach, perch and bream. No night fishing allowed. Day tickets are available.

Walthamstow Reservoir, Tottenham, London

Offers a number of reservoirs providing good coarse fishing for all types of anglers. Many species of fish all to good sizes; carp to over 30lbs. Day tickets and season tickets are available.

Northumbria

Eden Meadows, Trimdon Colliery, County Durham

The complex consists of three well-stocked fishing lakes with excellent access to all pegs. Disabled anglers have permission to drive down to the water where adequate room is available to park close to the peg. Eden Meadows is a day ticket fishery with on-site facilities including snacks and baits. Two match lakes ensure the discerning match anglers are well catered for.

Whittle Dene, off the B6138 near Corbridge, Northumberland

The fishery, operated by the local water authority, is formed by a cluster of small reservoirs on the old military road near Harlow Hill. The venue produces good mixed bags with roach present in large numbers. Due to the restricted car parking, the numbers of permits are restricted to 20 per day, on a first-come, first-served basis. Day tickets via self-service envelope from fishing lodge.

Bolam Lake. Off A669 at Belsay, Newcastle Upon Tyne

This is a 25-acre lake set within the country park and operated by the local County Council. Coarse fishing is allowed with a permit issued from Belsay Post Office (Tel: 01661 881205). The lake is closed to anglers from March 15th until June 15th.

South East England

Beaver Farm Fishery, Newchapel, Lingfield, Surrey

This day ticket fishery extends more than 49 acres, offering a great variety of fishing on the eight lakes, plus half a mile of the Eden Brook. These waters hold a total of 15 different species of fish. The fishery is designed to provide anglers with a wide choice of fishing. Five specimen lakes hold carp to over 33 lbs and catfish to over 50 lbs. The fishery also has match lakes providing good sport while the other lakes and the Eden Brook are ideal for pleasure anglers.

Bury Hill Fisheries, Old Bury Hill, Dorking, Surrey

A general coarse fishery consisting of three lakes catering for the pleasure, specimen and match angler. Facilities include a new boathouse complex complete with toilets, shop and café and the fishery is disabled person friendly and permanently staffed making it ideal for youngsters. All the lakes are well stocked with an abundance of species which run to specimen size. Day tickets and evening tickets(available from 5pm or for the last 4 hours of light if earlier).

Cottington Lakes, Sholden, Deal, Kent

Six coarse fishing lakes make up Cottington Lakes, offering a variety of angling to suit everyone from youngsters to specimen carp enthusiasts. There are two mixed coarse lakes, two specimen carp lakes and two match lakes. Main species include carp, bream, tench, roach, rudd, perch and chub. Set in the Kentish countryside, there are facilities for caravans and camping. There is also a tackle shop and a café. Because restrictions are placed on the number of anglers allowed to fish the specimen carp lakes at any one time, it is advisable to telephone in advance to book a day ticket .

Southern England

Milton Pools Fishery, Great Milton, Oxfordshire

Established more than 60 years ago, Milton Pools offers five pools providing everything for the pleasure fishermen, such as decent roach to specimen hunting for double figure tench, pike in excess of 20lbs and carp to 30lbs-plus.There are also a couple of pools which are ideal for youngsters or beginners. A tackle shop, café and toilet facilities are also on site. Most of the pegs are suitable for disabled anglers with car access to many of the pegs. Night fishing is allowed, but needs to be booked.

Todber Manor Fishery, Sturminster Newton, Dorset

Consists of five lakes, the two originals feature carp between 3-8lb with good size roach and tench. The largest lake is home to excellent carp and bream, while another is a mixed fishery with carp to 5lb, tench, barbel, roach, and bream. The specimen lake holds carp up to nearly 30lb. A tackle shop is on site.  Day tickets and night ticket are available.

Farlows Lake, Iver, Buckinghamshire

This complex consists of a main water body of 25 acres, a five-acre pool that is primarily used for match angling, a small junior pool and the River’s Colne and Colnbrook that border the east and west banks of the venue. The main lake holds a good head of carp as well as yielding good mixed bags of roach, roach/bream hybrids, skimmer bream, perch, tench and larger bream. Concessions are available for juniors, disabled and OAPs. Night fishing is available although not on the junior lake.  Facilities include toilets, a bar, a cafe and a small shop stocking limited amounts of tackle and bait.

East England

East of England Woodlands Fishery, Spilsby, Lincolnshire

Woodlands is a five-lake complex of 100 pegs set in a beautiful natural valley, offering an unbeatable day’s sport in a relaxed and unique setting. Recent improvements include the addition of two new lakes and a fully stocked tackle shop with a large selection of tackle and baits along with hot and cold snacks and drinks. Fishing is from 6am to dusk with floodlit fishing available. Day tickets and evening tickets (after 4pm) are available.

Manor Farm Fishing, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire

This attractive Bedfordshire venue offers two mixed coarse lakes, a match canal, a specimen carp lake, a fly-only trout lake and a quarter mile stretch of the River Ivel. The angling varies from roach, perch, bream and carp to specimen hunting for big carp and pike to fly-only trout fishing. There is a small on-site tackle shop. 24-hour fishing is available.

Rib Valley Lakes, Westmill Farm, Ware, Hertfordshire

The complex consists of three still-water lakes, situated in the picturesque Rib Valley. Two of the lakes are for coarse fishing the other being fly only. All the lakes are open for fishing throughout the year, and infirm anglers may also drive around the lakes. A tackle shop is located at the entrance to the fishery. Stocking includes carp to 20lbs, tench to 7lbs, roach, chub, perch, crucians, tench, bream and gudgeon.

Heart of England

Baden Hall Fisheries, Eccleshall, Stafford

Baden Hall fisheries is one largest pleasure fisheries in the Midlands comprising of eight individual pools, holding more than 275 pegs. All the waters are stocked with coarse fish including carp, bream, roach, tench and barbel. Carp more than 30lb have been recorded with double-figure bream and tench also hooked. The complex also features a licensed bar with catering facilities.

Lemington Lakes, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire

Set in the rolling Cotswold countryside are these five lakes, one a specimen carp lake, offering a variety of sport for most anglers. Each lake has been designed and stocked to suit different styles of fishing from the pleasure and match angler, to the pole angler and the dedicated carp fisherman. Fishing is from 7am to dusk.

Old Hall Farm, Groby, Leicestershire

Consists of three fishing lakes within a ten-acre site. The management has recently been taken over by a non-profit making voluntary group whose aim is to encourage inner city and underprivileged children to take up angling. Groby Lakes offers a warm welcome to both experienced and inexperienced anglers with advice usually on hand from one of the volunteers on site. Carp and tench feature heavily on this water. Fishing is from 7.00am to dusk.

Western England

Edney's Fisheries, Mells, Frome, Somerset

Features three well-stocked lakes. Lake one has a good head of double-figure carp up to 30lb and tench to 9lb. The carp available on this lake are leather, common and mirror, as well as the odd big roach and rudd.

Lake two contains mirror, common and ghost carp up to 20lb, also silver fish, roach, rudd, perch and tench as well as a blue and golden orfe and chubb. Lake three has mixed carp, including ghost up to 10lb, also chubb, silverfish, roach, rudd, perch and tench. There are caravan and camping sites beside all three lakes.

Goodiford Mill Fishery, Kentisbeare, Devon

Comprises of five lakes.The coarse lake is the biggest lake and catches include roach and rudd with a few samples topping 3lb, there are also tench, perch, crucians, brown trout and bream along with specimen carp in excess of 30lb. Disabled access is available with prior arrangement. A range of tackle is available.

South View Fishery, Shillingford St George, near Exeter, Devon

The coarse fishery consists of three spring fed lakes. All the waters have regularly produced good catches since they were opened to day ticket anglers in the early 1980s. The fishing produces carp in excess of 20 lbs, with good sized skimmer bream, perch, roach, tench, ghost carp and rudd. Day tickets are sold on the bank.

Wales

Seven Oaks Fishery, Ystradowen, nr Pontyclun

One of the three ponds at this fishery is the green Vale of Glamorgan which is devoted exclusively to providing the coarse angler with a good day out. Many types of carp have been stocked, more than a few in excess of 20lbs, and anglers should expect to catch bream, tench, roach, rudd. Fishing is permitted from 8am to dusk.

Meadow Pool, Porthcawl

Stocked with carp averaging more than 10lbs, this productive pond also produces decent sized bream, tench and small perch, roach and rudd as backup. Managed by the Porthcawl AA, the two-acre water has recently produced carp up to 20lbs. Unfortunately it is unsuitable for disabled anglers as there is a 3ft metal fence surrounding the venue for safety reasons. Also, the nearby Wilderness Pond can be fished on the same day ticket.

New Bethlehem Coarse Fishery, Cilcennin

A tranquil, heavily stocked two-acre pool with modern facilities for the holiday angler.  This offers carp up to 20lbs with mirrors, commons, grass, silvers and crucians. Other species include plenty of good sized roach, rudd, perch and tench. B&B and self-catering accommodation is available in two modern cottages and a small portion of the lakeside is geared for touring caravans and tents.

Scotland

Magiscroft Fishery, Cumbernauld

A Magiscroft day ticket allows anglers to fish from 8.30am until dusk from April to September, and from 9am for the rest of the year. There are 100 pegs on three waters which are well stocked with a wide variety of coarse fish species. A cafe, bait and tackle shop, and secure parking in a peaceful and beautiful setting provide everything you need to relax and enjoy.

Broom Fisheries, Newbie by Annan, Dumfries and Galloway

The Broom Fisheries coarse angling facility features a recently refurbished loch and a purpose-built canal, providing opportunity to catch tench, perch, bream, carp and chub. A tackle and bait shop is on site, along with refreshments.

Forbes of Kingennie Fishings, Broughty Ferry, Dundee

Kingennie Fishings provides excellent fishing for experts and beginners alike with bait and fly-fishing available on the four well-stocked pools. The site hosted the Scottish National Coarse Fishing Championships in 2003 and attracts in the region of 10,000 anglers each year. Kingennie Fishings operates an ongoing competition, which allows anglers the opportunity to win a cash prize with each angler invited to put 50 pence into the 'fish pot'. The first person to catch the tagged fish wins the 'fish pot', which could be up to several hundred pounds.