Cornwall is a great destination for carp fishing enthusiasts! With its stunning scenery and diverse range of carp species, it's the perfect place to cast your line and reel in a big catch.
In this guide, we'll take you through the best carp fishing lakes in Cornwall, highlight the unique features of each, and provide tips and tricks for making the most of your fishing trip.
Whether you're an experienced angler or a beginner, you'll find plenty of opportunities to test your skills and enjoy the great outdoors.
Jump to:
Top Carp Fishing Lakes in Cornwall
Bake Lakes, near Saltash
Bake Lakes in Trerulefoot, near Saltash is a large complex that spans 30 acres of Cornish countryside. It boasts a total of nine lakes, and of these, Caesar's Palace Lake and Luxor Lake are noted for their large, specimen carp.
Opening Times: 7am until dusk.
Prices: Luxor £12 Adult / £10 concession (2 rods maximum). Evening Ticket £8 Adult / £6.50 concession. Overnight - By prior agreement with management only. Season tickets £200 Adult /£175 concession.
Caeser's Palace - Specimen Coarse Lake £25 for 24 hours 3 Rods or £15 for a day ticket. Season tickets cost £250 weekdays only or £350 including weekends. Prior booking of Caesars Palace is recommended
Day Tickets: Day tickets can be purchased from the on-site shop, which is open from 8am until 4pm. Anglers must have a valid Environment Agency rod license to fish at Bake Lakes.
Facilities: Bake Lakes offers a range of facilities for anglers, including a cafe with indoor seating, a tackle shop, and toilet facilities. There is also a lake suitable for disabled anglers and a children-friendly Emperor's pool.
📍Bake Lakes, Saltash, PL12 5BW
Oakside Fishery, near Newquay
Oakside Fishery near Newquay is set in a beautiful location and is home to some of the largest carp in Cornwall. The lake record stands at over 40lb, so it's a great place to target big fish.
Opening Times: 7am until dusk.
Prices: A day ticket for two rods costs £10. There are discounts available for juniors and concessions. Season tickets start from £85.
Day Tickets: Day tickets can be purchased on-site from the lodge. Anglers must have a valid Environment Agency rod license to fish at Oakside Fishery.
Facilities: Oakside Fishery offers a range of facilities for anglers, including a lodge with indoor seating, a tackle shop, and toilet facilities. There is also a lake suitable for disabled anglers.
📍Oakside Lodge, Oakside Fishery, White Cross, Newquay TR8 4QL
Trebellan Park, near Newquay
Trebellan Park is a camping, touring, and coarse fishing site nestled in the picturesque Trebellan Valley in Cubert, Newquay. The site is open to non-site residents as well as guests.
Opening Times: 7am until dusk.
Prices: Day tickets are available at £6 for 1 rod and £10 for two rods per person per day for those aged 12 years and above (under 12s are free). They offer a reduced weekly and two weekly rate for all park guests and season tickets are also available at £90 per year.
Day Tickets: Day tickets can be purchased on-site.
Facilities: Trebellan Park offers a range of facilities for visitors, including a shop, laundry facilities, and toilet and shower blocks. There is also a children's play area and a heated outdoor swimming pool.
📍Trebellan Park, Cubert, Newquay TR8 5PY
Gwinear Lakes, near Newquay
Located in Newquay, Gwinear Lakes is a peaceful and picturesque venue for carp fishing, with two beautifully kept, well stocked fishing lakes open all year round. There is a maximum of 6 people who can fish the specimen lake at any given time.
Opening Times: 9 am until 7:30 pm.
Prices: Day ticket: £14 Night ticket: £14 (Fishing tickets must be booked in advance 01637 210045).
Day Tickets: Day tickets can be purchased on-site from the tackle shop. Anglers must have a valid Environment Agency rod license to fish at Gwinear Lakes.
Facilities: Tackle shop, camping pitches, and toilet facilities. The venue is also suitable for disabled anglers.
📍Gwinear Farm, Cubert, Newquay, TR8 5JX
White Acres, near Newquay
White Acres, 5 miles from Newquay, is one of the largest coarse fishing lakes in Cornwall, with over 180 acres of water to fish. It's also one of the best day ticket fisheries in the area, offering a great variety of fish species to target. Pats Pool is their main speciment lake with 22 pegs with 4 peaceful islands to fish and stocked with mirror carp, common carp, ghost carp, and grass carp.
Opening Times: Open every day from 7am until dusk.
Prices: An Adult Specimen+ permit, that you can purchase at the same time as booking your on site accomodation, costs £45, or £60 at the park. This allows you to fish the two fully stocked specimen lakes plus 2 off-site lakes Trewaters and Bolingley. You can also buy weekly family tickets.
Day Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online or on-site from the tackle shop. Anglers must have a valid Environment Agency rod license to fish at White Acres, which can also be purchased on-site.
Facilities: White Acres offers a range of facilities for anglers, including a tackle shop, toilet facilities, and on-site accommodation.
📍White Acres Holiday Park, Newquay, Cornwall, TR8 4LW
Rosemellyn Fisheries, near St Austell
This former clay mine near St Austell has been transformed into a spectacular natural fishing lake. With depths of over 36ft, Rosemellyn Fisheries is designed for experienced carp fishermen. The lake is stocked with a range of carp species, including some of the largest carp in the area.
Opening Times: 7am until dusk.
Prices: A day ticket for one rod costs £20, while a day ticket for two rods costs £25. There are also discounts available for weekly bookings.
Day Tickets: Day tickets can be purchased on-site from the bailiff. Anglers must have a valid Environment Agency rod license to fish at Rosemellyn Fisheries, which can also be purchased on-site.
📍Roche Rd, Stenalees, St Austell, PL26 8LB
Meadow Lakes Holiday Park and Fishing Lakes, St Austell
Meadow Lakes is a family-friendly holiday park and fishing venue located near St Austell.
All 4 lakes on site have been recently generously re-stocked, with a fine head of mixed coarse species, such as Ghost Carp, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Bream, Roach, Rudd and Tench.
Opening Times: Open from March 1st until November 30th each year. Fishing is available every day from 7am until dusk.
Prices: Fishing is free at Meadow Lakes holiday park if you are staying there as a guest. If you are not planning to stay overnight at the park, a day ticket for one rod costs £10, while a day ticket for two rods costs £15.
Day Tickets: Purchase at reception.
Facilities: Meadow Lakes offers a range of facilities for visitors, including a holiday park with lodges and camping pitches, an outdoor swimming pool, a children's play area, and toilet and shower blocks. The park also has a cafe.
📍Meadow Lakes, Hewas Water, Saint Austell PL26 7JG
Kernow Coarse Fishery, Hayle
Set in the leafy back lanes of Hayle and just 5 mins from the A30 sits Kernow Fishery. With two lakes on site, Sharkies Pit (specimen lake) and The Reeds (match lake), the new owners are looking to ensure fishing is affordable and accessible for everyone.
Every Saturday the venue holds "Kids Club" for ages 7-16 and for the price of £1, provides everything the children need to fish including tackle, bait, and tuition.
📍Kernow Coarse Fishery, Strawberry Lane, Hayle, TR27 5JS
South West Lakes Trust Carp Fishing Lakes
Porth Reservoir, near Newquay
Located near Newquay, Porth Reservoir run by South West Lakes Trust is set in a steep sided valley surrounded by woodlands.
This coarse fishery is very mature with overhanging treelines and large beds of lily pads and weed. It contains carp to 34lb and is home to some stunning fish such as ‘Arnie’ which is a very sought after mirror regularly caught over 30lbs.
Opening Times: Open every day from dawn until dusk.
Prices: A day ticket for one rod costs £10, and there are also discounts available for juniors and concessions. A season day ticket costs £140.
Day Tickets: Available online or by calling South West Lakes on 01566 771930. Anglers must have a valid Environment Agency rod license to fish at Porth Reservoir, which can also be purchased on-site.
Facilities: There is a car park and toilet facilites on site.
📍Porth Reservoir, Newquay, Cornwall TR8 4JS
Lower Tamar Lake, near Bude
Lower Tamar Lake is a scenic and well-stocked destination for coarse fishing located near Bude. The lake itself is situated on the Cornwall Devon border and is shallow with around nine to ten foot maximum depth with 15 swims to choose from.
The lake is stocked with carp up to 39lbs with plenty of fish from 15lbs upwards. The majority are common carp but there are some fantastic mirrors too.
Opening Times: Open every day from dawn until dusk.
Prices: A day ticket for one rod costs £12, and there are also discounts available for juniors and concessions.
Day Tickets: Available online or by calling South West Lakes on 01566 771930. Anglers must have a valid Environment Agency rod license, which can also be purchased on-site.
Facilities: Lower Tamar Lake has a small car park and toilet block.
📍Lower Tamar Lake, Devon EX23 9SB
Upper Tamar Lake, near Bude
Just half a mile down the road is Upper Tamar Lake, which is another popular destination for carp fishing and was voted the best still water coarse fishery in the UK in 2021!
Built in 1977, this 81 acre venue was originally a trout lake until the 1990s when it changed over to a coarse fishery. There are three miles of bank to be explored and several bays and attractive marginal areas, which produce plenty of great sport and some lovely peace and quiet. It is an extremely well stocked fishery with all species and, surrounded by British countryside, it is a beautiful place to fish.
Tamar has carp to the mid 30lb range with a good number of fish over 20lbs. Just over 300 new carp to 35lb have been stocked in the last few years.
Opening Times: Open every day from dawn until dusk.
Prices: A day ticket for one rod costs £10, and there are also discounts available for juniors and concessions. A season ticket costs £140. The fishery also has two fishing lodges which are available to anglers at only £10 per person per night.
Day Tickets: Available online or by calling South West Lakes on 01566 771930. Anglers must have a valid Environment Agency rod license, which can also be purchased on-site.
Facilities: Upper Tamar Lake has a large car park, cafe (the Eton Mess cake is delicious!), and toilet block.
📍Upper Tamar Lake, Kilkhampton, Bude, Cornwall EX23 9SB
Argal Reservoir, near Penryn
Argal Reservoir is a scenic and well-stocked destination for coarse fishing located near Penryn. It has a national reputation for being one of the leading fisheries in the South West with many of the carp having been re-located from the prolific College Reservoir many years ago.
Opening Times: Open every day from dawn until dusk.
Prices: A day ticket for one rod costs £10. There are also discounts available for juniors and concessions.
Day Tickets: Day tickets can be purchased online or by calling South West Lakes Trust on 01566 771930. Anglers must have a valid Environment Agency rod license to fish at Argal Reservoir.
Facilities: Cafe, wheelchair friendly access, car park, toilet, showers and it is also a dog friendly fishery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you will need a valid fishing licence to fish for carp in Cornwall. You can purchase a licence from the Environment Agency website or from a local post office.
Yes, there are often restrictions on the use of certain baits and fishing techniques.. Make sure to check the venue's rules and regulations before you start fishing.
Carp fishing in Cornwall is good all year round, but the best time to fish for carp is usually between April and October.
The largest carp caught in Cornwall weighed over 50lb and was caught at Meadow Lakes.
Yes, many of the carp fishing lakes in Cornwall also offer fishing for other species, including silver rudd, tench, and bream.
You might also like
Best Sea Glass Beaches in Cornwall
Where To See Seals In Cornwall
Best Places To See Dolphins in Cornwall
Best Beaches in Cornwall for Families
Dog Friendly Attractions in Cornwall
Best Bodyboarding Beaches in Cornwall
Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's happening in Cornwall!
