Warwick and Napton Canal

Napton Reservoir sits off Tomlow Road near Stockton, Southam, in Warwickshire. It’s the main fishing water associated with the former Warwick and Napton Canal system, and the reservoir complex is reported at roughly 5 hectares — about 12.4 acres. Plenty of room, then, but it’s not a wander-up-and-pay venue.

• 1 lake: Napton Reservoir
• Fish: tench, crucian, bream, roach, carp, perch, pike
• Tickets from: Member daily fishing charge — £3
• Find it: Royal Leamington Spa · CV47 8HX

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

Napton Reservoir sits off Tomlow Road near Stockton, Southam, in Warwickshire. It’s the main fishing water associated with the former Warwick and Napton Canal system, and the reservoir complex is reported at roughly 5 hectares — about 12.4 acres. Plenty of room, then, but it’s not a wander-up-and-pay venue.

The headline attraction is tench. That’s the fish the water is renowned for, with crucian carp, bream and roach also reported. Specimen carp are in the picture too, including common, mirror and ghost carp listings. Perch and pike are also reported, giving you a bit more to aim at through the seasons.

This is strictly for Leamington Angling Association members rather than normal public day-ticket anglers. Members pay a daily fishing charge of £3, or £2 for concession members. One guest can tag along with a full member, but the guest must fish with them and the £7 ticket needs buying in advance.

Fishing starts at 6:00am and runs until sunset. The current closing time should be checked on the notice board, so don’t assume you can just keep fishing into darkness. The water is open throughout the year, while night fishing needs a special permit — and the waiting list is currently closed.

Tench anglers will likely be looking at the warmer months, with float or feeder work around features, reed lines and the margins where allowed by the swim’s casting limits. For carp, keep things tidy and mobile rather than piling bait in blindly. The official site provides a map showing casting limits, so have a proper look before clipping up.

There are a few firm boundaries. Barbless hooks only, no boats, bait boats or drones, and keepnets are banned. You’ll need a suitable landing net, plus an unhooking mat for larger fish. Three rods per angler is the maximum, and every angler needs a valid Environment Agency rod licence.

Facilities are fairly basic, as you’d expect from a club-controlled reservoir. Parking is in the car park only, and there’s no café, toilet, accommodation or other commercial setup advertised. Volunteer bailiffs are identified for the reservoir, so keep the place tidy, take litter home and stick closely to the rules.

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 — “Napton Reservoir is a member-only Leamington Angling Association water near Stockton, with a proper reputation for tench and some bigger carp in the mix. It fishes year-round, with sensible rules, a £3 member day charge and a guest option if arranged ahead.”

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.