Venue guides · Wiltshire
Fishing Lakes Near Wiltshire
Eight 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 Wiltshire
Wiltshire has two very different halves. The north shares the Cotswold Water Park with Gloucestershire, a landscape of more than a hundred gravel pits with some of the best carp fishing in the west of England. The south is chalk downland, with the Avon and its tributaries running through estate lakes, mill pools and the Kennet and Avon Canal.
The Water Park pits are deep, clear and mature and hold big fish on the best of them; the southern waters are softer and quieter; and there are commercial fisheries around Swindon, Chippenham and Salisbury for a reliable day. The M4 crosses the north and the A303 and A36 serve the south.
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 8 fisheries near Wiltshire, sorted by angler rating. Click any pin on the map or card for directions.
📋 Fishery Cards
1 The Islands Fishery ⭐ Top Rated
📍 Cunnage Ln, Mere, Warminster BA12 6AA, UK
2 Rode Hill Fishery
📍 Rode Hill Fishery, Rode Hill, Frome BA11 6QH, UK
3 Crookwood Lake
📍 Crookwood Ln, Devizes SN10 5QS, UK
4 Avon Springs Fishing Lakes
📍 Recreation Rd, Salisbury SP4 8HH, UK
5 Blackland Lakes
📍 Stockley Ln, Calne SN11 0NQ, UK
6 Wyatts Lakes
📍 250 Westbrook Rd, Chippenham SN15 2EB, UK
7 Lakeside Rendezvous
📍 Devizes Rd, Rowde, Devizes SN10 2LX, UK
8 Penn Lake
📍 80 High Penn, Calne SN11 8RU, UK
📊 Full Fishery Table
| # | Fishery Name | Address | Rating | Reviews | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Islands Fishery | Cunnage Ln, Mere, Warminster BA12 6AA, UK | ★★★★☆ | 92 | 📍 Map |
| 2 | Rode Hill Fishery | Rode Hill Fishery, Rode Hill, Frome BA11 6QH, UK | ★★★★☆ | 54 | 📍 Map |
| 3 | Crookwood Lake | Crookwood Ln, Devizes SN10 5QS, UK | ★★★★☆ | 3 | 📍 Map |
| 4 | Avon Springs Fishing Lakes | Recreation Rd, Salisbury SP4 8HH, UK | ★★★★☆ | 51 | 📍 Map |
| 5 | Blackland Lakes | Stockley Ln, Calne SN11 0NQ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 537 | 📍 Map |
| 6 | Wyatts Lakes | 250 Westbrook Rd, Chippenham SN15 2EB, UK | ★★★★☆ | 29 | 📍 Map |
| 7 | Lakeside Rendezvous | Devizes Rd, Rowde, Devizes SN10 2LX, UK | ★★★★☆ | 5 | 📍 Map |
| 8 | Penn Lake | 80 High Penn, Calne SN11 8RU, UK | ★★★★☆ | 11 | 📍 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 Cotswold Water Park
The pits of the Water Park range from heavily stocked day-ticket waters to syndicate lakes with a handful of very big fish. Bars, plateaux and clear water make feature-finding essential; treat them as full-session venues.
Estate lakes and canal
The southern waters
The estate lakes and mill pools along the Avon and the Kennet and Avon Canal are older, quieter and often overlooked. Carp in them are few but well fed, and a stealthy summer session is the way to fish them.
Commercials
The day-ticket lakes
The commercial fisheries around Swindon, Chippenham and Salisbury give a reliable day. Well stocked and well kept, they are the right choice for a first session or a day when time is tight.
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.