Ravensthorpe Reservoir

Fancy a proper reservoir carp campaign rather than a quick day-ticket dabble? Ravensthorpe fits that brief. This 114-acre Northamptonshire water dates from 1890, and fishing is now primarily run as a carp syndicate. The operator advertises specimen carp exceeding 40 lb, so there’s a clear attraction for anyone with a bigger fish on their wish list.

• 1 lake: Ravensthorpe Reservoir
• Fish: carp
• Tickets from: Advertised syndicate membership — £640 per annum
• Find it: Northampton · NN6 8EJ

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

Fancy a proper reservoir carp campaign rather than a quick day-ticket dabble? Ravensthorpe fits that brief. This 114-acre Northamptonshire water dates from 1890, and fishing is now primarily run as a carp syndicate. The operator advertises specimen carp exceeding 40 lb, so there’s a clear attraction for anyone with a bigger fish on their wish list. That’s the headline here: a sizeable Victorian reservoir, bank fishing and the chance to build your fishing around an annual membership.

The carp syndicate opened on 1 September 2023. Under the advertised arrangements, day permits aren’t permitted, so this isn’t somewhere to simply turn up, pay for a peg and get the rods out. Membership has limited availability and a waiting list. You can register at Pitsford Fishing Lodge or email fishing@anglianwater.co.uk. Getting that conversation started is the first job; sorting your bait and choosing a swim comes after you’ve secured access.

Advertised membership costs £640 per annum, with the membership season running from 1 September to 31 August. Members get bank fishing with 24-hour access, may fish all year round and can stay for night fishing. That gives the arrangement a useful bit of flexibility, whether you’re interested in overnight sessions or fishing through different seasons. The value really depends on how often you’ll use it, rather than treating the annual fee like the price of an occasional outing.

On the bank, season-permit holders can use a maximum of three rods. All of them must be fished from the same swim and attended at all times, so there’s no spreading your setup along the bank or leaving rods fishing while you wander off. You must also carry an appropriate Environment Agency rod licence and your season ticket. Nice and straightforward: keep the setup together, stay with your rods and have the paperwork with you.

For the practical bits, car parking, toilets and picnic benches are available. The Ravensthorpe fishing lodge address is Teeton Road, Ravensthorpe, Northampton, NN6 8EJ, and fishing enquiries go to the fishery. Keep that address separate from the waiting-list arrangements at Pitsford Fishing Lodge. If you’re navigating using reservoir coordinates, remember they identify an approximate location rather than the entrance. A quick check before travelling saves a bit of unnecessary faff.

One important bank-side warning: don’t enter exposed reservoir beds or soft muddy margins when water levels are low. That’s an explicit warning from the operator, not an invitation to investigate a newly exposed spot. Overall, Ravensthorpe makes most sense for a carp angler looking for an ongoing syndicate commitment, with nights and year-round fishing part of the appeal. If you just want a one-off day permit, the advertised setup isn’t the right fit.

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 — “Ravensthorpe is a proper big-water carp prospect: a 114-acre Victorian reservoir with advertised carp exceeding 40 lb. It’s syndicate fishing rather than a cheeky day ticket, with year-round bank fishing and 24-hour access for members.”

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.