Venue guides · London
Fishing Lakes Near London
Fourteen 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 London
London has more carp fishing than most people realise. The Lea valley on the east side and the Colne valley on the west are lined with gravel pits and reservoirs, many of them with a long specimen-carp history, and the city’s park lakes, canals and old estate waters hold fish that are rarely targeted.
The valley pits are mostly club or syndicate and hold big, difficult fish; the day-ticket waters and park lakes are easier and often within a Tube ride. The M25 ring and the radial motorways put the outer venues within an hour of the centre.
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 14 fisheries near London, sorted by angler rating. Click any pin on the map or card for directions.
📋 Fishery Cards
1 Creedence Fishery ⭐ Top Rated
📍 Yew Tree Ave, Dagenham RM10 7FN, UK
2 Hook Lake
📍 Hook Ln, Potters Bar EN6 4DA, UK
3 Woodlands Lake
📍 Unnamed Road, Enfield EN2 9HH, UK
4 Picks Cottage Fishery
📍 Picks Cottage, Sewardstone Rd, London E4 7RA, UK
5 Tylers Common Fishery
📍 Nags Head Ln, Upminster RM14 1TS, UK
6 Puddledock Farm Fishery
📍 St Mary’s Lane, Upminster RM14 3NX, UK
7 Claverhambury Carp Lakes
📍 Claverhambury Farm, Claverhambury Rd, Waltham Abbey EN9 2BL, UK
8 Redbridge Lakes
📍 1 Salix Ln, Woodford, Woodford Green IG8 8LY, UK
9 Twynersh Fishing Complex
📍 Thorpe Rd, Chertsey KT16 9EJ, UK
10 Southend Farm Fishing Lakes
📍 Southend Ln, Waltham Abbey EN9 3SE, UK
11 farlows lake 1
📍 Caravan, 1 Ford Ln, Iver SL0 9LL, UK
12 Holyfield Fishery
📍 Fishers Green Cottage, Holyfield, Waltham Abbey EN9 2ED, UK
13 Lizard Fishery
📍 16 Trout Rd, West Drayton UB7 7RN, UK
14 Thorney Weir - The Mets
📍 Trout Ln, West Drayton UB7 7RT, UK
📊 Full Fishery Table
| # | Fishery Name | Address | Rating | Reviews | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creedence Fishery | Yew Tree Ave, Dagenham RM10 7FN, UK | ★★★★★ | 32 | 📍 Map |
| 2 | Hook Lake | Hook Ln, Potters Bar EN6 4DA, UK | ★★★★★ | 2 | 📍 Map |
| 3 | Woodlands Lake | Unnamed Road, Enfield EN2 9HH, UK | ★★★★☆ | 22 | 📍 Map |
| 4 | Picks Cottage Fishery | Picks Cottage, Sewardstone Rd, London E4 7RA, UK | ★★★★☆ | 158 | 📍 Map |
| 5 | Tylers Common Fishery | Nags Head Ln, Upminster RM14 1TS, UK | ★★★★☆ | 531 | 📍 Map |
| 6 | Puddledock Farm Fishery | St Mary’s Lane, Upminster RM14 3NX, UK | ★★★★☆ | 794 | 📍 Map |
| 7 | Claverhambury Carp Lakes | Claverhambury Farm, Claverhambury Rd, Waltham Abbey EN9 2BL, UK | ★★★★☆ | 113 | 📍 Map |
| 8 | Redbridge Lakes | 1 Salix Ln, Woodford, Woodford Green IG8 8LY, UK | ★★★★☆ | 204 | 📍 Map |
| 9 | Twynersh Fishing Complex | Thorpe Rd, Chertsey KT16 9EJ, UK | ★★★★☆ | 238 | 📍 Map |
| 10 | Southend Farm Fishing Lakes | Southend Ln, Waltham Abbey EN9 3SE, UK | ★★★★☆ | 213 | 📍 Map |
| 11 | farlows lake 1 | Caravan, 1 Ford Ln, Iver SL0 9LL, UK | ★★★★☆ | 9 | 📍 Map |
| 12 | Holyfield Fishery | Fishers Green Cottage, Holyfield, Waltham Abbey EN9 2ED, UK | ★★★★☆ | 41 | 📍 Map |
| 13 | Lizard Fishery | 16 Trout Rd, West Drayton UB7 7RN, UK | ★★★☆☆ | 136 | 📍 Map |
| 14 | Thorney Weir - The Mets | Trout Ln, West Drayton UB7 7RT, UK | ★★★☆☆ | 69 | 📍 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 Lea and Colne valley pits
The pits on the city’s eastern and western edges are among the best-known carp waters in England: deep, mature and holding very big fish. Most are club or syndicate; where a ticket exists, treat it as a full-session water.
Reservoirs
The big waters
Several of London’s reservoirs allow carp fishing and hold fish that reflect the amount of water and food. They are open, exposed and demanding, and suit an angler prepared to walk and fish at range.
Park lakes and canals
The urban waters
The park lakes, canals and old estate waters inside the M25 hold carp that see little pressure. They are ideal for a short session with one rod, and the fishing is often better than it looks.
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?
The counties around the capital, 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.