Venue guides · West Sussex
Fishing Lakes Near West Sussex
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 West Sussex
West Sussex is my home county, and it is a better carp county than most people give it credit for. The Weald clay to the north is full of estate lakes, old hammer ponds and farm lakes that have grown big carp quietly for decades, the Arun and Rother valleys have a few pits and mill pools, and there is a good spread of well-run commercial fisheries around Chichester, Horsham and the coast.
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 A23, A24 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 13 fisheries near West Sussex, sorted by angler rating. Click any pin on the map or card for directions.
📋 Fishery Cards
1 Sussex Carp Fisheries ⭐ Top Rated
📍 Albourne, Hassocks BN6 9DX, UK
2 Mill Farm Fisheries
📍 Bury, Mill Farm, Pulborough RH20 1NL, UK
3 Wintons Fishery
📍 Folders La, Burgess Hill RH15 0DR, UK
4 Alderwood Ponds
📍 Horsham Rd, Steyning BN44 3AA, UK
5 Hunters Lodge Fishery
📍 Copthorne Common Rd, Copthorne, Crawley RH10 3LE, UK
6 Five Oaks Fishery
📍 Millfields Cottage, Five Oaks Rd, Horsham RH13 0RQ, UK
7 Sumners Ponds Fishery & Campsite
📍 Chapel Rd, Barns Green, Horsham RH13 0PR, UK
8 Wildings Lakes
📍 Chailey, Lewes BN8 4HP, UK
9 Whitevane carp Fisheries
📍 Forest Grange, Forest Rd, Colgate, Horsham RH13 6HX, UK
10 Menards Carp Fishery
📍 Home Farm, Hammerpond Rd, Mannings Heath, Horsham RH13 6PH, UK
11 Lake View Fishery
📍 Old Hollow, Crawley Down, Crawley RH10 4TA, UK
12 More House Farm Fishery
📍 Lunce's Hill, Haywards Heath RH17 7RE, UK
13 Furnace Lakes Fishery
📍 Furnace House, Guildford Rd, Slinfold, Horsham RH13 0QZ, UK
📊 Full Fishery Table
| # | Fishery Name | Address | Rating | Reviews | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sussex Carp Fisheries | Albourne, Hassocks BN6 9DX, UK | ★★★★★ | 1 | 📍 Map |
| 2 | Mill Farm Fisheries | Bury, Mill Farm, Pulborough RH20 1NL, UK | ★★★★☆ | 149 | 📍 Map |
| 3 | Wintons Fishery | Folders La, Burgess Hill RH15 0DR, UK | ★★★★☆ | 78 | 📍 Map |
| 4 | Alderwood Ponds | Horsham Rd, Steyning BN44 3AA, UK | ★★★★☆ | 109 | 📍 Map |
| 5 | Hunters Lodge Fishery | Copthorne Common Rd, Copthorne, Crawley RH10 3LE, UK | ★★★★☆ | 41 | 📍 Map |
| 6 | Five Oaks Fishery | Millfields Cottage, Five Oaks Rd, Horsham RH13 0RQ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 77 | 📍 Map |
| 7 | Sumners Ponds Fishery & Campsite | Chapel Rd, Barns Green, Horsham RH13 0PR, UK | ★★★★☆ | 1376 | 📍 Map |
| 8 | Wildings Lakes | Chailey, Lewes BN8 4HP, UK | ★★★★☆ | 14 | 📍 Map |
| 9 | Whitevane carp Fisheries | Forest Grange, Forest Rd, Colgate, Horsham RH13 6HX, UK | ★★★★☆ | 53 | 📍 Map |
| 10 | Menards Carp Fishery | Home Farm, Hammerpond Rd, Mannings Heath, Horsham RH13 6PH, UK | ★★★★☆ | 63 | 📍 Map |
| 11 | Lake View Fishery | Old Hollow, Crawley Down, Crawley RH10 4TA, UK | ★★★★☆ | 11 | 📍 Map |
| 12 | More House Farm Fishery | Lunce's Hill, Haywards Heath RH17 7RE, UK | ★★★★☆ | 151 | 📍 Map |
| 13 | Furnace Lakes Fishery | Furnace House, Guildford Rd, Slinfold, Horsham RH13 0QZ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 230 | 📍 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 lakes 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.
River valleys
The Arun and Rother waters
The pits and mill pools along the Arun and the Rother are older and quieter than the commercials, with fewer but bigger carp. They fish best in summer with a stealthy approach.
Commercials
The day-ticket lakes
The commercial fisheries around Chichester, Horsham 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.
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.