THE BEST FISHING LAKES IN THE UK
Do you find yourself wondering where the best fishing opportunities are in the UK? Well, look no further because we have done the hard work for you!
In this article we dive into some of the best lakes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – covering some superb natural Carp lakes, vast open waters for Pike and some of the finest coarse feeder fishing locations the UK has to offer.Â
Why Trust My Venue Review?
My name is Daniel O’Neill, I am a UK angler who has fished in all four countries that make up the entirety of the UK. From my extensive experience, I have spent many years researching the best lakes available to anglers, allowing me to utilise my fourteen years of experience to hand-select a group of UK lakes that are a must-fish for all coarse anglers.Â
Windermere
Windermere is England’s largest lake situated in Northwest England near Bowness-on-Windermere. It is famous for its superb coarse fishing, as well as its enormous Pike.Â
The North Basin is the most productive Pike fishing location on Windermere, however, it should be noted that bank fishing is primarily private and therefore it can be challenging to find a suitable location to deadbait from the shore without a long walk.
If you intend to feeder fish, then long-range works best with emphasis on maggots and ground bait fed regularly into fishing spots. There are a large number of Cormorants on Windermere and therefore some anglers believe 4.00pm is a more productive time for catching coarse fish as the birds are less active, thus less likely to spook the fish.Â
Before fishing it should be noted that maggots and caster are only permitted outside of the closed season dates. Furthermore, camping and lighting fires are not permitted, with bailiffs regularly patrolling Windermere’s shoreline.Â
From my time at Windermere, I found a great selection of boat rental companies available along the shoreline. While there were some that could be used for fishing, most were not suitable and I therefore recommend fishing Windermere with your own boat to ensure you can successfully target deeper drop-offs.Â
Within Windermere, Pike have been recorded upwards of 30lb, while Perch and Roach have been recorded above 3lb in weight. Over the years there have been unconfirmed reports of Pike above 40lb landed on Windermere, though there is no firm evidence of these specimens.Â
There are also a large number of other species that while not as common, do inhabit Windermere. Carp, Chub and even large Catfish are all notable catches.
Bluebell Lakes
Arguably one of the most famous sets of coarse lakes in the entirety of the UK, Bluebell Lakes holds Carp up to a massive 59lb 9oz. These five lakes are some of the most pristine waters in the UK.
Based in Peterborough, there is a great selection of facilities on site such as toilets, showers, onsite bait, a shop and a café.Â
Day tickets can be purchased for this water, costing £15 for three rods. Morning and evening tickets are available as well as 24, 36, 48-hour and weekly tickets.Â
Of the five lakes, Mallard is one of the most popular, producing Carp of just under 50lb. This lake boasts forty pegs and stocks over 1000 Carp. Most of the fish within Mallard weigh between 15 and 30lb.
Heightened activity can be seen during the summer months and the far bank has a large shallow area where Carp can be easily spotted. The centre of the lake is the most active feeding zone and the owners recommend continually baiting your swim when fishing here.Â
Llyn Tegid
Llyn Tegid, otherwise known as Bala Lake, is a fantastic fishing spot for coarse anglers, situated in Gwynedd, Wales. It is well known for its variety of species with fourteen to target. The primary coarse targets are Perch, Roach, Pike, and Eels.Â
Llyn Tegid has day tickets on sale for £5.00, weekly tickets for £20.00 and annual tickets for only £40.00. All of these can be purchased from the pay and display machines at Llyn Tegid’s foreshore car park.
The lake is famous for its great stock of Pike which have been caught up to 30lb and more, as well as Ferox Trout up to 15lb being landed on Llyn Tegid.
Furthermore, Llyn Tegid is one of the only places in the entirety of Wales where Still Water Grayling can be caught – offering quite a unique and remarkable fishing experience.Â
However, the key species that makes Llyn Tegid a truly remarkable angling location is the legendary Gwyniad – deep water plankton feeders that are hardly ever caught on rod and line.
Due to the fish only inhabiting Llyn Tegid, a rescue operation has been in place for some years and was organised by Environment Agency Wales to ensure the population does not decline as drastically as it has been.
Float and ledger fishing using worms or maggots is superb in summer when targeting Perch from the shore and those up to 3lb are not uncommon from Llyn Tegid. Over the winter, coarse fishermen excel at feeder fishing on Llyn Tegid, with large bags of Roach and Perch being landed on ledger and swim feeders.
Lough Erne
Lough Erne is the most famous Pike fishing location in Northern Ireland and is based in County Fermanagh. It has an abundant number of local guides that you can book to deadbait or fly fish for Pike from specialised boats. Lower Lough Erne is particularly popular for Pike.
Recent reports from Lough Erne show a consistent catch rate of Pike over 20lb, with some weighing above 32lb in weight. Apart from the impressive Pike fishing, Lough Erne is also known for its Roach which are frequently caught in large numbers, as well as some Bream and Perch.Â
When targeting the Pike in Lough Erne it is best to search for weedy bays where they congregate through the months of November to March. Winter season is definitely the prime time for targeting Pike in Lough Erne, with deep slow moving sections being the most fruitful.Â
If you are interested in Tench fishing, they can be targeted during the summer months. The Broadmeadow and Scotch Store stretches are the most popular locations.Â
Cefn Mably Lakes
Cefn Mably Lakes is situated in Newport, Cardiff. Comprising of an eight-lake complex, three of which are specimen Carp lakes.
Lodge Lake is the most popular venue with twelve swims and 175 fish weighing over 30lb.
Prices vary depending on the tickets you wish to purchase. A Lodge Lake 24-hour ticket costs £30, and £80 for 72-hour tickets, with additional days costing £25.
There are also a large number of amenities on site such as toilets, camping pods and a tackle shop. Some of the cabins are dog-friendly and have WiFi included.
When booking, it should be noted that there is no fishing from the Grebe and Heron cabins.Â
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is situated in southern Scotland and is well known for its coarse fishing.
Take into consideration that before trying to fish Loch Lomond, the LLAIA have control over the coarse angling and they issue a permit available from the LLAIA secretary or local retailers.
Loch Lomond is a well-known water for Pike fishing. The record Pike currently stands at 47lb 11oz, caught by Tommy Morgan in 1945.
Furthermore, Loch Lomond is known for its colossal Perch – some reach up to 5lb in weight.
There are also great stocks of Roach and Ruffe.
In Loch Lomond, there is a fish named ‘Powan’ which is extremely rare. Over the years Ruffe have destroyed the Powan stock by consuming their eggs. Ruffe were added to the lake by accident when an angler introduced it as a live bait for Pike.
Live bait is now entirely forbidden on Loch Lomond. It should also be noted that targeting Powan is not allowed and if one is caught as a bycatch it must be immediately returned to the water unharmed.Â
Boats for fishing can be hired from various locations around the loch. On the eastern side, a good boat rental is ‘Balmaha Boat Yard’ and on the South, ‘Boat Hire at Balloch.’
Llandegfedd Reservoir
Llandegfedd Reservoir is none other than the British Pike record water, having held a specimen of 51lb, with many Pike weighing upwards of 40lb.
The reservoir is situated in Newport, South Wales and is a massive 434 acres.Â
Llandegfedd Reservoir is owned by Welsh Water with day tickets available for £10, and season tickets costing £60.
Anglers should note that fishing is only permitted between March and October.
Although there are some massive Pike in Llandegfedd Reservoir, it is more suited towards match anglers. It is known for its great Bream and hybrid fishing, with some huge bags being recently reported.
Llandegfedd Reservoir also has a variety of match competitions organised by local anglers.Â
Badden Hall Lake
Badden Hall Lake is a superb Carp lake situated in Stafford. It has a great number of amenities such as a café, showers, toilets, cabins, and a tackle shop. The café is open Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and breakfast is served from 8.00am till 12.00 noon.Â
Specimen lakes must be booked online in advance. Badden Hall supplies nets, slings, and cradles. A draw occurs every day at 10:30am which allows for a fair way to select your swim.Â
One of the primary specimen lakes is named the ‘Quarry’ which holds massive Carp – the current lake record for Mirror Carp is 52lb 8oz, while the biggest Common Carp is 49lb 5oz.Â
Anglers are recommended to use zigs in the spring and as the water warms up the Carp begin to feed heavier on bait.
It is recommended to only lightly bait your swim if fishing for under 24 hours at a time.
The specimen waters are particularly eventful in the summer when Carp will hit top water floaters.Â
Hamstall
Hamstall is a five-lake complex situated in the Staffordshire countryside. It specialises in Carp fishing with accessibility for disabled anglers.
One of the lakes named ‘Pool Three’ has a large selection of specimen Carp up to 30lb in weight. This lake is one and a half acres in size and almost all of the fish in it are over 10lb.
Poles are not permitted on this water, with 6-10 hooks being advised, while 42-inch landing nets are essential.Â
Alongside the Carp, you’ll find a variety of species to be caught at Hamstall such as Roach to 2lb, Rudd to 1lb, Chub to 4lb and Perch to 3lb. When fishing ‘Pool Three’, anglers should note that depths drastically vary on the lake – from four to ten feet. The deepest water is at the entrance to the lake and shallowest is at the far end near a sunken island.Â
Pools Two and Four were recently netted to remove a large number of Silverfish and smaller Carp. A massive restocking occurred of double-figure fish, some weighing over 20lb.Â
Anglers have reported fishing into the wind, with luncheon meat and bread floats tending to work best at Hamstall. Ground baits are permitted within reason and a maggot, caster and sweetcorn mix works well.Â
A small lake named ‘Pool One’ is at Hamstall and includes, what the owners believe to be, several potential British record Gudgeons, some hard-fighting Tench to 7lb, Carp, Roach and Rudd.
If you are interested in group stays at Hamstall, they have an enormous lakeside lodge on Lake Two that is suitable for sleeping up to six people. It includes a kitchen, dining area, and lounge. It costs £350 per night and an extra £100 to reserve ‘Pool Two’.Â
The lakes open at 7.00am and close at dusk. There is a bailiff on site at all times that will be happy to provide advice and information.Â
