Surrounded by ancient bluebell woodland, this pretty little lake of just under an acre in size, holds a very impressive head of large Wels catfish (Silurus glanis). Situated within the woods, conveniently located behind the lodge, a spacious swim has been constructed to accommodate the two anglers that we allow at any one time. Back in 2008 the lake was drained, allowing us to remove the 4-5ft of silt that had accumulated over a number of years. There are now many features to find, gullies, gravel spots, deep holes and depths of up to 8ft. There are no real snags to speak off thus allowing the angler to enjoy and safely land the large cats that inhabit this lake.

This small lake boasts an impressive stock, with a good head of 50's, 40's and 30's. The lake record stands at 63lbs although there is bigger now present. Being such a high stocking density, maintaining water quality is crucial and needs to be monitored on a regular basis to ensure these fish remain in optimal condition and sustain healthy weight gains. A large aerator is operated on a 24/7 basis to ensure oxygen levels are kept at healthy levels. The lake is also ILFA licenced that allows non-native species, in this case the Wels, to be kept at this location.

Rules -

Valid ticket holders only permitted onto fishery. Strictly no guests and no viewing of lakes.
- Minimum 15lbs line
- Minimum of 12" of safety tubing to be used
- No persons under the age of 16
- Barbless hooks only, no leadcore or leaders of any description
- Maximum of 2 rods per angler.
- No shelf life boilies
- No braided mainlines to be used unless for marker float / feature finding etc.
- Free running rigs / semi-fixed only. No fixed rigs such as Helicopter / Chod rigs allowed
- No live / dead-baiting / permitted. No fish to be removed or introduced.
- No nuts of any kind permitted.
- No keep nets or sacks to be used.
- Only landing nets, weigh slings and unhooking mats provided to be used.
- Strictly no litter, this also includes no cigarette butts left in swims.
- No fires and no BBQ's.
- Each angler to be in possession of the appropriate Environment Agency Rod Licenses.
- Neither the fishery nor any of its servants shall be held responsible for any loss or damage to, or theft of property. Ticket holders shall not be entitled to make claims against the fishery or any of its servants in respect of any such damage, loss, theft or injury.

Site plan of the catfish lake

Mats, slings and landing nets are supplied on all lakes at churchwood fisheries

Jenkins Lake is a little over 1 acre in size with average depths of 7-8 feet. Three anglers are permitted on the lake although larger parties can be accommodated on request. The lake contains some of the most stunning commons and mirrors you are ever likely to catch with several now nudging the 30lbs mark. There is a good head of 20's with many upper doubles to back up the larger fish. Along with the mirrors and commons there are many other species of fish present:

Tench 9lbs+
Roach 3lbs+
Perch 4lbs
Crucians 4lbs+
Rudd 2lbs+
Wels 67lbs

Fishing tight to the far margin produces the majority of the fish although presenting a bait around the aerator which runs constantly is also worth a try. Fishing is only permitted from one bank although baiting up on the opposite bank is permitted providing trees and fauna are respected and not damaged. No fixed leads (helicopter / chod rigs etc) are permitted anywhere on the complex. Please use the row boat provided for any fish that may get snagged. Pulling for breaks is something that we seriously do not approve of and we always encourage the angler to retrieve their end tackle. The row boat can also be used to find suitable areas, placing hook baits and for baiting up purposes.

Bait boats are permitted and usually help produce the best results. The lodge is conveniently situated at the side of the lake. If you enjoy 5 star comforts when fishing, then this is the lake for you.

Site plan of Jenkins lake at churchwood fisheries

Mats, slings and landing nets are supplied to use on all lakes at churchwood fisheries

Churchwood Lake is approximately 2.5 acres in size. A maximum of 6 anglers are permitted although like Jenkins larger parties can be accommodated upon request. Carp to 30lbs+ are present with a good head of 20's and many upper doubles. The original stock has been complimented over the past few years with some cracking scaly AJS stockies. In addition to this we have also added a number of faster growing strains from our stock pond which are achieving some excellent growth rates. One such example is a mirror we christened 'Chucky' that was introduced at 18lbs. Within just two years this fish is now pushing 28lbs+ and looks set to one day be a very large specimen.

Other species include:
Tench 8lbs
Bream 11lbs+
Perch 4lbs+
Crucians 4lbs+
Roach 3lbs+
Rudd 2lbs

Again like Jenkins, fishing tight to the far margin produces the majority of the fish although during the Summer months, presenting a bait around the aerator which runs constantly is also worth a try. Fishing is only permitted from one bank although baiting up on the opposite bank is permitted providing trees and fauna are respected and not damaged. No fixed leads (helicopter / chod rigs etc) are permitted anywhere on the complex. Please use the row boat provided for any fish that may get snagged. Pulling for breaks is something that we seriously do not approve of and we always encourage the angler to retrieve their end tackle. The row boat can also be used to find suitable areas, placing hook baits and for baiting up purposes.the margins tend to be the most prolific. The use of a bait boat is recommended in some of the far margin swims to gain access under the overhanging trees although casting is adequate on most of the lake.

Site plan of Churchwood lake 

Overflow Swim

This swim is only used when a group of 6 anglers have booked the lake to themselves. During the Summer months the large lily bed cuts off an area from swim 1 thus giving this little swim its own area. In truth it’s a very productive area and one of the owners favorites. Slack lines, absolute bear minimum disturbance and stealth can yield some good catches from this swim. Either concentrate on the back of the lily pad in front of the swim or the margins to the left. If fish are showing themselves then you can be sure it will be in this area.

Swim 1

Lots of features to fish to in this swim. Either side of the overhanging tree directly in front are the obvious spots to place your baits as the carp love to sit under the safety of the branches. To the left in the near side margin your will find good gravel areas. Keeping bank side disturbance to a minimum will hugely improve your chances of success. During the Summer months a large lily bed grows in the middle to the left. When the weather is hot the carp will spend much of their day basking under the pads. Average depths of 4ft - 5ft up this end of the lake.

Swim 2

Mostly all far margins from this swim. During the Summer months you will need to find the gaps in between the lily beds that populate the far margins. Again in the Summer it is always worth trying a bait around 3ft from the aerator to the right. The only near margin feature is a dense weed bed to the right, around a rod length of the bank. You will see the top of this weed bed just protruding above the surface. Worth trickling some bait around this area during the day and use it as a night time spot.

Swim 3

This large double swim has many features and commands a good proportion of the water. On the right hand side, along the near side margin, an area know as 'The Alley'. A strip of dense weed runs along this margin around a rod length of the bank. The fish like to spend much of their time rooting around for the abundant natural food sources amongst the weed. Fish a slack line along this margin and keep noise to a minimum to increase your chance of success. There are also some prolific gravel spots along the far margin which are easily found with a marker rod or with the aid of the row boat. Again the aerator is worth a go during the hotter months.

Swim 4

This swim is nicely tucked away at the far end of the lake. Its perfect for those who love their margin fishing as there are so many great little features to fish to. This is the deepest end of the lake with depths of around 11ft - 12ft in places.

Mats, slings and landing nets are supplied to use on all lakes at churchwood fisheries