The opportunity for a week’s carp fishing in France either fishing solo, or with friends is a special event. Whilst the size of the lake is a personal choice, whether you are fishing alone or with a small group of friends the lake size can become an important factor, due to how carp react to angling pressure.
If the lake is too big you can chase them around the lake all week and if the lake is too small the carp may shut down resulting in a hard week’s fishing.
We’ve put together a list of some of the best exclusive carp lakes in France for 2 to 4 anglers.
The Best Small and Exclusive French Carp Lakes
- Lac de Mandeix – 6 acres with carp to over 55lbs, recommended for 2 to 3 anglers
- Spruce lake – 7 acres with carp to over 50lbs, ideal for 3 to 4 anglers
- Forest Pool – 2 acres, with carp 60lbs, perfect for 1 or 2 anglers
- Lake Mongenet – 3 acres, carp to 60lbs, accommodates 2 anglers
- Hill House Lake – 6 acres, carp to mid 50s, great for 3 to 4 anglers
Located within 13 acres of private forest in the Limousin national park, Lac de Mandeix is a 6 acre exclusive lake with accommodation and a very impressive head of carp to 55lbs. The lake can be fished by 2 anglers using 3 rods of 3 anglers using 2 rods.
Set back just 30m from the waters edge is a modern lodge which can sleep up to 4 making this an ideal venue for a family or non angling partner.
Lac de Mandeix – exclusive carp lake with accommodation ideal for 2 to 3 anglers
Spruce lake is 6.5 acres in size and has a good head of 40lb plus carp to just over 50lbs. It is ideally suited to 3 or 4 anglers. The facilities and food package on site are superb.
Bookings can be per angler or a lake exclusive bookings.
Spruce lake – a 6 acre lake recommended for 3 to 4 anglers
For a small lake Forest Pool has some very big carp with the lake record over 60lbs. At just 2 acres in size this intimate and exclusive carp lake is set within a stunning forest and is suited to 1 or 2 anglers.
Set just 10 metres back from the lake is a cossy chalet which can accommodate 4, also making this a great venue to visit with non angling guests.
Forest Pool – An intimate 2 acre lake for 1 to 2 anglers
A fantastic small and exclusive fishing venue for both anglers and non anglers. The set up includes a luxury chalet which can accommodate 6 which has an outdoor terrace area for dining and relaxing on overlooking the lake making it a really sociable set up. There is also a swimming pool and the grounds are completely private. The lake is 3 acres in size and is very much an ‘action’ water. A maximum of 2 anglers are permitted to fish the lake.
Lake Mongenet – small exclusive venue ideal for families and 2 anglers
Luxury accommodation, a hot tub and both within a few metres of a first class exclusive carp lake. Just over 3 hours drive from Calais it is a very accessible venue. The accommodation has 3 bedrooms and can sleep up to 6 adults.
The lake is 6 acres, can be fished by up to 5 anglers, but is very well suited to 3 or 4.
Hill House Lake – Luxury accommodation and an exclusive 5 acre lake for 3 to 4 anglers
Unless you are incredibly stealthy, carp are aware of angling pressure
You may think that fishing a lake with fewer anglers surely has got to increase your chances of catching. That may well be correct and certainly if you are a very stealthy angler, particularly fishing an exclusive lake alone can reap huge dividends. However, if there are 2 or 3 of you, the chances are the carp will be aware that they are being fished for.
Furthermore, on a carp fishing holiday to France, there is a good chance you will be fishing a new lake. This means you do generally need to make some disturbance to locate spots with a rowing boat or catching a lead from the bank. How will the carp react to this angling pressure?
Carp are instinctive wild animals and will act no differently than other wild animals. When they detect angling pressure, they will almost definitely drift off to another area of the lake and will try to seek an area free from fishing lines.
Choosing the right size lake for the number of anglers
When carp react to angling pressure and move off, if the lake is large enough and there are too few anglers fishing the lake, the carp will have multiple areas where they can find sanctuary from the anglers. Essentially what can happen is you spend a lot of the week chasing the carp around the lake, usually at least one step behind them. Now, this does not mean you cannot catch them and with a thoughtful approach and baiting strategy, you can still have a very good week.
However, in many cases we have found that a lake will fish better when there is increased angling pressure, which creates a pinball effect as carp move from one area of the lake to another, but due to the increased angling pressure they are never too far from a baited rig.
There is a balance however, too much angling pressure may result in the carp shutting down and hardly feeding. As stated earlier in this article, carp are wild animals and if they sense too much danger, their natural instinct is to protect themselves which may mean minimal feeding until they feel in a safe environment again.
1.5 to 2 acres is the optimum water coverage per angler
So what size lake should you select. As a generally rule of thumb for small lakes of up to 15 acres, 1.5 to 2.5 acres of water per angler is enough. If you have less than this, firstly there is limited places to cast and secondly, too many lines in the water which could switch the fish off. Of course there are other factors to consider and certain lakes due to their shapes, features, fish stock density as well as natural food all play a factor. However, as general rule to go by this is a very good one to apply before you do further research.
