Venue guides · Derbyshire
Fishing Lakes Near Derbyshire
Thirteen 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 Derbyshire
Derbyshire splits neatly in two for the carp angler. The Peak District in the north is upland reservoir and river country with little carp fishing to speak of, while the south and east, where the county runs down to the Trent, has gravel pits, canals and a good spread of commercial fisheries.
The Trent valley pits around the Nottinghamshire border are the pick for size, the canals give a mobile, low-key alternative, and the commercials around Derby and Chesterfield are dependable for a day’s bites. The M1 and A38 make the south of the county quick to reach from either direction.
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 13 fisheries near Derbyshire, sorted by angler rating. Click any pin on the map or card for directions.
📋 Fishery Cards
1 Foxholes Lake ⭐ Top Rated
📍 Foxholes Lake, Foxholes Ln, Matlock DE4 5LF, UK
2 Birch House Lakes
📍 Ednaston, Ashbourne DE6 3AB, UK
3 Press Manor Fishing Lakes
📍 Birkin Ln, Ashover, Chesterfield S45 0LQ, UK
4 Longford Fishery
📍 Long Lane, Ashbourne DE6 3DF, UK
5 Allestree Park Lake
📍 Evans Ave, Derby DE22 2EJ, UK
6 Kilburn Lake Fishery
📍 Unnamed Road, Belper DE56 0LS, UK
7 Norwood Cottage Lakes
📍 Dawber Ln, Sheffield S21 2AT, UK
8 L Lake Carp Fisheries
📍 Lake Farm Rd, Rainworth, Mansfield NG21 0ED, UK
9 Moorgreen Reservoir Carp Fishery
📍 Willey Ln, Nottingham NG16 3QY, UK
10 Hall Farm Fishery
📍 Hall Farm Sutton Lane, Sutton Scarsdale, Chesterfield S44 5UW, UK
11 Barlborough Springs Fishery
📍 Ward Ln, Chesterfield S43 4JD, UK
12 Alton Manor Fishery
📍 Idridgehay, Belper DE56 2SH, UK
13 Higham Farm Fishery
📍 Main Rd, Higham, Alfreton DE55 6EH, UK
📊 Full Fishery Table
| # | Fishery Name | Address | Rating | Reviews | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foxholes Lake | Foxholes Lake, Foxholes Ln, Matlock DE4 5LF, UK | ★★★★★ | 22 | 📍 Map |
| 2 | Birch House Lakes | Ednaston, Ashbourne DE6 3AB, UK | ★★★★☆ | 167 | 📍 Map |
| 3 | Press Manor Fishing Lakes | Birkin Ln, Ashover, Chesterfield S45 0LQ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 82 | 📍 Map |
| 4 | Longford Fishery | Long Lane, Ashbourne DE6 3DF, UK | ★★★★☆ | 211 | 📍 Map |
| 5 | Allestree Park Lake | Evans Ave, Derby DE22 2EJ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 140 | 📍 Map |
| 6 | Kilburn Lake Fishery | Unnamed Road, Belper DE56 0LS, UK | ★★★★☆ | 36 | 📍 Map |
| 7 | Norwood Cottage Lakes | Dawber Ln, Sheffield S21 2AT, UK | ★★★★☆ | 100 | 📍 Map |
| 8 | L Lake Carp Fisheries | Lake Farm Rd, Rainworth, Mansfield NG21 0ED, UK | ★★★★☆ | 47 | 📍 Map |
| 9 | Moorgreen Reservoir Carp Fishery | Willey Ln, Nottingham NG16 3QY, UK | ★★★★☆ | 81 | 📍 Map |
| 10 | Hall Farm Fishery | Hall Farm Sutton Lane, Sutton Scarsdale, Chesterfield S44 5UW, UK | ★★★★☆ | 22 | 📍 Map |
| 11 | Barlborough Springs Fishery | Ward Ln, Chesterfield S43 4JD, UK | ★★★★☆ | 23 | 📍 Map |
| 12 | Alton Manor Fishery | Idridgehay, Belper DE56 2SH, UK | ★★★★☆ | 31 | 📍 Map |
| 13 | Higham Farm Fishery | Main Rd, Higham, Alfreton DE55 6EH, UK | ★★★★☆ | 41 | 📍 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.
Gravel pits
The Trent valley pits
The pits along the Trent in the south-east of the county are the best of Derbyshire’s carp fishing: deep, mature and holding good fish. Most are club waters with day tickets available; treat them as full-session venues.
Canals
The Erewash and the Trent and Mersey
The canals hold carp in the wider basins, marinas and the stretches near the Trent. They are perfect for an evening with one rod, and the fish, while not huge, are often untouched.
Commercials
The day-ticket lakes
Derbyshire has a good number of well-run commercial complexes around Derby, Chesterfield and the Amber valley. Expect plenty of fish, sensible rules and a comfortable day.
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.