Venue guides · Shropshire
Fishing Lakes Near Shropshire
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 Shropshire
Shropshire shares the natural meres of the Cheshire plain, and the meres around Ellesmere are the oldest and most atmospheric carp waters in the county. Add the Shropshire Union and Llangollen canals, the Severn running through the middle, and a good number of farm lakes and commercial fisheries, and this quiet border county has more to offer than most anglers realise.
The meres hold old, wild carp in low numbers and are a specialist challenge; the commercials give a reliable day. There is no motorway across the county, so plan around the A5, A49 and M54 and allow time on the lanes.
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 Shropshire, sorted by angler rating. Click any pin on the map or card for directions.
📋 Fishery Cards
1 The Waters Edge Much Wenlock ⭐ Top Rated
📍 Much Wenlock TF13 6DQ, UK
2 TC Fisheries
📍 Near Gatten, Shrewsbury SY5 0SN, UK
3 Blackthorn Fishery
📍 Ty Canol, Trefonen, Morda, Oswestry SY10 9EB, UK
4 Earlsdale Retreat
📍 Earlsdale Retreat at Earlsdale Fishery, Earlsdale House, Pontesford Hill, Shrewsbury SY5 0UH, UK
5 Merrington Carp Fishery
📍 The Hayes Farm, Merrington Rd, Bomere Heath, Baschurch, Shrewsbury SY4 3QH, UK
6 Earl's View specimen Fishery
📍 Cruckton, Shrewsbury SY5 8PR, UK
7 Sundorne Castle Fishery
📍 Sundorne Castle Fishery, Shrewsbury SY4 4UR, UK
8 Marchamley Pools Fishery
📍 Shrewsbury SY4 5LE, UK
9 Ellerdine Lakes Fishery
📍 Unnamed Rd Telford, Ellerdine, Telford TF6 6QR, UK
10 R H Fisheries
📍 Lamledge Ln, Shifnal TF11 8SD, UK
11 The Mere
📍 Norton Mere Cottage, Tong Norton, Shifnal TF11 8PZ, UK
12 Parkes E P
📍 New House Farm, Cwms Ln, La, Church Stretton SY6 7AZ, UK
13 Near Gatten Fishery
📍 Ratlinghope, Shrewsbury SY5 0SN, UK
📊 Full Fishery Table
| # | Fishery Name | Address | Rating | Reviews | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Waters Edge Much Wenlock | Much Wenlock TF13 6DQ, UK | ★★★★★ | 21 | 📍 Map |
| 2 | TC Fisheries | Near Gatten, Shrewsbury SY5 0SN, UK | ★★★★☆ | 15 | 📍 Map |
| 3 | Blackthorn Fishery | Ty Canol, Trefonen, Morda, Oswestry SY10 9EB, UK | ★★★★☆ | 157 | 📍 Map |
| 4 | Earlsdale Retreat | Earlsdale Retreat at Earlsdale Fishery, Earlsdale House, Pontesford Hill, Shrewsbury SY5 0UH, UK | ★★★★☆ | 9 | 📍 Map |
| 5 | Merrington Carp Fishery | The Hayes Farm, Merrington Rd, Bomere Heath, Baschurch, Shrewsbury SY4 3QH, UK | ★★★★☆ | 108 | 📍 Map |
| 6 | Earl's View specimen Fishery | Cruckton, Shrewsbury SY5 8PR, UK | ★★★★☆ | 33 | 📍 Map |
| 7 | Sundorne Castle Fishery | Sundorne Castle Fishery, Shrewsbury SY4 4UR, UK | ★★★★☆ | 12 | 📍 Map |
| 8 | Marchamley Pools Fishery | Shrewsbury SY4 5LE, UK | ★★★★☆ | 85 | 📍 Map |
| 9 | Ellerdine Lakes Fishery | Unnamed Rd Telford, Ellerdine, Telford TF6 6QR, UK | ★★★★☆ | 181 | 📍 Map |
| 10 | R H Fisheries | Lamledge Ln, Shifnal TF11 8SD, UK | ★★★★☆ | 137 | 📍 Map |
| 11 | The Mere | Norton Mere Cottage, Tong Norton, Shifnal TF11 8PZ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 5 | 📍 Map |
| 12 | Parkes E P | New House Farm, Cwms Ln, La, Church Stretton SY6 7AZ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 17 | 📍 Map |
| 13 | Near Gatten Fishery | Ratlinghope, Shrewsbury SY5 0SN, UK | ★★★★☆ | 5 | 📍 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.
Meres
The Shropshire meres
Natural, silty and often shallow, the meres are unlike any stocked fishery. Carp in them are few and old, they move a long way in a day, and the fishing is about finding them rather than baiting. Where access exists it is worth the effort.
Canals
The Shropshire Union and the Llangollen
The canals hold carp in the wider basins, marinas and the stretches near the towns. They are ideal for an evening with one rod, and the fish are rarely targeted.
Commercials
The day-ticket lakes
The commercial fisheries around Shrewsbury, Telford and Oswestry are well stocked and well kept. They are the dependable choice for a first visit or a short session.
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.