Venue guides · East Sussex
Fishing Lakes Near East Sussex
Sixteen day-ticket and club waters within 30 km, ranked by the anglers who fish them, with the honest notes I would want before booking a day on any of them.
I have not fished every water on this list. The ratings come from anglers who have; the advice on choosing between them is mine.
Carp fishing in East Sussex
East Sussex is Weald clay country, and clay holds water. The county is full of small estate lakes, farm ponds and old hammer ponds left over from the iron industry, many of which have grown surprisingly big carp with very little attention. Add a good handful of purpose-built commercial fisheries and a few larger reservoirs, and there is more choice here than the size of the county suggests.
This is not gravel-pit fishing; the lakes are shallower, siltier and more intimate, and the carp respond to stealth and short, mobile sessions rather than heavy baiting at range. The A21, A22 and A27 carry you across the county, but the lanes to the venues are slow.
The map below plots the fisheries anglers rate most highly within roughly 30 km, so you can shortlist a water, get directions and check the reviews in one place. Treat the ratings as a filter rather than a verdict, and read the notes on choosing a venue before you ring ahead.
At a glance
The fisheries, mapped
Every venue below is plotted from its real address. Tap a pin on the map or the button on any card for directions.
🎣 Found 12 fisheries near East Sussex, sorted by angler rating. Click any pin on the map or card for directions.
📋 Fishery Cards
1 Hastingford Fishery ⭐ Top Rated
📍 Hastingford Lane, Hadlow Down, Uckfield TN22 4DY, UK
2 Weir Wood Carp and Coarse Fishery
📍 Weir Wood Fishing Lodge/Weir Wood RH18 5HT, UK
3 Frogmore Fishing lakes
📍 Tanyard Ln, Furner's Green, Uckfield TN22 3RL, UK
4 Falkenvil Fishery
📍 Saltmarsh Ln, Hailsham BN27 2RJ, UK
5 Wildings Lakes
📍 Chailey, Lewes BN8 4HP, UK
6 Furnace Brook Farm
📍 Trolliloes Lane, Hailsham BN27 4QR, UK
7 Framfield Park Fishery
📍 Brookhouse Ln, Uckfield TN22 5QJ, UK
8 Moor Hall Lakes
📍 Ninfield, Battle TN33 9NJ, UK
9 Frant Lakes
📍 Hawkenbury Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN3 9AP, UK
10 The Belfry Fishing Lakes
📍 Hellingly, Hailsham BN27 4DS, UK
11 Horam Manor Fishery
📍 Horam, Heathfield TN21 0JB, UK
12 Amazon Wood Fishery
📍 Summer Hill Ln, Polegate BN26 6QY, UK
📊 Full Fishery Table
| # | Fishery Name | Address | Rating | Reviews | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hastingford Fishery | Hastingford Lane, Hadlow Down, Uckfield TN22 4DY, UK | ★★★★☆ | 72 | 📍 Map |
| 2 | Weir Wood Carp and Coarse Fishery | Weir Wood Fishing Lodge/Weir Wood RH18 5HT, UK | ★★★★☆ | 52 | 📍 Map |
| 3 | Frogmore Fishing lakes | Tanyard Ln, Furner's Green, Uckfield TN22 3RL, UK | ★★★★☆ | 23 | 📍 Map |
| 4 | Falkenvil Fishery | Saltmarsh Ln, Hailsham BN27 2RJ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 115 | 📍 Map |
| 5 | Wildings Lakes | Chailey, Lewes BN8 4HP, UK | ★★★★☆ | 14 | 📍 Map |
| 6 | Furnace Brook Farm | Trolliloes Lane, Hailsham BN27 4QR, UK | ★★★★☆ | 36 | 📍 Map |
| 7 | Framfield Park Fishery | Brookhouse Ln, Uckfield TN22 5QJ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 99 | 📍 Map |
| 8 | Moor Hall Lakes | Ninfield, Battle TN33 9NJ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 20 | 📍 Map |
| 9 | Frant Lakes | Hawkenbury Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN3 9AP, UK | ★★★★☆ | 144 | 📍 Map |
| 10 | The Belfry Fishing Lakes | Hellingly, Hailsham BN27 4DS, UK | ★★★★☆ | 38 | 📍 Map |
| 11 | Horam Manor Fishery | Horam, Heathfield TN21 0JB, UK | ★★★★☆ | 51 | 📍 Map |
| 12 | Amazon Wood Fishery | Summer Hill Ln, Polegate BN26 6QY, UK | ★★★★☆ | 37 | 📍 Map |
How to choose a venue from this list
A five-star water with a dozen reviews and a 4.8 with three hundred are not the same weight of evidence. Weigh the rating against the review count, read the most recent few for current stock reports, and then check these four things before you commit a day to a water.
Day ticket or syndicate?
Most waters here are day-ticket commercials, but some are club or syndicate lakes that need membership arranged in advance. Confirm how you get on the bank before you travel.
Night fishing and bivvies
Plenty of day-ticket waters are daytime only. If you want an overnighter, check the venue allows night fishing and bivvies rather than assuming it does.
Tackle and bait rules
Barbless hooks, unhooking-mat requirements, banned baits and boilie or particle limits vary from water to water. Read the fishery’s own rules, not a general guide.
Match the water to your session
Larger pits and reservoirs reward longer sessions and distance work; smaller lakes and canal stretches suit a short evening after work. Pick the water that fits the time you have.
What to expect from the water
Most of the accessible carp fishing here falls into three kinds of water, and each fishes differently. Knowing which you are turning up to changes what you pack and how long you plan to stay.
Estate lakes
The Weald estate and hammer ponds
The old estate and hammer ponds are the character of Sussex carp fishing: shallow, tree-lined and full of natural food, with old fish that are rarely caught. Travel light, fish the margins, and expect to earn every bite.
Commercials
The day-ticket lakes
The commercial fisheries around Hailsham, Uckfield and the coast are well stocked and give a reliable day. They are the sensible first choice for a new angler or a session when time is short.
Reservoirs
The larger waters
A few of the county’s reservoirs allow coarse fishing and hold carp. They are big, open and weather-driven, and best treated as a summer session with the rods on the windward bank.
Before you set off
A valid Environment Agency rod licence
Anyone aged 13 or over fishing with rod and line for coarse fish in England needs one. It is separate from the fishery’s day ticket and takes two minutes to buy online.
The fishery’s own rules
Booking method, opening hours, night-fishing policy, barbless-only, banned baits and mat requirements all vary. A look at the venue’s page or a quick call saves a wasted trip.
Mat, forceps, antiseptic and a sling
The minimum for handling carp safely, and many waters will send you home without them.
A phone call in peak season
Popular day-ticket lakes fill up at weekends and through the summer. Confirm there is space, and ask how it has been fishing while you are on.
A note on ratings
The star ratings and review counts on this page are pulled from public angler reviews, not written by me. They are good at telling you whether a venue is well run and welcoming; they are less good at telling you what is in the water or how it is fishing this month.
For that, read the most recent handful of reviews, and ring the fishery. Owners will usually tell you straight.
Willing to travel a little further?
Neighbouring guides, each with its own map, ratings and notes.
Last Updated on September 9, 2026 by Shane Stanford
Shane Stanford has fished for carp for over twenty years, in the UK and in France, and currently fishes a private syndicate water in West Sussex. He writes Fishing Again to put the things he learned the hard way into plain language: location and watercraft first, then bait, rigs and gear. He is straight about which kit he has actually fished and which he has assessed on specification, and says so on the page.