Swithland Reservoir

Swithland Reservoir sits near Swithland, Quorn and Rothley in Leicestershire. It’s a proper chunk of water at roughly 170 acres, or about 69 hectares, with around 6 kilometres of perimeter. That’s a fair old walk if you’re trying to get your head around the place, so a bit of homework before chucking a rig in is a bob-on idea.

• 1 lake: Swithland Reservoir
• Fish: bream, tench, carp, rudd, perch, roach, pike
• Find it: Swithland · LE7 7SB

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

Swithland Reservoir sits near Swithland, Quorn and Rothley in Leicestershire. It’s a proper chunk of water at roughly 170 acres, or about 69 hectares, with around 6 kilometres of perimeter. That’s a fair old walk if you’re trying to get your head around the place, so a bit of homework before chucking a rig in is a bob-on idea.

The reservoir is generally very shallow, with a mean depth of approximately 2.8 metres. On a water like that, location is likely to matter more than piling in loads of bait. Have a good look at the margins, visible features and any areas where the bottom changes. Take binoculars if you’ve got them, and spend time watching before committing to a swim. Finding the fish could be the main job.

There’s a cracking mixed coarse-fish list attached to Swithland. Reported species include bream, tench, carp, rudd, perch, roach and pike. A bream of more than 16 lb has been reported, along with a pike exceeding 20 lb. That gives the place plenty of appeal, whether you fancy a patient bream session, a bit of float fishing for the smaller stuff or a proper search for predators. Just treat those bigger fish as potential, not a promise.

The Great Central Railway crosses the reservoir on two viaducts, while Brazil Wood and Brazil Island are named features around the water. Useful landmarks, especially when a large reservoir starts looking a bit samey from the bank. Access around the margins is restricted or limited in places, though, so check exactly where you’re allowed to go before lugging a barrow, seatbox or a mountain of bait any distance.

Swithland was completed in 1896 and remains a water-supply reservoir rather than a clearly documented commercial fishery. It also forms part of the Buddon Wood and Swithland Reservoir SSSI, with birdwatching and walking taking place around the site. Keep the bank tidy, be considerate around other users and bring sensible kit rather than assuming every peg will be straightforward. A light setup and only the gear you genuinely need could save a fair bit of faff.

The practical arrangements need sorting before you set off. Current prices, ticket details, opening hours, fishing-season dates, booking arrangements and official rules are not clearly published. Night fishing appears in historical angling material, but current permission is unverified, so don’t assume it’s allowed. Confirm who controls the fishing, whether your ticket or club membership is valid, which banks are open and what methods are permitted. An Environment Agency rod licence is generally required for freshwater fishing in England, subject to the applicable rules. Better to make a few calls first than arrive with the van packed and nowhere legal to fish.

We're not sure on ticket prices for this one — check with the club or local regulations before you leave.

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 — “Swithland Reservoir is a big, shallow Leicestershire water with reported bream, tench, carp, rudd, perch, roach and pike. It looks intriguing for proper reservoir fishing, but current permission, tickets, rules and access need checking before you pack the tackle.”

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.