Description of fishery:
50 Acre Lake Designed by Capability Brown.
Built circa 1749 by damming the river Yeo, it was constructed under the watchful eye of a Mr William Burnett and was dug completely by hand by staff of the castle and local residence
The cost came to just under £550 that was when the average wage for a professional person was in the region of £25 per annum, the cost included the burying of 2 men that were drowned during the build and financial support for their widows
It was completed in 1755 so about 6 years later
210 brace of Tench were purchased and stocked also 9 wild Ducks and a boat was bought to put on the water
A steam weeding machine was purchased to keep the water clear and was kept in one of the boat houses it was sold for scrap during the 2nd world war
Moving on in 1974 the lake had become completely silted up and a major operation was undertaken to clear all the weed etc and deepen the lake, around the lake there are several large mounds that were the result of some of the silt that was removed and left on the bankside and still can be seen today if you use your imagination, by this time the castle was open to the public and the lake restored for visitors to enjoy
The lake itself is 6-8 feet deep on average with the deepest part being around 11 feet . The lake has around 70 pegs these are mostly natural banks apart from pegs 15-41 on the south side of the lake which are platforms, the areas of the lake over the years have been given names such as the islands, the bay, the lawns and the shallows (see map for details) The club has had the fishing rights on the lake since the late 50s early 60s and is an all-round fishery with many different species of coarse fish.
Sherborne lake entry and exit time for anglers
2026
FRI 5TH DEC 2025 TO THUR 1ST JAN 2026 ENTRY- 8.00AM EXIT – 16.30PM
FRI 2ND JAN TO THUR 15TH JAN ENTRY-8.00AM EXIT-17.00PM
FRI 16TH JAN TO THUR 29TH JAN ENTRY-8.00AM EXIT-17.30PM
FRI 30TH JAN TO THUR 12TH FEB ENTRY-7.30AM EXIT-17.30PM
FRI 13TH FEB TO THUR 26th FEB ENTRY-6.30AM EXIT-18.00PM
FRI 27TH FEB TO THUR 12TH MAR ENTRY-6.30AM EXIT-18.30PM
FRI 13TH MAR TO THUR 26TH MAR ENTRY-6.30AM EXIT-19.00PM
FRI 27TH MAR TO THUR 9TH APR ENTRY-6.30AM EXIT-20.00PM
FRI 10TH APR TO THUR 23TH APR ENTRY-6.00AM EXIT-20.30PM
FRI 24TH APR TO THUR 13TH AUG ENTRY – 6.00AM EXIT-21.00PM
FRI 14TH AUG TO THUR 27TH AUG ENTRY-6.00AM EXIT- 20.30PM
FRI 28TH AUG TO THUR 10TH SEPT ENTRY – 6.30AM EXIT- 20.00PM
FRI 11TH SEPT TO THUR 24TH SEPT ENTRY- 6.30AM EXIT -19.30PM
FRI 25TH SEPT TO THUR 8TH OCT ENTRY – 7.00AM EXIT- 19.00PM
FRI 9TH OCT TO THUR 22ND OCT ENTRY – 7.30AM EXIT- 18.30PM
FRI 23RD OCT TO THUR 5TH NOV ENTRY – 7.00AM EXIT- 17.00PM
FRI 6TH NOV TO THUR 19TH NOV ENTRY-7.30AM EXIT – 16.30PM
FRI 20TH NOV TO THUR 3RD DEC ENTRY- 8.00AM EXIT – 16.30PM
FRI 4TH DEC TO THUR 31ST DEC 2026 ENTRY- 8.00AM EXIT – 16.30PM
2027
FRI 1ST JAN TO THUR 14TH JAN ENTRY – 8.00AM EXIT – 17.00PM
Parking & Fishing Times – Shallows, Lawns & Pegs 42 – 74
The only parking area available to anglers within the Castle Grounds is the “End of Woods” parking area by the cattle grid. See Parking Map.
Strictly No Parking in Front of the Castle or anywhere else in the Castle Grounds.
Anglers wishing to fish the “Lawns” and Pegs 42 – 74 have two options.
Opt 1 – Park by the cattle grid at the “End of Woods” parking area and walk over. The Iron Gates that give access to these fishing areas will be unlocked by 9.00am SUMMER 10am WINTER and will be locked at 5.00pm.
Opt 2 – Park in the Visitors Car Park on the left as you enter Sherborne Castle Estate just after the Lodge. Open 10.00am, Closed 5.00pm. OK for a short session The Visitors car park is open from 3rd April 2026 however it is closed on most mondays and will be closed from 3rd November 2026 to 31st March 2027.
Shallows
Fishing in the “Shallows” will be from the 1st November to the 14th March.Gate to the fishing areas will be open at 10am until the 3rd April and back to 9am after this date
LAKE CLOSURES 2026
The lake will be closed for fishing on the dates below
MONDAY 25th MAY COUNTRY FAIR
SUNDAY 26th JULY CLASSIC CAR
ANGLERS MUST NOT ENTER THE ESTATE GROUNDS UNTIL THE ENTRY TIMES
DO NOT PARK AT THE ELECTRONIC GATES AS YOU ARE ON THE ESTATE GROUNDS
***If you see this sign then you are not allowed to Enter the Grounds.***
Address
Sherborne Castle, Please download and use https://what3words.com/
Access & Parking
Gate Access via Card Entry Only.
Anglers Parking –
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The only parking area available to anglers within the Castle Grounds is the “End of Woods” parking area by the cattle grid (for fishing pegs 1 – 41. Anglers wishing to fish the “Lawns” and Pegs 42 – 74 have two options.
Opt 1 – Park by cattle grid at the “End of Woods” and walk over. The Iron Gates that give access to these fishing areas will be unlocked by 9:00am and will be locked at 5.00pm. From 1st November until the 3rd April it will be 10am, all other times it will be 9am.
Opt 2 – Park in the New Visitors Car Park on the left as you enter Sherborne Castle Estate just after the lodge. Open 10:00am, Closed 5:00pm.
Strictly No Parking in Front of the Castle or any where else in the Castle Grounds
Maps
A nice Mirror
A nice 23lb mirror
A monster carp, over 51lb.
Our new record 12.00 bream
A record 11.04 bream
A10.02 bream
A 10.01 match day bream
A 9lb.06oz match day bream
Another double figure bream 10.03
A bit of swim clearing on peg 4
A pike of over 20lb
A massive hybrid 5.08
Match day peg 12
An early season tench of 5lb
Swim clearing peg 20
A nice 9lb.14oz bream
A 5lb + bream from the islands
A bream from peg 12 weighing 10lb.6oz (wow)
A few hours on the whip
One of the lakes bigger residents
Two match day tench from peg 29
A bream caught in the 30s (pegs not years)
A nice bag of roach,rudd and hy brids
Wow thats what you call a hy brid
A 5ib.12oz bream from peg 39
A 10lb 5oz bream caught on peg 10
A 11lb.2oz record
A summer evening on the lake
Species
- Bream
- Carp
- Common Carp
- Eel
- Mirror Carp
- Perch
- Pike
- Roach
- Rudd
- Tench
PEG SPONSORS
This page is for our sponsor a peg members
all proceeds will go towards our lake projects
PEG SPONSORS 2023/24
YSAA WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR GEOFF SMALLEY WHO HAS SPONSORED OUR 1ST PEG
PEG 41A SPONSORED BY MR GEOFF SMALLEY 8/7/2023
YSAA WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR KEV BREAKER WHO HAS SPONSORED OUR 2ND PEG
PEG 27 SPONSORED BY MR KEV BREAKER 18/9/2023
PEG SPONSORS 2024/25
YSAA WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR SAM BOWERS AND SHERBORHNE TOWN FC
PEG 9 SPONSORED BY STFC 9/2/2024
YSAA WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR MICK RICHENS
PEG 18 SPONSORED BY MICK RICHENS 28/3/2024
