Swan Valley Lakes

Swan Valley Lakes is near Blackwater, Camberley — not Swanley, Kent. It’s a mature specimen carp syndicate lake set in roughly 13 acres of surroundings, with the River Blackwater passing through the grounds. A proper-looking setting for anglers chasing a chunky carp, with the sort of natural feel that should suit anyone who likes finding their own spots rather than just chucking at a feature everyone knows about.

• 1 lake: Main lake
• Fish: carp, tench, bream
• Tickets from: Day ticket — £20 per angler
• Find it: Swanley · GU17 0DL

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

Swan Valley Lakes is near Blackwater, Camberley — not Swanley, Kent. It’s a mature specimen carp syndicate lake set in roughly 13 acres of surroundings, with the River Blackwater passing through the grounds. A proper-looking setting for anglers chasing a chunky carp, with the sort of natural feel that should suit anyone who likes finding their own spots rather than just chucking at a feature everyone knows about.

The main lake is approximately 9 acres and reportedly has 32 designated swims. Access is by barrow only, so keep that in mind before loading the kitchen sink into the car. You can place a bucket in your swim from 10:00, but access to the swims isn’t permitted until 11:00. Night fishing is available, while the official site doesn’t publish fixed daily opening hours or a closed annual season.

There’s plenty to go at under the surface, with gravel bars, silt beds, snags and other underwater features mentioned around the lake. That gives you a few obvious jobs on arrival: have a proper lead about, look for changes in depth and bottom make-up, and don’t rush into casting before you’ve had a good scan. With snags in the equation, accurate fishing and sensible tackle matter more than simply fishing at maximum range.

The carp are the main attraction. Swan Valley Lakes advertises 12 or more carp over 40 lb and more than 40 carp over 30 lb, with a reported lake record of 48 lb 12 oz. Linears and ghost carp are specifically mentioned, while other reported species include common carp, mirror carp, leather carp, tench and bream. A third-party listing also reports approximately 250 carp, so there’s plenty there to get the imagination going without assuming every swim will be on the munch.

Reported day tickets are £20 per angler, with night tickets at £40 per angler. Historical listings also mention a 24-hour GoCatch booking at £40, plus older exclusive-booking prices of £650 for Lake One for up to 15 anglers, £300 for Lake Two for up to 8 anglers and £700 for the entire venue with 30 swims. Those are historical figures, so current availability and pricing should be checked with Paul Bloomfield with the fishery before making plans. Bookings are non-refundable and non-transferable, except where spawning closes the lake.

This is a venue where fish care and staying alert are absolutely central. A maximum of three rods is permitted, and rods must not be left unattended. Because of the snags, you must not leave the swim while rods are in the water. Bring a minimum 42-inch landing net, suitable unhooking kit for fish over 50 lb and a flotation retainer sling, which must be used for five minutes after capture. Barbed hooks and minimum 0.35 mm or 18 lb mainline are required. Check the full rules before setting off, pack light enough for the barrow, and ask about the current swim situation and best approach when booking.

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 — “Swan Valley Lakes near Blackwater, Camberley is a mature specimen carp syndicate lake, with a roughly 9-acre main lake, 32 designated swims and some serious carp on the menu. Day and night fishing are reported, but current booking details need checking with Paul Bloomfield.”

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.