Here at Woodington Lakes we have three lakes, well stocked with (primarily) rainbow trout. That said, we do also add brown and blue trout on occasion to mix it up. Oh, and there is always a cheeky little perch to throw into the mix. Our lakes are; Spring Lake, Kingfisher Lake and the Leat. We also have 430m of double bank fishing on the River Blackwater.
Spring Lake:
Spring Lake is where it all starts, the water level is held by natural springs that then feed through into Kingfisher Lake, the Leat and then the neighbouring Whinwhistle Coarse Fishery. Historically, the lake was fed by an artesian well which provided a constant supply of fresh groundwater into the lake system. Nowadays, this has unfortuantely dried up, but natural springs still supply the lakes keeping them cool and the fish healthy. The island in the centre of the lake has two or three deep areas around it where the fish can often be found during the warmer summer months, or when the air temperture is very cold. During ‘normal’ conditions, fish can be found closer to the banks, where they can be seen rising regualrly, especially first thing and just before dusk.
Kingfisher Lake:
Kingfisher Lake is the smallest of our three lakes, with no obstructions around it. It is therefore, ideally suited to the less experienced angler as long casting is not required. Equally fed by its own springs (plus the overflow from Spring Lake), during the cooler months, the lake clears up nicely so as to allow stalking tactics. As with Spring Lake, the island in the middle has a couple of deep areas around it where the fish can often be found. If you are lucky, you may be treated to a flyby of the lakes namesake on its way upstream along the River Blackwater.
The Leat:
The Leat was a new addition to the site in 2006, it differs from both Spring and Kingfisher Lakes in that it is not gravel bottomed, as such the water appears murky. Do not let this put you off though, as the clarity is better than you think and as such can provide some excellent fishing. Until the site was taken over by Jim and Sian in 2017, the Leat was used as a stock lake for the neighbouring Whinwhistle Coarse Fishery. Following some extensive maintenance (and netting of the previous inhabitants), the Leat is now stocked with trout again. The Leat has historically benefitted from excellent hatches, and this, with the water being deeper than both Spring Lake and Kingfisher Lake, results in some very interesting and challenging fishing. Fishing on the Leat is single bank only.
The River Blackwater:
At Woodington Lakes, we have 430m of the River Blackwater, a tributary of the world renound River Test. The River Test has an international reputation as one of the finest chalk stream rivers in the world. The River Blackwater, is not a chalk stream however, but rises over a network of small streams and gutters over clays and gravels. The River Blackwater, is well renound as a crucially important spawning tributary to the main River Test and is thought to be one of the main destinations for large numbers of the migratory sea trout that enter the system. In 2017, when Jim and Sian took over the fishery, the banks were very overgrown and the bed highly silted in places. Jim has spent a lot of time trying to restore the river to its former glory, and improve the habitat for, not only the migratory sea trout that visit the river, but also the native brown trout, the lady of the stream – the grayling, and a whole host of of coarse fish. The image below shows a good sized sea trout from the 2017 run (about 20-22 inches long).
As the river is not a “managed” watercourse, unlike parts of the River Test and River Itchen, it is subject to very “peaky” storm response. You can see the current water level in the river below. “Normal” water levels, when the river runs clear (albeit not gin clear, but as clear as it will get) are around 0.06m and 0.1m, above this level it is likely that the river will be coloured as it takes silt and debris off the surrounding fields and land. If the level exceeds 1.5m, then it is likely that our site will be flooded and as such, you probably will not be able to fish the river 😉 or get access to the lakes. If this is the case, then just give us a call (details on the home page) and we will let you know if you can park and fish safely.