Linear Fisheries – Hardwick Lake

Hardwick Lake and Smiths Pool sit together near Hardwick Village, just off the B4449 by Witney. They’re two of Linear Fisheries’ original carp lakes, linked by a narrow channel, so there’s a proper bit of water to get your head around before you even start thinking about rigs.

• 1 lake: Hardwick Lake and Smiths Pool
• Fish: carp, pike, bream, tench, roach, rudd, chub, catfish
• Tickets from: 1-rod 10-hour ticket — £9
• Find it: Oxfordshire · OX29 7QF

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

Hardwick Lake and Smiths Pool sit together near Hardwick Village, just off the B4449 by Witney. They’re two of Linear Fisheries’ original carp lakes, linked by a narrow channel, so there’s a proper bit of water to get your head around before you even start thinking about rigs. The official site doesn’t publish a separate acreage for either water, but the pair offer plenty to explore across a day or longer session.

The combined carp stock is estimated at just over 1,000 fish, with many over 20lb. At least 50 carp have exceeded 30lb, and fish over 45lb have been recorded in recent years. That’s a tasty bit of potential. A quiet-looking swim could quite easily produce a proper lump or even a cheeky PB, so it pays to spend a little time watching before chucking everything out.

The headline carp are well worth knowing about. Mirrors have been recorded to 49lb 10oz, commons to 41lb 10oz and ghost carp to 29lb 15oz. It isn’t only a carp gig, either. Pike to 31lb 4oz, bream to 15lb, tench to 11lb 6oz, roach to 3lb 15oz, rudd to 2lb 14oz and chub to 6lb 1oz are all recorded in the waters. The fishery also regularly stocks the lakes, so there’s a fair bit going on beneath the surface.

Hardwick is a general, non-bookable day-ticket water, which keeps things nice and simple. Tickets are bought from the bailiffs on the bank, and you can start fishing before paying when the bailiff visits. There are 10-hour and 24-hour options, with up to three rods allowed if you’ve got the appropriate Environment Agency licence. Before setting up, have a look at the map, check which swims are available and ask the bailiff about recent activity, sensible areas to try and any local quirks.

Both waters can be fished day and night, but the gate routine needs planning. From March 1 to October 31, gates lock at 9pm and reopen by 7:30am. From November 1 to the end of February, they lock at 7pm and reopen by 7:30am. Vehicles remain locked inside overnight, while Hardwick anglers must leave vehicles in the main Hardwick car park, which is locked after dark. Pack your kit before the deadline and don’t leave the faff until the last minute.

Facilities are handy for a longer stay, with toilets on the lakes and in the Hardwick/Smiths car park, plus a shower block and drinking water between St Johns and Manor Farm on the main Hardwick site. There’s also an on-site tackle and convenience shop selling bait, tackle, food and drinks. Bring the proper unhooking kit, read the rules before casting out and keep rods attended at all times. With no close season on Linear day-ticket waters, Hardwick gives you plenty of scope for a tidy session, whether you’re chasing carp or fancy seeing what else is on the munch.

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 — “Hardwick Lake and Smiths Pool are two connected original Linear carp waters near Hardwick Village, with a combined claimed stock of just over 1,000 carp and plenty of serious lumps. It is a flexible, non-bookable day-ticket venue with 10-hour and 24-hour tickets.”

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.