Cromwell lake review

[mint2009]

Hi

(this is just my personal view and summary i hope it helps if your planning a trip)

 

Just got back from a 24hr @ cromwell lakes , first imperssions is that it is a very well run complex.fecilities include a fishermans cabin (micro wave,kettle,shower,toilet place to sit and chill) also weel barrows to use.The owners are nice very helpfull and informative the car park is very secure CCTV , large locked gates , plenty of parking.The pegs are basic grass imaculatley kept with plenty of room for all you need.

 

The down sides are £25 per 24hr ! another £12ish for a guest a long walk awaits as no cars can pass the car park.The bottom is very weedy gravel bars can be found but clear patches are few and far between (i onlyfished peg 14) the lake has no clear features to aim at most seem to smash it out as far as possible.

 

on my visit i landed one mirror @ 16.10 possibly the smallest in , peg 20 produced 2 @ 30+ and 3 25+ in 48hrs apart from that 13 anglers all blanked with many not getting a run or sign of a run.

 

in summary this is a great place to visit as the web site says home of the 30's and 40's but be prepared for a hard day at the bank side this is a hard water were the best can struggle but the rewards can be big (in my case small) to mark from 10 i would give a 7+

 

Rich

[jules007]

a good review rich, and a fair verdict on this lake, i have visited this lake when i have been at sapphire lakes and yes its 18 acres of canadian pond weed but what puts me of is the £12.50 for my girlfriend to share my bivvy, better of going to sapphire for less money and better rules

[mint2009]

Jules

 

I fished sapphire for 24hr about two months ago and blanked !! but i enjoyed the lake more than Cromwell not as polished but cheaper and as you say no daft charge for the wife to come along.

 

Im about 30 miles from the lakes next visit will be sapphire.

Any advice would be great on how best to aproach sapphire

 

Rich

[jules007]

on sapphire most people suggest not putting in a lot of bait, though not so sure now about that, fake popped up corn over sweetcorn seems to work well and last fish i see caught came out on mainline cell bait in early hours, watch out for the silt, it can be deep and real smelly in some places, if i think of any thing else i will let you know

[dogtooth]

I have done three 48 hour trips to Cromwell so far this year and have yet to get a run. Now don’t let that cast a shadow over the lake as I am neither an accomplished carp angler and on each occasion I have visited, blanking has been the lake average with unseasonal low temperatures. I suspect the fish have woken up by now but as has been said, IMHO Cromwell is far from a run’s water. It’s a lake where the fish have got used to the quiet life so a long chuck/boat out to/around the central bar’s is worth a go. Unlike Sapphire where the railway runs beside the lake, the line is further away from the bankside at Cromwell so the midnight freight doesn’t shake your bivvy. On the flip side at Cromwell the rumble of the A1 is a constant grumble in the background. Sadly neither lake offers the peace and serenity of that quiet country estate lake we dream of finding. For the facilities at Cromwell, secure parking, well maintained water and quality of the stock, 25 quid offers value for money and a chance for the day ticket angler to catch a fish of a lifetime.

 

Sapphire certainly is cheaper and is a cosy, more intimate venue but Cromwell is a much bigger water with elusive but weighty occupants. Two very different waters within a mile of each other so something for everyone.

[Mick 62]

 A good friend of mine fished Cromwell for 72 hrs, and echoed others comments, of it being a well looked after complex.

But two things put him off about returning. Firstly its flipping barbless hooks, the lake is weedy and he lost two fish all down to barbless hooks, as soon as the fish get their heads in the weed. 

Secondly its quite a big lake and you need to barrow all your gear round the lake , which  can be a beast of a journey lugging all your gear that distance