Attenborough Nature Reserve Lakes

Attenborough Nature Reserve, near Nottingham, is a proper chunk of water managed for angling by Nottingham Anglers Association. It’s commonly listed as Attenborough North or the Attenborough gravel-pits complex, and sits inside a reserve covering about 220 hectares. That’s a fair old area to get your head around, especially if you’re used to a compact day-ticket lake where every swim is five minutes from the car park.

• 1 lake: Attenborough North / Attenborough gravel-pits complex
• Fish: bream, roach, perch, tench, carp, pike
• Tickets from: 2025/2026 new full NAA membership — £65 including the £20 joining fee
• Find it: Attenborough · NG9 6DY

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

Attenborough Nature Reserve, near Nottingham, is a proper chunk of water managed for angling by Nottingham Anglers Association. It’s commonly listed as Attenborough North or the Attenborough gravel-pits complex, and sits inside a reserve covering about 220 hectares. That’s a fair old area to get your head around, especially if you’re used to a compact day-ticket lake where every swim is five minutes from the car park.

The reserve is made up of flooded former gravel pits and interconnected lakes. The NAA describes Attenborough as its largest expanse of water, although individual lake sizes and the total angling-water area haven’t been published. So, this is more natural gravel-pit country than tidy commercial puddle. Before setting off, it’s worth checking the NAA membership information and asking about the exact access point, permitted banks and any local notices. Saves a right faff on the morning.

Three gravel pits west of the River Erewash can be fished throughout the year. Other sections have a closed season because of wildlife sensitivity, while some areas are out of bounds to anglers altogether. Don’t assume every tempting-looking bit of bank is fair game. Stick to the permitted water, keep an eye out for signs and take extra care around the reserve’s wildlife areas. It’s the sort of venue where a bit of homework pays off.

There’s a decent spread of species to keep you busy. Bream are a noted feature, with quality roach, perch and tench also reported. Carp are present if you fancy setting up for a few lumps, and pike add another string to the bow. A sensible first visit would be to travel light enough to move, carry a couple of approaches and spend time watching the water before clipping up and settling in. On a big, interconnected gravel-pit complex, finding signs of fish is part of the game.

Access is members-only rather than ordinary day-ticket fishing. For the 2025/2026 season, a new full NAA membership costs £65 including the £20 joining fee. Disabled or over-65 new membership costs £55 including the £20 joining fee, while junior membership costs £18 including the £5 joining fee. A key costs £15 where required for access points. Membership covers NAA waters, including the Attenborough gravel-pits complex, subject to local rules, and you’ll also need a rod licence in England.

There’s no night fishing at Attenborough, and the membership book or card must be carried while fishing. Livebaiting is prohibited, while artificial lures and spinners are banned. NAA bailiffs and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust wardens patrol the venue, so keep everything tidy and take special care with discarded tackle and litter. The visitor centre, café, toilets, shop, bird hides and accessible trails make it a handy full-day destination, but remember the visitor car park gate closes at dusk. Pack your kit properly, check the access details first and you’ll be much more bob on when you reach the swim.

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

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• Our read

  Checked Sept '26 — “Attenborough Nature Reserve is a big, members-only gravel-pit complex with cracking bream fishing, quality roach, perch and tench, plus carp and pike. It’s a proper wildlife venue, so local rules and access boundaries matter.”

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.