It is claimed that roundabouts, hot cross buns and doughnuts were all invented in Hertfordshire. I’m not sure whether that is true or not, but I do know that there are some fantastic carp fisheries within the borders of this beautiful county.
Many of the venues are controlled by syndicates and angling clubs, but there are still plenty of lakes that have a healthy stock of specimen carp that can be fished for on a day ticket basis.
Without further ado, let’s take a closer look (in alphabetical order) at some of the finest day ticket carp lakes that Hertfordshire has to offer.
Albans Lake (St Albans)
Albans Lake is located in Colney Heath, around 7 miles from St Albans.
The complex has 1 match lake, 1 runs water and 1 specimen lake.
Willows Lake is the runs water and extends to around 22 acres in size. The shallower water is only around 3ft deep, while the deepest areas of the lake can reach as much as 12ft. With a total of 7,000 carp in the lake (which equates to more than 300 carp per acre of water) bites aren’t particularly hard to come by, though the clear gravel spots and margins are known to produce the bigger hits of fish. The average size carp is low/mid double-figures, with a good head of 20lb+ fish. The lake record tipped the scales at over 30lb.
Covering roughly 12 acres, Farm Lake is the specimen water at Albans Lakes. It is also the deepest lake on the complex, ranging from 5ft in the shallows to a maximum of 20ft in the deeper areas. There are islands, plateaus and deep holes, but again it is the margins and the clear spots that yield the best results. There are more than 700 carp that exceed 15lb in weight and there are multiple fish in the mid/upper twenty-pound bracket. The lake record is in excess of 34lb.
There are toilets with running water on-site. There is a well-stocked tackle shop for any essentials, and a range of drinks and snacks can also be purchased.
Day tickets at this premier Hertfordshire venue are valid from sunrise to sunset and cost £14. Overnight fishing is also available, with 24 hour tickets priced at £22. Both tickets entitle anglers to use 3 rods.
Albans Lakes At A Glance:
Name: Albans Lakes
Location: St Albans, AL4 0RY
Biggest Carp: 34lb+
Aldenham Reservoir (Borehamwood)
Aldenham Reservoir is located in Elstree, approximately 3 miles from Borehamwood.
The lake is controlled by Aldenham Angling Association and fishing is available for their members and day ticket anglers.
Covering some 66 acres of water and with an abundance of natural food present, many of the species in this lake have grown to considerable sizes.
Tench, pike, perch and bream have all been caught at impressive weights and there is a good stock of carp.
The average size carp is low/mid double-figures and there is a good head of fish in the 20lb+ and 30lb+ brackets. The lake record tipped the scales at over 40lb.
Night fishing is only available to members of Aldenham Angling Club, but day tickets are available for non-members and cost £8 (1 rod) or £10 (2 rods).
Aldenham Reservoir At A Glance:
Name: Aldenham Reservoir
Location: Borehamwood, WD6 3BD
Biggest Carp: 40lb+
Fairlands Lake (Stevenage)
Fairlands Lake is located in Fairlands Valley Park, around 2 miles from Stevenage.
Although the park is owned and operated by the local council, it is Welwyn Garden City Angling Club that manage this famous Hertfordshire lake.
There are 4 lakes within the park, and Fairlands Lake extends to around 4 acres in size. It is stocked with a variety of coarse fish and also includes a good head of carp.
The average size carp is just around the double-figure mark, though there are a number of bigger fish. Several fish have crossed the magical 20lb barrier and the lake record currently stands at 35lb.
There is a kiosk that sells a range of drinks and snacks and there are also public toilet facilities.
Day tickets are priced at £13 for anglers wishing to use 2 rods. Night fishing is also available, but must be pre-booked at a cost of £20 for 24 hours.
Fairlands Lakes At A Glance:
Name: Fairlands Lake
Location: Stevenage, SG2 0BL
Biggest Carp: 35lb+
Holwell Hyde Lake (Welwyn Garden City)
Holwell Hyde Lake is located in Holwell Hyde, approximately 3 miles from Welwyn Garden City.
This lake is owned and operated by Welwyn Garden City Angling Club, and their team members have worked hard in recent years to restore it back to its former glory. Additional carp have been added to complement the existing stock, and some wels catfish have also been introduced.
The lake itself is just over 3 acres in size and boasts a wealth of mature features. The overhanging willows and densely populated margins are known to be productive.
The average size carp is low/mid double-figures and these are well-supported by a number of fish between 18lb-26lb in weight. The lake record tipped the scales at 32lb when captured.
Day tickets are priced at £14 for up to 3 rods, while a ticket for 24 hours will set you back £26.
Holwell Hyde Lake At A Glance:
Name: Holwell Hyde Lake
Location: Welwyn Garden City, AL7 4AA
Biggest Carp: 32lb+
Jack’s Lake (Barnet)
Jack’s Lake is located near Cockfosters, around 4 miles from Barnet.
The lake is controlled by Hadley Angling and Preservation Society, with fishing permitted for their members and anglers who purchase a day ticket.
The lake covers around 5 acres of water and has a total of 44 pegs, of which 27 are available to fish on a day ticket basis (the remaining 17 pegs are reserved for members only).
Although this is a mixed coarse fishery, there is also a good head of carp. The average size is probably just scraping the double-figure mark, with a number of mid/upper double-figure fish. The lake record is 26lb, though larger specimens are believed to exist.
Night fishing is not available at this peaceful Hertfordshire fishery, though day tickets are valid from sunrise to sunset and can be purchased by non-members for £12 (2 rods).
Jack’s Lake At A Glance:
Name: Jack’s Lake
Location: Barnet, EN4 9DW
Biggest Carp: 26lb+
Lee Valley Regional Park (Hertford)
Lee Valley Regional Park is located in Stanstead Abbotts, approximately 6 miles from Hertford.
The park is home to many lakes, the majority of which are either operated as small syndicates or membership lakes. There are, however, a couple of lakes that are operated on a day ticket basis.
Banjo Lake is a mature lake of around 3 acres. While other species are present, carp are the main specimens of this lake and there is a stock of approximately 200 swimming in the depths. A large majority of them weigh in excess of 10lb, with multiple fish from a previous stocking now gracing the banks at over 20lb in weight. The bigger residents of the lake have surpassed the 30lb barrier.
Stock Pit is situated next to Banjo Lake, so is equally as mature. It is slightly smaller than its neighbour, covering around 2 acres of water. This lake is much deeper and much weedier, so you must adjust your tactics accordingly. The margins are known to be particularly productive for tempting the carp, which range in size from low double-figures to in excess of 35lb.
Both of the lakes mentioned here are known to have crayfish present. If you have difficulty with them attacking your baits, you can take a look at our recommendations on how to combat crayfish effectively
Day tickets are priced at £16.50 and 24 hour sessions cost £23. Anglers are restricted to using 2 rods at all times.
Lee Valley Regional Park At A Glance:
Name: Lee Valley Regional Park
Location: Hertford, SG12 8HL
Biggest Carp: 34lb+
Nash Lakes (Royston)
Nash Lakes is located in Frog End, around 6 miles from Royston.
These lakes surely need no introduction, as they are owned and operated by carp fishing legend, Kevin Nash.
Fishing at the Royston Lakes complex is on a day ticket basis, but each angler must purchase a 3 year membership priced at £40 prior to booking their tickets
Kingfisher Lake is a long and narrow lake, covering a total of around 4 acres of water. There are 24 pegs, with fishing restricted to one side of the lake at the narrow end. It is here that you will also find the shallower water, with average depths of 6ft-8ft. The lake depth gently slopes from the narrow end towards the bowl end, where the water reaches a maximum of around 16ft.
The lake was stocked with 200 carp to complement the originals that were present from when it was a club water. The lake record is pushing 40lb, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if an even larger specimen was captured.
Wood Lake is the larger of the 2 lakes, extending to around 5 acres in size. It is also much deeper, with depths ranging from as little as 3ft in the shallows to as much as 30ft in the deepest areas. The shallow margins are known to be productive in the warmer months, as are the plateaus and harder areas.
As was the case with Kingfisher Lake, this lake was stocked with 200 carp as backup to the originals, with regular weights now in mid-20lb bracket and above.
The minimum booking at this Hertfordshire carp institution is for 24 hours, with all sessions commencing and ending at 9am. Prices start from £20.
Nash Lakes At A Glance:
Name: Nash Lakes
Location: Royston, SG8 6RA
Biggest Carp: 38lb+
Rib Valley Fishing Lakes (Hertford)
Rib Valley Fishing Lakes is located in Crouchfields, approximately 4 miles from Hertford.
Millennium Lake is the fly-fishing lake of the complex, but opens for coarse fishing during the trout close season. Westmill Lake is a dedicated coarse lake which is known for throwing up the odd surprise, with carp in excess of 20lb having been caught previously. Beginners Pond is exactly what the name suggests, a small pond for beginners.
That leaves us with Rib Lake, which is the main specimen lake of the complex. Covering 12 acres of water, there are 3 islands which are evenly spaced out through the middle of the lake. While other coarse fish are also present, carp are the main target species in this lake, with the average size being mid double-figures. A good head of 20lb+ fish exist, with a handful over the 30lb mark. The lake record is 35lb.
There are male, female and disabled toilets on-site. Rib Valley Angling Tackle Shop is located on the premises and has possibly the largest range of fishing tackle in the area.
Day tickets are priced at £10 (1 rod), £13 (2 rods) or £15 (3 rods). Night fishing must be booked in advance and costs £30 for 24 hours.
Rib Valley Fishing Lakes At A Glance:
Name: Rib Valley Fishing Lakes
Location: Hertford, SG12 0ES
Biggest Carp: 35lb+
Stanborough Lake (Welwyn Garden City)
Stanborough Lake is located in Stanborough Park, around 2 miles from Welwyn Garden City.
Stanborough Park covers more than 100 acres of beautiful Hertfordshire countryside and has 2 lakes within its boundaries.
The lakes are controlled by Welwyn Garden City Angling Club, and the North Lake is used as a stock pond for some of their local waters.
The South Lake is a former gravel pit that covers approximately 16 acres of water. It is home to specimen bream, zander, pike, tench and, of course, carp.
The average size carp is low/mid double-figures, with a good amount of 20lb+ fish. The lake record is in excess of 32lb.
There is a small shop near the lake that sells a range of fishing equipment and some bait products. Toilets are also located within the park.
Day tickets are priced at £14 for anglers using 2 rods. Night fishing must be booked in advance, and costs £26 for 24 hours.
Stanborough Lake At A Glance:
Name: Stanborough Lake
Location: Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6DF
Biggest Carp: 32lb+
Conclusion
That fantastic list of lakes shows that you can still target specimen carp in Hertfordshire, even if you aren’t a member of one of the many syndicates.
The majority of the lakes listed are home to 30lb+ carp, giving many anglers an opportunity to beat their personal best.
Have you ever fished any of these Hertfordshire lakes? If so, please let me know how you got on in the comments.
