Cherry Springs

Cherry Springs is heavily stocked with 300+ Carp with a good range in their sizes from 10lb to 37Lb+. The majority are Mirror and Common Carp including a good sprinkling of Ghost Carp which are easily seen on the surface of the lake on bright days as they swim near the surface. In 2023 as well as a large number of twenties, 7 different Carp over 30lb's were caught from Cherry Springs. The biggest of these was the 37lb Mirror caught by Perry Walton pictured here.

The Carp are normally catchable throughout the year and respond well to well positioned rigs and sensible baiting levels depending on the time of the year. Due to the large number of Carp in Cherry Springs, it has no weed. Most of these Carp are doubles with plenty over 20lbs. Our normal rule of thumb is to expect at least one over 20lb in every 4-5 Carp caught.

Why not watch 'photogenic' Mike's introductory video about Cherry Springs

Cherry Springs is the biggest of our exclusive lakes. It is normally one of the most popular of our Lakes/Lodges. When you book Kingfisher Lodge this beautiful tree lined lake of around 1.5 acres is all yours for the duration of your stay. Over recent years we have restricted the number of anglers to a maximum of 2. With the development of a new bivvy swim attached to Kingfisher Lodge means we can now take bookings from groups of 3 male (or 3 female) anglers.

Cherry Springs is being developed to ensure the average angler should catch several Carp or more a day. The fish will responds to most methods most of the time. Like all waters though it can switch off for a while! It is not normally difficult, but equally I would not describe it as a runs water.

It is a particularly good winter water due to the stocking levels. The Carp can never be too far away even if they are not biting. Like all lakes though it can have it’s off days!

Reading the guest book in Kingfisher Lodge indicates that many anglers have frequently caught more than 10 Carp during their 3, 4 and 7 days stay. The Alam family set a new catch record of 78 Carp for a week on Cherry Springs in August 2020. The previous record holder was Richard Mascall who from memory caught 76 in a week. However to be fair to Richard he was the only angler where this week there were three!

Thanks to Hannah Alam diligently writing down the weights of each fish as they caught them, I can report a more detailed breakdown than normal. Their catch comprised of 78 Carp of which 36 were Commons and 42 Mirrors. Of these 7 were twenties and 67 were doubles with just 4 singles. The ratio of twenties caught was by chance in line with our target ratio of 1:10 Carp caught being a 20lb+.

Cherry Springs also contains around 100 Tench, plus a good stock of Crucian Carp to 4lb and Roach up to 2lb+. The Crucian's have done particularly well and whilst not easy to catch, those who try and persevere are always delighted to see these lovely specimens in their net. These fish can be caught, along the Perch, by using float and match tactics from the deck of Kingfisher Lodge.

Kingfisher Lodge is ideally placed allowing all of the lake to be accessed from the large fishing platform. The fishing platform was recently extended making it ideal for two anglers to share. With the addition of the new Kingfisher bivvy swim, the Lodge can now accommodate three anglers comfortably.

The fishing platform is also very comfortable to fish from. The astro-turf ensures it is clean and it is not slippery in the frost and dry's quickly after any rain. Almost all of our guests have commented about how comfortable the ‘grass’ is and how much they have enjoyed fishing on it. Its great advantage over real grass and other surfaces is that it is always clean, easy to walk on and good on the eye.

Kingfisher Lodge got it’s name because of the regular sightings of this beautiful bird as it fishes in the lake as well as hunts along the River Churn, which runs behind the northern bank opposite the Lodge. Plenty of other species of birds are seen including Woodpeckers, Goldfinches, and Long Tailed Tits.

We have been feeding the Carp in Cherry Springs for the last 7 years on a combination of the Carp Pellets, Spod Mix and Cherry Lakes boilies. This is to ensure the Carp are in top condition and are growing. The Carp in Cherry Springs respond to most good quality baits. If in doubt about what to bait use, then without hesitation I would recommend the Cherry Lakes baits. Bait and Bait Deals

Cherry Springs average depth is around 6 feet. Most of the lake bottom is covered in a layer of silt. This is not normally too deep or smelly to be a problem. The Carp do like to feed in it and can often be seen 'bubbling' in it. A great sight when you are waiting for a run!

Around most of the lake there are two ledges. The first is around the actual margins where the banks drop down to a depth of 3 feet. About a rod length or so, in most places, a second ledge around 4 feet deep can be found. These ledges are often firmer and/or made of gravel. These areas can be productive at times. Accurate casting and/or using a baitboat can be an advantage, particularly where there are over-hanging trees. Bait Boats

Fish care and safety is paramount across Cherry Lakes. An approach welcomed by all good anglers who want to catch high quality good conditioned Carp. All anglers are expected to follow any advice or requests from the fishery management concerning fish safety. The rules are strictly applied (see link)

All Lodges and Cherry Lake Cottage are provided with Carp Cradles, a 42″ Landing Net and a Weigh Sling, so there is no need to fill up the car with these, and avoid the wet fishy smells on the way back from your holiday! All Carp caught must be photographed over the Carp Cradle and returned to the water in the weigh sling.