Specimen Carp Lakes In Surrey: The Best Day Ticket Venues

Known as the birthplace of cricket, Eric Clapton and Harry Hill, Surrey is also the most wooded county in the United Kingdom. Unsurprisingly, nestled among the abundance of trees are some of the finest day ticket carp lakes in the south-east region.

Whether you are looking for an action-packed runs water or the chance to go after some larger carp, Surrey’s day ticket waters have options for everyone.

Let’s get straight into it and take a look (in alphabetical order) at some of the best day ticket carp fisheries in Surrey.

Beaver Fishery (Lingfield)

Beaver Fishery is located in Newchapel, approximately 3 miles from Lingfield.

There are 10 lakes at Beaver Fishery, 2 of which are stock ponds. Of the 8 fishable lakes, Daughters Lake contains grass carp to over 20lb, which are backed up by a number of mid-double figure commons and mirrors.

Elsewhere on the complex is Tuscany Lake, which is the catfish lake. The lake record is in excess of 80lb and the average size is between 30lb-40lb, giving anglers an alternative specimen to target if they wish.

The main lake and the one of most interest to us carp anglers is Snipe Lake. This is the oldest lake at Beaver Fishery and extends to around 2.5 acres in size. It boasts a central island and overhanging trees among its main features.

Depths range from 2ft-7ft, with an average depth of 4.5ft. There are some hard spots of gravel and clay which can be very productive if located, though the bottom is predominantly silt.

There is a good head of 20lb+ carp in Snipe Lake, with several over 30lb. The lake record is 37lb.

The fishery has a tackle shop that stocks a range of equipment and accessories. There is secure parking on-site, as well as toilets and shower facilities.

Day tickets at this east Surrey venue are available for £15 for 2 rods or £20 for 3 rods. Night fishing is permitted and a 24 hour ticket costs £25 for 2 rods or £30 for 3 rods.

Beaver Fishery At A Glance:

Bury Hill Fisheries (Dorking)

Bury Hill Fisheries is located in Westcott, around 2 miles from Dorking.

There are 4 lakes on the Bury Hill Fisheries complex, with 2 of them aimed at pleasure anglers and the other 2 for carp anglers.

The Old Lake is roughly 12 acres in size and offers the chance to fish from the bank or from a boat, with the latter giving the opportunity to access the “jungle area” of the lake. The deeper water on the lake is between the island and the boathouse, with depths of around 10ft.

Several carp in the Old Lake have crossed the magical 30lb barrier and the lake record is 38lb. The average size is mid/upper double figure and there are multiple fish that are 20lb+.

In order to fish Temple Lake, you are required to purchase a membership, which costs £50 per year.

Temple Lake is the true specimen water of the complex and has depths that vary between 3ft-11ft. In the 4 acres of water that it covers, there are:

• 100 carp in excess of 20lb
• 12 or more different 30lb+ carp
• 2 different 40lb+ carp
• Only 15 pegs

Each of the carp in Temple Lake has been electronically tagged, enabling anglers to identify which fish they have caught and allowing the fishery management to monitor growth rates. Some of the carp in Temple Lake are gaining as much as 7lb in a year!

There are some excellent facilities on-site, including a well-stocked tackle shop that offers a range of equipment, bait and terminal tackle. There are heated male and female toilets and a kitchen area available for anglers. Sandwiches, snacks and drinks can be ordered by telephone and delivered directly to your peg.

Day tickets at this east Surrey fishery start at £19. Night fishing is only available for members.

Bury Hill Fisheries At A Glance:

Edenbrook Fishery (Oxted)

Edenbrook Fishery is located in Hurst Green, approximately 3 miles from Oxted.

Meridian Lake is the runs water of the complex, around 1.5 acres in size with carp to high double figures. Having only been excavated in 2007, it isn’t as mature as Edenbrook Lake.

Edenbrook Lake is the main lake and extends to almost 3 acres in size. With weeping willows and an abundance of marginal plants, it has to be one of the most picturesque lakes in Surrey.

There are 12 pegs on Edenbrook Lake and 2 islands towards the far end. Depths vary between 2ft in the shallows to as much as 8ft between the islands. The average size is mid-double figure with a good head of 20lb+ fish, up to a lake record of 37lb.

Day tickets at this beautiful east Surrey fishery start at £11 and allow anglers to use up to 3 rods (EA licence permitting). Night fishing is allowed and a 24 hour ticket costs £20.

Edenbrook Fishery At A Glance:

Kent also has some amazing day ticket carp fisheries. You can check them out here

Furze Farm Fishery (Cranleigh)

Furze Farm Fishery is located in Bucks Green, around 3 miles from Cranleigh.

Nestled in the middle of the countryside, this 3.5 acre lake boasts 2 central islands, overhanging trees and dense margins, all of which are hotspots for the carp that reside here.

This east Surrey lake has a good head of carp, with the average size being around mid-double figure. These are backed up by multiple fish over 20lb, with several over the magical 30lb barrier. The lake record is 36lb.

Day tickets are valid from 7am until sunset and cost £10. Night fishing is possible and a 24 hour ticket is £25, but must be booked in advance.

Furze Farm Fishery At A Glance:

Greens Farm Fishery (Dorking)

Greens Farm Fishery is located in Newdigate, approximately 6 miles from Dorking.

There are 2 lakes at Greens Farm Fishery. Guinea Lake is around 5 acres in size and is aimed at pleasure anglers, while the main lake on the complex is Bean Lake.

At around 6 acres in size, this is the larger of the lakes. There are only 10 pegs, which allows each angler to have a generous amount of water to themselves. In addition to 3 small islands, there are also multiple beds of lily pads and reed-lined margins.

There are 250 carp in Bean Lake, all of which are female. The average weight is mid/upper double up to a lake record of 45lb.

Night fishing is not allowed at this east Surrey fishery, but day tickets are priced at £10 for 1 rod or £18 for 2 rods.

Greens Farm Fishery At A Glance:

Old Quarry Lake (Reigate)

Old Quarry Lake is located in Betchworth, around 3 miles from Reigate.

This is a small lake that covers approximately 1 acre of water. There are several species present, though it is predominantly fished by carp anglers. This lake is surrounded by woodland and has matured naturally throughout the years.

The depth of the lake varies quite dramatically, from only 2ft deep in the shallows to as much as 18ft in its deepest parts. The average size carp is mid-double figure, with a good head of 20lb+ fish up to a lake record of over 30lb.

For those that like to have a bit of comfort while they fish or even bring their partner, there is a cabin at the lake that can be hired (minimum booking of 24 hours).

Night fishing at this east Surrey venue must be booked in advance with the owners. Day tickets are available on arrival and cost £12 for 2 rods, and the cabin is priced at £60 for 24 hours.

Old Quarry Lake At A Glance:

Does your baiting strategy include the use of particles? Why not take a look at some of the best particles for catching carp

Shillinglee Fishery (Godalming)

Shillinglee Fishery is located in Shillinglee, approximately 12 miles from Godalming.

Located on the border between Surrey and West Sussex, Shillinglee Fishery has been run as a day ticket water since the mid-1990’s, having previously been a syndicate lake.

While there are other lakes on the complex, they are either aimed at pleasure anglers or are being used as stock/breeding ponds, so the main lake is where the carp action happens.

At around 6.5 acres in size, the main lake is stocked with fish that are home-grown at Shillinglee. In addition to specimen pike and tench, the carp are thriving in this environment and the lake record is now in excess of 40lb, with the average size in the upper-double figure bracket.

Day tickets are available at this east Surrey fishery and are priced at £15. Night fishing is only possible for a limited number of syndicate members.

Shillinglee Fishery At A Glance:

Thorpe Lea Fishery (Egham)

Thorpe Lea Fishery is located in Thorpe, around 2 miles from Egham.

The lake is around 18 acres in size, with 3 islands dividing the water between the 60 pegs.

In 2003, the lake was stocked with 2,500 carp from Drayton Reservoir. From that stocking, there are now thirty different fish over the 30lb barrier, with one in three carp over 20lb.

With such a number of fish, most tactics work well, with bottom baits and zig rigs accounting for the majority of captures when conditions are suited.

Facilities for anglers include a shower/toilet block, tackle shop and on-site refreshments.

Day tickets at this west Surrey venue are available for £12, with 24 hour tickets costing £24.

Thorpe Lea Fishery At A Glance:

Tillingbourne Fisheries (Dorking)

Tillingbourne Fisheries is located in Abinger Hammer, approximately 5 miles from Dorking.

Tillingbourne Fisheries also own Furze Farm Fishery that I mentioned earlier in this article.

The main lake here is called Frog Island and is only around 1 acre in size. Fed from natural springs, the water clarity is excellent all year round with depths averaging around 4ft-5ft.

This is a mixed coarse fishery, so other species are also present. There are a lot of carp just breaking the double-figure barrier with many other mid/upper doubles and a few carp that have crossed the 20lb barrier. The lake record is 27lb.

Day tickets are valid from 7am until sunset and cost £10, though any anglers arriving before 9am will need to telephone to gain access. Night fishing is possible and a 24 hour ticket is £25, but must be booked in advance.

Tillingbourne Fisheries At A Glance:

There are also some great day ticket waters in Hampshire. You can take a look at our recommendations here

Twynersh Fishing Complex (Chertsey)

Twynersh Fishing Complex is located in Thorpe, around 1 mile from Chertsey.

This is one of the larger fisheries in the Surrey area, with 8 gravel pits encompassed within 44 acres of land. Of the 8 lakes on-site, 5 are fishable on a day ticket basis, one of which is a match/pleasure lake.

Pit 3 and Pit 4 are for members only, Pit 5 is a pleasure lake and Pit 6 is reserved for exclusive lake bookings.

Match Lake is just over 2 acres in size and has 20 pegs, so it can become crowded. The lake varies in depth from about 3ft in the shallows to as much as 11ft in the deeper areas. There is a good stock of carp in the mid-double figure bracket with several over 20lb, up to a lake record of 28lb. Night fishing is allowed.

Pit 1 is 1 acre in size and only day fishing is permitted. There are 16 pegs, of which 2 are doubles and depths reach approximately 10ft. This is stocked with smaller carp which will guarantee plenty of rod-bending action. The average size is high singles/low doubles, with some upper doubles and a few that have crept over the 20lb mark.

Out of the day ticket waters, Pit 2 holds the biggest carp. The lake is around 2.5 acres in size and has varying depths between 2ft-15ft. There are plenty of snags, plateaus and gravel bars to find, with multiple features in each of the 14 pegs. There is a good head of 20lb+ carp and four different 30lb+ fish, up to a lake record of over 39lb. Night fishing is allowed.

Pit 7 has arguably the best looking fish on the complex. At only 2 acres in size, it is stocked with some lovely scaly mirrors, including a recent stocking from renowned fish farmers, VS Fisheries. The lake record is in excess of 35lb and there are some lovely looking carp ranging from low doubles to 30lb+. Night fishing is allowed.

Day tickets are valid from 7am-7pm and cost £12. Night fishing is possible on Match Lake, Pit 2 and Pit 7 and is priced at £25 for 24 hours.

Twynersh Fishing Complex At A Glance:

Willinghurst Fishery (Guildford)

Willinghurst Fishery is located in Shamley Green, approximately 7 miles from Guildford.

There are 11 lakes in total on the Willinghurst Estate, the majority of which stock carp, though only 2 of them are classed as specimen waters.

Main Lake is around 4 acres in size and has 2 islands. There is a good head of double-figure carp present, with many in excess of 20lb, and a scattering of 30lb+ fish. The islands are an obvious hotspot, but the margins tend to produce the majority of the larger carp and shouldn’t be ignored.

Christmas Tree Lake is just over 3 acres in size and has a central island. Again, casting tight to the island does account for a lot of fish, but fishing the margins among the overhanging trees tends to yield the best results. There is a good head of carp in Christmas Tree Lake with the average size being low/mid double figure. The lake record is in excess of 32lb.

It quickly became apparent that there are a lot of crayfish in the lakes at Willinghurst Fishery. If you also have problems with crayfish when carp fishing, you can try some of these methods to stop them

Day tickets are available at this west Surrey fishery and are priced at £18 for 2 rods. Night fishing is possible and costs £27 but must be booked in advance.

Willinghurst Fishery At A Glance:

Conclusion

Surrey has many runs waters for those times when you are looking to put a bend in the rod, as well as some fantastic specimen lakes if you are looking to beat your personal best.

My brother lives in Surrey and while we have fished many of these lakes together already, I hope to check out even more of the amazing fisheries that the region has to offer in the near future.

Have you ever fished any the lakes mentioned? If so, please let me know how you got on in the comments.