Elinor Lake

Elinor Trout Fishery sits on Lowick Road near Aldwincle, Kettering, Northamptonshire. It’s a proper-sized 50-acre lake, fed by limestone springs and described as gin-clear water. That clear stuff means observation is bang at the heart of the game. Have a good look before getting clipped up, watch the margins and open water, and give yourself a minute to work out what’s happening.

• 1 lake: Elinor Lake
• Fish: trout
• Tickets from: 2026 six-fish day ticket plus catch-and-release — £37
• Find it: Aldwincle · NN14 3EE

Based on how each lake is set up — not a ranking.

Elinor Trout Fishery sits on Lowick Road near Aldwincle, Kettering, Northamptonshire. It’s a proper-sized 50-acre lake, fed by limestone springs and described as gin-clear water. That clear stuff means observation is bang at the heart of the game. Have a good look before getting clipped up, watch the margins and open water, and give yourself a minute to work out what’s happening.

There’s around 1.5 miles of accessible bank fishing, so bank anglers have plenty of shoreline to explore. The venue is fly fishing only, with rainbow trout and brown trout as the key species. Elinor says it stocks top-quality rainbows and browns most weeks, giving anglers a choice of fish to target across the season.

Boat anglers have 16 fifteen-foot Coulam boats available, with full-day hire at £12 for two people or £9 for one person. Half-day hire is £8 for two people or £6 for one person. Boats take a maximum of two anglers plus one non-fishing guest, and boat trips should be reserved before you arrive by telephone or email. Lifejackets are provided and compulsory for anyone using the water or pontoon. Bring your own electric outboard if you want one, as motors aren’t supplied.

Bank fishing doesn’t need advance booking, while day tickets are payable on the day by cash or bank transfer. There are no card facilities at the lodge, so it’s worth sorting your payment before setting off. Full-day options include the 2026 six-fish ticket plus catch-and-release at £37, four-fish ticket plus catch-and-release at £31, and all-day catch-and-release at £25. Half-day catch-and-release is £18, with float-tube launches also available at £5 by day or £3 in the evening.

The 2026 season runs from 14 February to 31 July, with the autumn season from 1 September to 31 December. The fishery is closed during August in 2026, while season-ticket holders may bank-fish during January. The venue is open daily from 7:30am until sunset, with bank fishing allowed until 30 minutes after sunset. Boats must be back 30 minutes before sunset, so don’t leave the return journey until the last minute.

Tackle-wise, clear limestone water rewards a tidy, observant approach. Bring suitable fly gear, barbless hooks for released fish, and give yourself time to settle into a new swim rather than rushing straight into a cast. Fish of 5lb or more, including all brown trout, must be released immediately. You’ll also need a valid Environment Agency rod licence and must complete a catch card, including a nil return, before leaving. There’s an on-site car park and fishing lodge, plus a proper spread of ticket choices for short sessions, full days, boats and float tubes.

Good background reading. Most of it is a few years old, so treat it as a starting point and ask on the day.

Videos linked by the fishery

• Our read

  Checked Sept '26 — “Elinor Trout Fishery is a cracking 50-acre fly-only venue near Aldwincle, with gin-clear limestone water, rainbow and brown trout, plenty of bank access and boats to hire. Day tickets, catch-and-release options and season tickets are available for the 2026 season.”

This is our own summary of recurring public feedback and the venue details we checked, not a copied customer review or a promise you’ll catch. Feedback changes, so we keep it separate from the Tackle Index score.