Venue guides · Durham
Fishing Lakes Near Durham
Twelve 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 Durham
County Durham is not the first place most carp anglers think of, but the fishing has come on a long way. The coalfield ponds and reservoirs of the east have been developed into good commercial fisheries, and the river valleys of the Wear and Tees to the west hold a scattering of estate lakes and club waters.
The season is shorter here than in the south and the fish tend to be smaller, but the venues are quiet, the tickets are reasonable and the best commercials hold carp to well over twenty pounds. The A1(M) and A19 run north to south through the county and put almost everything within an hour of Newcastle or Middlesbrough.
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 15 fisheries near Durham, sorted by angler rating. Click any pin on the map or card for directions.
📋 Fishery Cards
1 Fishing Lake ⭐ Top Rated
📍 8 Lanton St, New Herrington, Houghton le Spring DH4 7BA, UK
2 Ouston Springs Pond.The ROF.
📍 Ouston, Chester-le-Street DH2 1AU, UK
3 Greencroft Tarn
📍 Annfield Plain, Stanley DH9 7YB, UK
4 Knitsley Mill Trout Fishery
📍 Butsfield Ln, Consett DH8 9EL, UK
5 Shotton And District Angling Club Lake
📍 Shotton Colliery, Durham DH6 2QE, UK
6 Watergate Fishing Lake
📍 Watergate fishing lake, Seaton, Dalton-le-Dale, Seaham SR7 0NE, UK
7 Eden Grange Fishery
📍 Off Dale Rd, Shildon DL4 2QD, UK
8 Angel of the North Fishing Lakes
📍 Bassetts Lookout, Northside, Birtley, Chester-le-Street DH3 1RF, UK
9 Aldin Grange Fishery
📍 Bearpark, Durham DH7 7AR, UK
10 Carrs Angling Lakes
📍 Letch Ln, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees TS21 1EB, UK
11 Silksworth Lake
📍 33 Perth Rd, Sunderland SR3 1TB, UK
12 West House Trout Lakes
📍 West House Farm, Mill Ln, Bishopton, Nr Stillington, Stockton-on-Tees TS21 1LL, UK
13 Fieldsons Pond
📍 Shildon DL4 2QB, UK
14 Legends Lake
📍 Letch Ln, Stockton-on-Tees TS21 1EB, UK
15 Corgi Pond
📍 Washington NE38 8LQ, UK
📊 Full Fishery Table
| # | Fishery Name | Address | Rating | Reviews | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fishing Lake | 8 Lanton St, New Herrington, Houghton le Spring DH4 7BA, UK | ★★★★★ | 2 | 📍 Map |
| 2 | Ouston Springs Pond.The ROF. | Ouston, Chester-le-Street DH2 1AU, UK | ★★★★★ | 6 | 📍 Map |
| 3 | Greencroft Tarn | Annfield Plain, Stanley DH9 7YB, UK | ★★★★★ | 7 | 📍 Map |
| 4 | Knitsley Mill Trout Fishery | Butsfield Ln, Consett DH8 9EL, UK | ★★★★☆ | 50 | 📍 Map |
| 5 | Shotton And District Angling Club Lake | Shotton Colliery, Durham DH6 2QE, UK | ★★★★☆ | 7 | 📍 Map |
| 6 | Watergate Fishing Lake | Watergate fishing lake, Seaton, Dalton-le-Dale, Seaham SR7 0NE, UK | ★★★★☆ | 64 | 📍 Map |
| 7 | Eden Grange Fishery | Off Dale Rd, Shildon DL4 2QD, UK | ★★★★☆ | 235 | 📍 Map |
| 8 | Angel of the North Fishing Lakes | Bassetts Lookout, Northside, Birtley, Chester-le-Street DH3 1RF, UK | ★★★★☆ | 130 | 📍 Map |
| 9 | Aldin Grange Fishery | Bearpark, Durham DH7 7AR, UK | ★★★★☆ | 219 | 📍 Map |
| 10 | Carrs Angling Lakes | Letch Ln, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees TS21 1EB, UK | ★★★★☆ | 239 | 📍 Map |
| 11 | Silksworth Lake | 33 Perth Rd, Sunderland SR3 1TB, UK | ★★★★☆ | 67 | 📍 Map |
| 12 | West House Trout Lakes | West House Farm, Mill Ln, Bishopton, Nr Stillington, Stockton-on-Tees TS21 1LL, UK | ★★★★☆ | 42 | 📍 Map |
| 13 | Fieldsons Pond | Shildon DL4 2QB, UK | ★★★★☆ | 10 | 📍 Map |
| 14 | Legends Lake | Letch Ln, Stockton-on-Tees TS21 1EB, UK | ★★★★☆ | 14 | 📍 Map |
| 15 | Corgi Pond | Washington NE38 8LQ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 21 | 📍 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.
Commercials
The day-ticket fisheries
The commercial fisheries across the county are the mainstay, with stocks of carp to low and mid doubles and good facilities. They warm up first in spring and are the best bet at either end of the season.
Reservoirs
The lower reservoirs
A handful of the county’s smaller reservoirs and old colliery ponds allow coarse fishing and hold carp. They are bigger, colder and harder than the commercials, and suit a summer session when the fish are up in the water.
Weather
Fishing to the conditions
Water temperatures lag behind the south by several weeks. Fish the afternoons in spring, look for warm, wind-blown bays in summer, and expect the fishing to slow quickly once autumn sets in.
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.