Coarse Fishing

Our coarse fisheries include over 275 acres of water with fisheries ranging in size from 2 to 81 acres. Our established lakes are located in outstandingly beautiful and secluded rural areas across the South West.

At South West Lakes Trust Fishing we offer more than just great angling, our unique fisheries are matched with a recognised reputation for great fish quality.

Enjoy the tranquility that our waters provide with established tree-lined banks, lily pads and weed beds with natural woodlands surrounding the lakes. Our coarse fisheries offer a peaceful setting within picturesque and wildlife-rich surroundings.

Coarse fishing in the South West:

We regularly hold carp and match competitions at Upper Tamar Lake with prize money exceeding £3,500. Season tickets are available online. Day tickets are bookable through Catch. Download the Catch app from App Store or Google Play.

Facilities include onsite cafes, parking, toilets, showers, wheelchair access platforms, on-site permit rooms and easy access paths and swims.

SW Lakes Fishing Trust is managed by South West Lakes Trust.

Catch Reports:

Catch reports help us monitor the health of the fish in the lake as well as manage and improve our fisheries. You can submit your catch reports using the button below or directly through the Catch App. 

Send in your catch report 

Click here to find out why submitting a catch report is so important. 

Reporting an Incident:

South West Lakes Trust manages a portfolio of nearly 50 lakes and other natural resources so it is not always possible for our wardens to be on the scene when issues occur. The very remote and rural nature of our estate, the thing that makes them so special, also means that modern mobile communications don’t always cover the areas we would like them to. This makes getting an immediate response to ongoing incidents very challenging.

Please use this form to report any incidents of poaching, illegal fishing or any other form of antisocial behaviour to the management team so that we are able to take appropriate action.

Complete Form

Mainline Baits Pairs Competition July 2026

July saw the second Mainline Baits Pairs Competition of the year at Upper Tamar Lake. This time we had scorching hot sun with no breeze. 17 pairs entered the event.

All anglers completed their normal biosecurity checks and dipped their equipment. 10am arrived and the draw was made. All anglers collected their Mainline goody bags.

10 pairs favoured the Cornwall bank and 7 pairs the Devon side. All anglers were safely transported to their chosen pegs.

1pm arrived for the start of the competition. It was very hot and the big question was, were the fish going to come out and play? Within just over an hour the first fish was recorded, Peg 24 Kenny Burgess and Neil Thomas with a nice 18lb 6oz Common.

The rest of the Friday afternoon three more fish were recorded. Peg 11 Matt Pepperall and Dave Bellew with a lovely 20lb 12oz Common. Peg 1 George West and Andrew Woon 12lb Mirror. Peg 24 recording their second fish, a 6lb 9oz Common.

Current leaders going into Friday evening session.

First: Peg 24 24lb 15oz. Second: Peg11 20lb 12oz. Third Peg 1 12lb.

Saturday morning arrived, another scorching hot day with no breeze to keep you cool. The night marshals were kept very busy weighing another 17 fish.

Current leaders going into Saturday were. Peg 11 47lb 9oz. Peg 1 44lb 8oz. Peg 24 33lb 14oz.

Saturday proved to be a demanding day for the marshals. Fish were being recorded all over the lake. Everyone predicted that the hot weather would stop the fish feeding, but we were proved wrong, the fish decided to have a good feed.

Saturday evening was approaching and the leader board was looking good. Five pairs were within the top prize of £2,250: Peg 1 58lb 0oz, Peg 11 55lb 12oz, Peg 23 46lb 4oz, Peg 9 43lb 4oz. We had joint fifth between Peg17 and 24 on 33lb 14oz.

Saturday afternoon 13 more fish were recorded, the weather was so hot that some of the anglers were running out of water. Not only running out of water, the fish were having a good munch and some were running short of bait.

Going into the final evening session the leader board was getting exciting, this was turning into another exciting competition, despite the hot weather.

Current leaders were Peg 1 58lb 0oz, Peg 11 55lb 12oz, Peg 23 46lb 4oz. Still, everyone’s title.

Sunday morning arrived a little cooler with a nice breeze. The evening marshals had a more comfortable night. Five fish were recorded.

So, with only a couple of hours left, Peg 1 extended their lead with a lovely 19lb 1oz Common, giving them a total of 62lb 6oz.

Sunday morning was quiet compared to the Friday and Saturday sessions. Within 20 minutes remaining Peg 17 and Peg 25 had fish to weigh. On arrival at Peg 17 they had four fish to weigh, what an amazing finish, the best fish they caught was a cracking 20lb 5oz Common which boosted their final weight.

Despite the scorching weather, this turned out to be one of the most exciting competitions. The battle was between Pegs 1, 11, 23, 9, and 17.

I would like to thank all the anglers who took part and supporting this exciting event.

Results Below:

Peg 1

George West and Andrew Woon 

Peg 11 

Matt Pepperall and Dave Bellew

Peg 23

David Bourne and David Brown (and fan!)

Big thank you to Mainline Baits and John Kneebone for once again sponsoring the event.

A massive thank you to our volunteer marshals, Gary Vogel, Wayne Bateman, Ken Sampson, Laura Jenkin and Zinzan for helping with transport. Also a big thank you to our head of fisheries Leon Fisher.

(Thank you all, Mervyn, Gary, Leon)

Next Mainline Pairs Competition is Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October 2026.

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