Brixworth Country Park Fishing Lake

First thing to get straight: this isn’t a little coarse lake tucked inside Brixworth Country Park. The named fishery is operated as Pitsford Water, with the main fishing lodge on Brixworth Road, NN6 9SJ. It’s a proper reservoir of approximately 413 hectares, near Brixworth and Holcot in Northamptonshire.

• 1 lake: Pitsford Water
• Fish: trout, pike, perch
• Tickets from: 2026 eight-fish day permit — £40
• Find it: Brixworth · NN6 9SJ

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

First thing to get straight: this isn’t a little coarse lake tucked inside Brixworth Country Park. The named fishery is operated as Pitsford Water, with the main fishing lodge on Brixworth Road, NN6 9SJ. It’s a proper reservoir of approximately 413 hectares, near Brixworth and Holcot in Northamptonshire. So, plenty of water to explore and a venue that needs a bit of planning rather than a quick chuck in the margins.

The main game is fly fishing for stocked rainbow trout, with brown trout present as well. Trout fishing is fly fishing only and available from the bank or by boat. Brown trout must be returned under the published rules, so make sure the net, forceps and unhooking kit are sorted before setting off. If you’re new to reservoir fishing, the lodge has tackle and tuition available, which could save a fair bit of faff.

The 2026 trout season runs from 28 February 2026 to 31 January 2027. Permits include an eight-fish day ticket at £40, a four-fish day ticket at £34, a senior six-fish permit at £34 and a sporting permit at £28. The sporting ticket is catch-and-release only and requires barbless flies. Once the stated limit has been reached, the other day permits include catch-and-release fishing. Accompanied children can fish free within the rules and limits of the accompanying permit.

There’s a separate predator angle for anglers after pike, perch and zander. This is mainly boat-based and only available on specified dates. Fly and lure predator fishing runs from 28 February to 14 March 2026 and from 16 June 2026 to 31 January 2027. Deadbaiting from boats runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 January 2027, while bank deadbaiting runs from 1 November 2026 to 14 February 2027. Only sea deadbaits are allowed for the published deadbait fishery, and pike, perch and zander must be returned alive.

Boat options are pretty bob on, with a standard day boat at £32, a half-day boat at £25, a single-manned day boat at £20 and a single-manned half-day boat at £17. Sunset boats after 6pm and Wheelyboats for Blue Badge holders are also available. Walk-in, non-prebooked boats carry a 10 percent surcharge, so booking ahead through the Anglian Water Parks system looks the sensible move. The lodge can also sort permits, boats, tackle and tuition.

For a first visit, have a look at the fishing maps before choosing your approach. They identify marked banks, boat areas, no-fishing zones and seasonal restrictions. Bring the right fly or lure gear for the permit you’ve booked, a valid Environment Agency rod licence and whatever you need for careful fish handling. All anglers must follow the check-clean-dry biosecurity procedure too.

The lodge includes an information centre, tackle shop and meeting room, and is open 08:00-14:00 from March through November. It’s closed in December and January, with shorter opening from 09:00-14:00 between 14 and 28 February. Brixworth Country Park adds a café, toilets, accessible routes, an adventure playground and nature trails. Parking is available at Pitsford Causeway and Grange Lane, with Anglian Water daily parking at £4. The prices listed are for 2026, so check them again before travelling.

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 — “Brixworth Country Park Fishing Lake is the day-ticket fishing operation at Pitsford Water, a huge Northamptonshire reservoir near Brixworth and Holcot. It’s mainly a fly-trout and seasonal predator venue, with boat fishing, bank options and a proper fishing lodge.”

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.