Catfishing Lakes in The UK

UK Catfish Lake Guide

Catfish is the largest freshwater fish in the UK and potentially even Europe. Not only are they huge, but they are also solid and robust, and landing one is no mean feat. If you want to land one of these beauties, you will want to know where the nearest catfish lake is and where the best places to go catfish fishing.

We have done all the hard work, so you don’t have to. Rather than searching high and low through Google search results and other resources, we have made the process of finding the answer to the question you may be asking “where are catfish lakes near me”. Therefore, if you want a detailed guide to the best catfish lakes, scroll down further to the list below. As well as location, you will also find out the size of the venue and the size of fish you could land there.

Notable Catfish lakes

Below we have collected together and listed some of the best catfish lakes in England.

Rush Lyvars Fishing Like, Hull

At the Rush Lyvars Fishing Lake in Hull, North Yorkshire, the complex has three lakes. There you will find one lake that is wholly dedicated to catfish fishing. Although there is no guarantee you will catch anything that big, many fish in the lake are as heavy as 35lb. There is even the promise of a 40lb fish, as the catfish feed well.

Knowing you can go to a specific part of the site and fish to your heart’s content, trying to land catfish is excellent. There is no hassle, no trying to differentiate between different catches, just catfish fishing all day. Generally, the best baits at Rush Lyvars Fishing Lake are lobs in bunches, squid and seafood boilies. It would be best to use loose feed pellets to attract the catfish to a hook bait.

Lakemore Fisheries, Cheshire

If you are in the Cheshire area or travelling there looking for a great place to catch some giant catfish, you should try Lakemore Fisheries. The Lakemore catfish lakes are Golden, Long, and Horseshoe. These are always fully stocked up with fish.

The Horseshoe Lake is an eight-pegger that contains catfish that are more than 75lb, and if you are interested in trying to catch something different, carp that weigh over 30lb in weight.

Long Lake is a 13-peg spot with cats weighing more than 50lb and carp weighing more than 25lb.

Golden Lake is home to moderately sized catfish weighing more than 40lb, roach, bream, and specimen carp.

You can even participate in night fishing at Lakemore Fisheries, a great time to land catfish.

Taking a long bag of worms, liver-flavoured boilies, or leger sea deadweights.

Fendick’s Fishery, Norfolk

If you are based in or visiting Norfolk and Whittington or nearby, Fendick’s Fishery is a great spot to fish for catfish. Each of the five waters there is classed as a catfish lake. However, it is Lake 3 that contains the most, with more than 50 present, weighing anything from 20 to 40lb.

As well as catfish fishing, you can also try to land some silverfish, carp weighing up to 30lb and more. Curiously, there was a 7lb catfish caught in 2011. However, it is generally believed that this fish has died since then.

The best baits for catfish in this lake are live baits that can be caught at the fishery, slices of liver, halibut pellets and chunky pieces of luncheon meat. As catfish are mighty, you should always bring your most robust tackle to cope with the fight.

Cudmore Fisheries, Staffordshire

Perhaps the best spots for the much-desired Cudmore catfish that weigh as much as 75lb are near the vegetation around the margins and beside the islands. At the large complex of fishing lakes, there are five specimen cat fishing lakes to try your luck at, along with some carp pools. However, you may need to try some night fishing, as that’s the best way to catch them.

Ideal baits in these waters include mackerel, boilies, maggots, squid, large halibut pellets, and luncheon meat chunks or slices.

Catfish anglers working at these lakes often catch an average of three reasonable-sized catfish throughout a 24-hour session.

An angler landed an impressive 75lb catfish at Avoca Lake on site. Even if you cannot catch anything that big, there are still plenty of chances to see cats in the 50 to 6lb range.

Kingfisher Lake, Somerset

If you are heading southwards this year or live there and are looking to try some catfish fishing in and around Somerset, you should give Kingfisher Lake a visit. Kingfisher Lake is the only official and licenced catfish water in Somerset. It contains around 50 catfish, ranging from 30 to 80lb on average. In addition to cats, carp weigh as much as 27lb, golden rudd, roach, and tench.

The lake also benefits from having two single swims and two double swims.

The bait recommended at this water is legered halibut pellets that can be bought on the site or large bunches of worms. They also can’t resist live bait, but you must catch them there.

As nice extras when you visit the lake, you will be given a weigh sling, specimen landing net and Catfish Pro XL unhooking mat that you should use during your catfish fishing session.

You can also pick up some bream and trout dead baits that are great for catching catfish.

Wintons Fishery, Sussex

If you are further south and want a challenge, how do 70, 80, or even 0lb cats sound to you? At the foot of the beautiful South Downs, Wintons Fishery in Sussex is a must-visit.

The fishery features three lakes, two are notable cat fishing lakes. While Mallard Lake, which covers 6.5-acre has catfish averaging at 50lb, it’s not strange to hear of anglers getting 1,000lb of catfish from the 4 to 7-ft deep lake.

While at the 4-acre Heron Lake, you can find big cats in the 3 to 6ft deep water.

The best bait in this water is the legered 16 to 28mm pellets. However, it would be best if you also gave leeches, worms, live baits caught in the water, meat and boilies a try too.

If you want to have a break from catfish fishing and try something else, there are carp in these waters with a maximum weight of 40 lbs.

How to catch catfish in lakes?

You’ll need the right gear to catch catfish in lakes, including a strong rod and sturdy line. Choose appropriate bait, like lobworms, squid, and farmed leeches, which are pretty effective. You may also opt for dead baits such as Rudd, Roach, and Lamprey, especially those with high blood leakage. Cast your line deep, as catfish are bottom feeders. The best fishing times are dusk till dawn. Look for areas with structures like fallen trees or rock formations where catfish often hide. Patience and quietness are key.