This Sharnbrook complex has 7 gravel pits ranging from 1 acre to 26 acres in size. The pits are fairly similar in fish species, carp to 35lbs, tench to 14lbs, bream to 16lbs, perch to 4lbs, pike to 20lbs plus the usual silvers. Like all gravel pits, you have to put the time in to understand the contours, the weed beds, the fish patrol routes. There are no real short cuts here, water craft and time will pay huge dividends, pits 1, 2, 3 and 4 are a specimen hunters dream and the fish are simply stunning.
Parking and access are shown on the Plan below:
The Sharnbrook Complex – Map and Plan
A quick run down, Pit 1 has big tench and bream with at least 20 carp in the 20lb to 30lb range. Depth of this pit is 2ft to 6ft and it is about 7 acres in size.
Pit 2 as far as fish go is similar to 1, tench a little smaller, bream are bigger and carp go to 30lbs.This is a much larger pit and estimating carp stocks is difficult, probably twice as many as Pit 1. Pit 2 is a large venue, some 22 acres.
Pit 3 is weedy but has very good tench and carp to 25lbs. A different shaped lake with clear gravel areas that specimen anglers love but they have to be found. If you have to drag a swim, as long as the weed is left tidily, the Club has no problem with you doing that. The carp in this lake do like to patrol the lake perimeter, correct preparation can lead to fantastic results. This pit is around 7 acres large.
Pit 4 is for the specimen angler who is looking to catch one really good fish. Carp to 40lbs, tench to 14lbs, bream to 16lbs. VERY difficult! Take your polaroids and watch the specimens swim by, heart stopping stuff………. This really can be a one bite pit, but generally when it comes you know you will have a smile on your face for the next week. Deep and shallow areas, weed and clear areas. The largest pit on the complex at 25 acres.
Pit 4A is a small square pit, some carp to 18lbs and tench to 8lbs, with the odd bream and a some roach. This is a pull up and fish lake, sometimes brilliant and sometimes not! Much smaller at 1.4 acres.
Pit 5 is about 1 acre and is the deepest pit on the complex at an average of 8 – 12 feet. This lake has been consistently stocked with carp, bream, tench and roach. Carp have been caught over 20lbs with anglers having poles broken from time to time! This lake really is not about serious carp fishing, as you will often have someone on the opposite bank to you and there is no night fishing or keepnets here, so if you like a lot of space and time on the bank, please fish one of the larger pits. It is a pull up and fish lake, never knowing what might take your bait………..
Pit 6 is the old gravel washing pit and is quite shallow 18″ to 5 ft deep. This pit does hold some decent fish though with carp to 27lbs, bream to 8lbs and a good number of tench. The lake has large reedbeds and is probably the most picturesque lake on the complex. The Club intends to open up the bank a little more this season (2015) as we feel it will benefit from more anglers. Weed was a major problem last year and if this persists we will try a lake dye to see if we can be successful in restricting growth. Again, no night fishing or keep nets here.
