Bures Lake

Bures Lake sits near Bures on the Essex–Suffolk border, tucked alongside the River Stour. It’s a secluded mixed coarse fishery, so the vibe is much more quiet session than busy commercial puddle. Proper nice if you fancy getting away from it all, setting up on a platform and concentrating on the float or alarms without loads of faff around you.

• 1 lake: Bures Lake
• Fish: tench, carp, bream, roach, rudd
• Tickets from: Standard LAA season membership — £68
• Find it: Bures · CO8 5BY

Based on how each lake is set up — not a ranking.

Bures Lake sits near Bures on the Essex–Suffolk border, tucked alongside the River Stour. It’s a secluded mixed coarse fishery, so the vibe is much more quiet session than busy commercial puddle. Proper nice if you fancy getting away from it all, setting up on a platform and concentrating on the float or alarms without loads of faff around you.

The big draw is the tench. Bures was historically notable for tench fishing during the 1970s and 1980s, and the lake is still known for large tench. That’ll have plenty of anglers thinking about lift-float tactics, delicate rigs and a bit of patience. As ever with a new water, it’s worth asking the keeper which areas and methods are producing before clipping up or piling bait in.

There’s more than just tench in the mix. Listed species include carp, bream, roach and rudd, while the lake has also received additional specimen stocking. Recent stocking has included carp, tench, skimmers and rudd, giving you a few different ways to approach the session. Pack a sensible spread of kit rather than banking everything on one method — float gear, feeders and carp tackle could all earn their place, depending on what the latest advice says.

The lake has 32 fishing platforms, with some offering disabled access, and the whole fishery is completely fenced in. Secure parking is available inside the second gate, and there’s a portaloo on site. Access is via Nayland Road near the Clickett Hill crossing, then along a dirt track and through two gates. The parking gate uses a combination lock, so make sure you’ve got the access details sorted before setting off. A quick call to the fishery keeper, Jim Smith, with the fishery should help avoid any gate-based nonsense.

Night fishing is permitted and carries no additional charge, which could suit anglers wanting a longer tench or carp session. The 2024 LAA handbook says the water is bookable on Sundays, with fishing limited to 30 rods per day. That makes checking the current booking or allocation arrangements a must, especially if you’re travelling a fair distance. The lake was reported open from 4 March 2025 after an earlier flooding-related closure, so confirm the position before loading the motor.

This is a non-public fishery, meaning visitors need LAA membership unless they’re using the guest-ticket arrangement. An LAA member can buy a £10 Bures Lake guest ticket for an accompanying guest. Standard LAA season membership is £68, while the other listed options are £94 for a partner membership and £79 with a non-fishing companion; membership tickets run until 31 March 2027 on the current product pages. You’ll also need an Environment Agency rod licence and must follow the Association rules. A 2025 warning mentioned blue-green algae and advised washing hands after contact with the water, so bring a towel or wipes and check the latest guidance before fishing.

Good background reading. Most of it is a few years old, so treat it as a starting point and ask on the day.

Videos linked by the fishery

• Our read

  Checked Sept '26 — “Bures Lake is a secluded, fenced mixed coarse fishery beside the River Stour, with 32 platforms and a proper reputation for big tench. It’s a syndicate-style LAA water, with Sunday booking, night fishing and recent specimen stocking.”

This is our own summary of recurring public feedback and the venue details we checked, not a copied customer review or a promise you’ll catch. Feedback changes, so we keep it separate from the Tackle Index score.