Specimen Carp Fishing In Warwickshire: Best Day Ticket Lakes

Warwickshire was the birthplace of William Shakespeare and the sport that we now know as rugby. It is also home to Warwick Castle and, luckily for us carp anglers, plenty of day ticket specimen lakes.

This historic county is arguably most famous for its wealth of tourist attractions, though it also has many opportunities to put a bend in the rod at a runs water, and even bank a decent sized personal best.

If you live in the region or are looking for a change of scenery, we will now take a look at some of the best day ticket lakes in Warwickshire.

Arden Lakes (Stratford-upon-Avon)

Arden Lakes is located in Ingon, around 3 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon.

This is a picturesque fishery that boasts a clubhouse, 5 coarse fishing lakes and a specimen lake.

Orchard Lake is the biggest lake of the complex, covering around 1.5 acres of water. Having been around since the 1940s, this is a very mature venue that is recognised as the specimen lake.

The depths range between 3ft in the shallow areas to around 12ft in the middle of the lake. The margins are often ignored by anglers searching for the deeper water, but they tend to be one of the most productive areas.

The average size carp isn’t huge, with the majority of fish caught weighing between 8-12lb. A number of upper double-figure fish exist, along with a handful that have exceeded the 20lb barrier.

The Clubhouse serves sandwiches, snacks and drinks, as well as a range of bait. The toilet facilities are also located here, as is the car park.

Day tickets for the specimen lake are priced at £12 and are valid from 7am-7:30pm (5:30pm in winter). Night fishing is not allowed at this beautiful Warwickshire fishery.

Arden Lakes At A Glance:

Bishops Bowl Fishery (Royal Leamington Spa)

Bishops Bowl Fishery is located in Bishops Itchington, approximately 7 miles from Royal Leamington Spa.

Situated in 90 acres of beautiful Warwickshire countryside, this is a Site of Interest for Nature and Conservation. The fishery is a former limestone quarry, with 9 lakes that all offer something completely different for visiting anglers.

In order to fish the specimen lakes on this complex, anglers are required to purchase a lifetime membership, priced at just £5.

White Bishop Lake is one of the pleasure lakes of this complex, but has a good stock of carp, with the larger residents crossing the 20lb barrier. Rushglen Lake is recognised as the runs water, which extends to 3.5 acres in size and is heavily stocked with carp to just over 20lb in weight.

The largest water of the complex, Greenhill Lake, has a generous size of 24 acres and features various islands, channels and bays. The depths vary dramatically, from 2ft in the shallows to as much as 35ft in the deepest areas. The lake has 13 double pegs, with one suitable for disabled access. The average size carp is now mid double-figures, with a good head of 20lb+ fish. The lake record is 32lb.

Mitre Lake underwent a 3 year refurbishment programme and reopened in 2018. The lake extends to just over 5 acres in size and boasts 15 comfortable pegs, 3 of which offer disabled access. Much shallower than Greenhill Lake, the average depth here is around 3ft-4ft, though there are some shelves, ledges and holes that mix things up a bit. Again, the average size carp is mid double-figures, with a good head of 20lb+ fish and a lake record of over 36lb.

There is an on-site cafe that is capable of seating up to 40 guests at a time. There is also a tackle shop that stocks bait from most of the major brands, in addition to their own house boilies.

Day tickets are available and prices vary from £8 for the pleasure lakes, up to £15 for the specimen lakes. Night fishing is possible and is priced at £25 for 24 hours on all lakes.

Bishops Bowl Fishery At A Glance:

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Dog Lane Fishery (Southam)

Dog Lane Fishery is located in Napton-on-the-Hill, around 4 miles from Southam.

There are three beautiful lakes to choose from, offering match/pleasure fishing and the opportunity to target some specimen carp.

Willow Lake is the original lake of the complex and serves as the match/pleasure lake. Although it is heavily stocked with carp, they rarely exceed 10lb in weight.

Fishing on the specimen lakes requires anglers to purchase a yearly membership, which costs £5.

Wigeon Lake is the newest specimen lake of the complex, having been stocked in 2017. This lake covers around 2 acres of water and boasts 5 pegs that are all situated on the same bank. The average size carp is upper double-figures and there are many fish that have exceeded the 20lb barrier, with several different fish weighing in excess of 30lb.

Grebe Lake is the larger specimen water, extending to roughly 4 acres in size and boasting 15 pegs. This is a very mature lake with depths ranging from 4ft in the shallow areas to as much as 9ft close to the dam wall. The margins are often ignored, but tend to be among the most productive areas. Like Wigeon Lake, the average size here is upper double-figures, again with a good head of 20lb+ fish and a lake record in excess of 35lb.

There is an on-site cafe that serves a range of meals, drinks and snacks. The fishery also sells its own range of pellets and boilies. Toilet and shower facilities are available for overnight anglers.

Day tickets at this stunning Warwickshire fishery are priced at £13, with 24 hour tickets costing £25.

Dog Lane Fishery At A Glance:

Friezeland Pools (Nuneaton)

Friezeland Pools complex is located in Market Bosworth, approximately 10 miles from Nuneaton.

The fishery consists of 5 lakes, catering for match/pleasure angling as well as carp fishing. This picturesque Warwickshire fishery allows night fishing at the weekends.

Pat’s Pool is heavily stocked with carp, all of which are small in size, making this the perfect lake for beginners. Pam’s Pool is the deepest on the complex and also heavily stocked with carp. The stamp of fish is slightly bigger here, with the larger residents tipping the scales at in excess of 20lb.

Friezeland Pool is the oldest lake of the fishery and is just about an acre in size. It is heavily stocked with carp and tench and is extremely popular with the local anglers. The lake record carp is just over 25lb.

Lower Friezeland Pool hosts a lot of matches, so a lot of the carp in this lake are on the smaller side. With that being said, if anglers show a little patience, there are also some larger specimens that can be tempted.

Upper Friezeland Pool is the lake that the majority of overnight anglers head to. With 20 pegs available, it can become crowded at times, though the central island does a good job of separating the water between pegs.

The complex is adjacent to Bosworth Water Park, so anglers are able to use the cafe and toilet facilities there.

Night fishing is possible if arranged in advance, while day tickets are priced at £10.

Friezeland Pools At A Glance:

Makins Fishery (Nuneaton)

Makins Fishery is located in Bramcote, around 5 miles from Nuneaton.

As the largest commercial fishery in Warwickshire and one of the biggest in the country, Makins offers more than 600 fishing pegs over a total of 18 lakes. While this complex may not satisfy anglers who are in search of enormous carp, there is one venue which is classed as a specimen lake.

Lake 1 extends to around 5 acres in size and boasts 2 islands and a large gravel bar as its main features. It is predominantly stocked with carp, though it is also home to a number of bream.

The majority of the carp are between 10lb-20lb, with a good head of fish in the 20lb+ bracket. The lake record is an impressive 35lb.

There is a bait shop on-site and male and female toilet/shower facilities. The cafe can be visited in person, or you can place an order and have your food delivered directly to your peg.

Day tickets are priced at £10 and are valid from 7am-9pm. Night fishing is valid for 24 hours from the time of arrival and costs £25.

Makins Fishery At A Glance:

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Spring Pools Carp Fishery (Rugby)

Spring Pools Carp Fishery is located in Newton, approximately 6 miles away from Rugby.

Home to a beautiful 1 acre lake and a clubhouse, the fishery offers a picturesque, quiet and secluded location for anglers, situated within acres of idyllic Warwickshire countryside.

The lake has only 5 pegs that are conveniently flattened and bivvy-friendly. The water is stocked with a good head of carp, many of which are 20lb+, with a lake record of 32lbs.

Predation incidents in the past led to the fishery losing some of its most sought-after carp, so the perimeter is now securely otter fenced. There is a cabin on-site for anglers to use which has seating and cooking facilities.

Tickets are priced at £10 per 12 hour period, with reduced rates applicable during the winter months.

Spring Pools Carp Fishery At A Glance:

Weston Lawns Fisheries (Bedworth)

Weston Lawns Fisheries is located in Bulkington, around 1 mile from Bedworth.

There are 3 lakes at the fishery, 2 of which are well-stocked with carp.

Pool Three is a beautiful lake that is stocked with mixed coarse species, perfect for match/pleasure anglers.

Pool Two covers around 2 acres of water, boasting a central island and 42 pegs. Depths vary between 4ft-8ft and it is stocked with roach, bream and tench, though carp are the predominant species. The average size is mid double-figures with a number of 20lb+ fish. The lake record is 31lb.

Pool One is the main specimen lake of the complex, with fishing restricted to guests who book the cabins that surround the lake. The lake is stocked with specimen roach, bream, perch, tench, catfish and carp. Many of the carp now weigh in excess of 20lb and the lake record tipped the scales at over 36lb. The catfish are increasing in weight rapidly, with the larger residents now crossing the 50lb barrier.

There is a cafe and vending machine on-site and the complex also boasts secure parking in addition to male and female toilets. WiFi is available, but carries a small charge.

Cabin bookings for Pool One vary in price depending on the season, while day tickets for Pool Two and Pool Three cost £10.

Weston Lawns Fishery At A Glance:

Conclusion

While there may not be any record-breaking carp in any of Warwickshire’s day ticket lakes, there is the opportunity to bank some fantastic specimens that are in excess of 30lb.

Some of the scenery at these picturesque lakes is what makes it all worthwhile and will certainly encourage me to visit this wonderful county more often in the future.

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