Berkshire has a history of breeding sizable carp. So, your first instinct as a beginner might be to aim for carps of 40lb and above. But from my experience, these carps are tough to get for starters, so you might want to go for carps of 5lb to 20lb.
If you’re having a hard time finding the best carp fishing venues for beginners, here are my top picks.
Berkshire Carp Fishing Lakes in Near Me
Here are the best locations in Berkshire where you can fish carp of smaller sizes suitable for beginners. You can find larger sizes as well.
1. Court Farm Fishing Lakes (Reading)
Image Courtesy of Court Farm Fishing Lakes Club
You can find the Court Farm Fishing Lakes in Aldermaston, about a nine to eleven minutes drive from Reading.
The farm has three lakes with carp weighing from 20lb to 36lb.
Lake One is approximately 50 meters from the site’s car park. It’s surrounded by weeping willows and holds carp species of small to medium sizes, with the lake record at over 20lb. This makes it ideal for anglers of any level.
Lake Two is more easily accessible than lake one, about 15 meters from the car park. However, it holds the same species as lake one. You can find specimens Bream and Rudd of 20lb with the lake’s record carp at over 30lb.
The last lake, Lake Three, is ideal for anglers interested in fishing for double-figure carp. It has over 200 of this type, and the lake’s record is 36lb. Anglers must be above 18 years to access it.
The site features large parking spaces and several toilet facilities. You can also get essential supplies from the local tackle shop, about 400 metres from the lake.
Court Farm Fishing Lakes don’t allow night fishing. Yet, you can get day tickets, valid from 7 am until sunset. Tickets for Lakes One and Two are at a minimum of £10 per rod and £12 per rod for Lake Three.
Court Farm Fishing Lakes at a Glance:
| Name: Court Farm Fishing Lakes | Lake Size: Various |
| Location: Reading, RG7 4NT | Price: From £10 |
| Smallest Carp: 15lb | Call: 01189 712 574 |
2. Longmoor Lake (Wokingham)
You can find Longmoor Lake in Finchampstead, around a four-mile drive from Wokingham.
From over 100 years ago, Longmoor Lake rests on about six acres of land at the California County Park. As a starter, you can join the fishing season dedicated to members only from 15th March to 15th June.
As you’ll imagine, the lake has over 33 pegs and features carp sizes from small to large-sized, with the lake’s record carp at over 30lb.
Longmoor Lakes allows night fishing. If you’re a member, you’ll be able to join their exclusive night fishing list. However, you can get day tickets, valid from 7 am until sunset. You can buy the tickets on-site at £10 for two rods.
Longmoor Lakes At A Glance:
| Name: Longmoor Lake | Lake Size: 6 acres |
| Location: Wokingham, RG40 4HT | Price: From £10 |
| Smallest Carp: 15lb | Call: 0118 934 2016 |
3. New Farm Fisheries (Maidenhead)
Image Courtesy of New Farm Fisheries
You can find New Farm Fisheries in Hawthorn Hill, about a five-mile drive from Maidenhead.
The farm has three lakes with carp weighing from 10lb up to 100lb. However, two of them are specimen lakes, Catfish and Carp.
As the name implies, Catfish Lake boasts of housing some of the sizable catfish in Berkshire and spans over 2.5 acres in size. Its lake record is 100lb.
On the other hand, Carp Lake takes more space – about 3.5 acres – wide enough to contain several pegs. It’s heavily stocked and holds carp of small to medium sizes, which are suitable for beginners.
Smaller-sized carp in the lake can go from 8 to 10lb. But you can find several carp weighing from 20lb to 30lb and above. Currently, the lake sits at a record 37lb.
The site features wide and secure parking spaces and several toilet facilities. You’ll also find a weekend cafe that’s open 24/7.
Additionally, New Farm Fisheries allow night fishing, priced at £10 per rod (two rods). As a beginner, you can also get day tickets at £10 per day (two rods), valid from 7 am until sunset.
New Farm Fisheries At A Glance:
| Name: New Farm Fisheries | Lake Size: Various |
| Location: Maidenhead, SL6 3ST | Price: From £10 |
| Smallest Carp: 8lb | Call: 07585 955 263 |
4. Seven Lakes Fishery (Newbury)
Image Courtesy of Seven Lakes Fishery Club
You can find Seven Lake Fishery in Aldermaston, about a ten-mile drive from Newbury.
The site houses seven lakes. However, only Lake Six and Lake Seven are for carp anglers.
Lake Six has the highest capacity, spanning over three acres of water and has a depth of 16ft. The lake records its best carp at 33lb but has others over 20lb, which are suitable for beginner anglers.
Lake Seven stands on about an acre in size of water. It has a depth of 10 to 16ft (probably too deep for its size). There are over 300 carp stocked in this lake with sizes from 10 to 20lb, and the capture record is at 17lb.
The site features wide and secure parking spaces and several toilet facilities. You’ll also find a food van on site that serves breakfast, snacks, and drinks.
You can get day tickets at £11 per day. But the operational duration changes throughout the seasons.
Seven Lakes Fishery at a Glance:
| Name: Seven Lakes Fishery | Lake Size: Various |
| Location: Newbury, RG7 4PQ | Price: From £11 |
| Smallest Carp: 10lb | Call: 01189 408 500 |
5. Theale Fisheries (Reading)
You can find Theale Fisheries in Sulhamstead, around a ten-mile drive from Reading.
The farm has three lakes with carp weighing 10lb up to 30lb. But two of them are syndicates, leaving only one as a day ticket water (The Island Lake).
You can fish on The Island Lake, which spans over two acres in size of water. The lake features 15 pegs and only allows eight anglers at most. So you can get enough space to fish and choose a more productive margin.
The lake contains 200+ carp and you can find more double figures among them. Carp sizes go from 15lb, with over 25 different fish species spotted at 20lb. However, the record carp for this lake is 30lb.
The site features wide and secure parking spaces. You can also find male and female toilet facilities.
Finally, Theale Fisheries allows day and night fishing. Tickets for each session are priced at £12 and run 24/7. But you must book them online within 24 hours to get on the list.
Theale Fisheries at a Glance:
| Name: Theale Fisheries | Lake Size: 3 acres |
| Location: Reading, RG7 4AT | Price: From £12 |
| Smallest Carp: 15lb | Call: 07796 987 892 |
6. White Swan Lake (Wokingham)
You can find White Swan Lake near Sandford, about a four-mile drive from Wokingham.
This historical lake covering over 24 acres was once used to hold matches. It has over 90 pegs closely positioned together.
The White Swan lake also holds some of the most sizeable carp in the UK, probably because it’s rich in natural food. So, the fish don’t only depend on bait from anglers. Further, it’s constantly stocked with fresh carp to maintain the supply.
Within its depth lies carp of different sizes starting from 15lb and accompanied by multiple 30lb and 40lb carp. The lake record rests at over 50lb.
White Swan Lake allows night fishing for only coalition members. However, you can get day tickets, which are priced at £10 (two rods) and run from 7 am to 7 pm.
White Swan Lake at a Glance:
| Name: White Swan Lake | Lake Size: 24 acres |
| Location: Wokingham, RG10 0SU | Price: From £10 |
| Smallest Carp: 15lb | Call: 0118 934 2016 |
Conclusion
Berkshire has an abundance of lakes filled with carp around for everyone. As a beginner angler, you can try out your skills in catching carp of smaller sizes.
Have you ever fished in any of the lakes above? If so, let me know how you got on in the comments below.
