Drayton Reservoir Fishery

Quick heads-up first: this is Drayton Reservoir near Daventry, Northamptonshire, off the A361 on the town’s northern edge. It isn’t Market Drayton in Staffordshire. Easy one to get wrong, so get the sat-nav bob on before you set off.

• 1 lake: Drayton Reservoir
• Fish: carp, roach, perch, pike
• Tickets from: Adult day permit — two rods — £12
• Find it: Market Drayton · NN11 0SG

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

Quick heads-up first: this is Drayton Reservoir near Daventry, Northamptonshire, off the A361 on the town’s northern edge. It isn’t Market Drayton in Staffordshire. Easy one to get wrong, so get the sat-nav bob on before you set off.

The reservoir covers approximately 25 acres and supplies water to the Grand Union Canal. There are around 123 pegs across four main fishing areas: the Dam wall, Straight, Point and Boards. A wooden walkway runs around most of the water, with many pegs set out as jetty-style platforms. Handy for access, but still worth packing light and keeping the kit tidy.

Carp are the main attraction. They commonly average around 14–18lb, with many fish over 20lb. The current lake-record carp is reported as 35lb by the Canal & River Trust, so this is proper big-fish territory. Bring tackle that’s up to the job, a decent landing net and an unhooking mat or cradle. The fish are powerful, and rods must not be left unattended.

The Dam wall has 28 pegs, numbered 63 to 36A. The Straight leads towards the Point on the left-hand side of the lake, while the Point includes pegs 86 to 105 in named sections. The Boards run from pegs 1B to 36 on the sailing-club side. Day fishing is permitted on the Dam wall according to the official fishery page, while night fishing is available on the Point and Boards, subject to advance booking.

There’s more than carp in the mix, too. Roach are plentiful, with perch also present in good numbers, although they’re rarely specifically targeted. Pike provide a winter option, with a reported venue record of 28lb. Pike fishing is allowed from 1 October to 31 March only, so check the current bailiff instructions before planning a predator session.

The fishery is open all year for permitted fishing. Day permits open from 7:30am Monday to Friday and 7:00am on Saturdays and Sundays, with the day-fishing closing time to be checked with the bailiff. Day tickets are £12 for two rods, or £10 for a concession permit with a concessionary rod licence. Evening permits are £10, while night permits are £30 for two rods, running from midday to 11:00am. Day permits are limited and issued bank-side by the bailiff; night fishing must be booked in advance by text with the fishery.

Keep the approach simple and arrive organised. Ask the bailiff which pegs are available, confirm the closing time and check any sailing activity, as pegs 36A and 36B generally close on Sundays when the club is active. Use designated pegs, return every fish, and stick to barbless hooks and single-hook rigs, except when pike fishing. Bait boats, keepnets and nuts are banned, while rods, litter and the powerful carp all need treating with a bit of respect.

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 — “Drayton Reservoir is a proper 25-acre mixed coarse and specimen-carp venue near Daventry, Northamptonshire — not Market Drayton, Staffordshire. Big carp, plenty of silverfish and winter pike give it decent variety.”

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.