Little Linford is a village just north of Milton Keynes, and near to its bigger counterpart the Great Linford. It is one of the sleepy and cosy villages which are so iconic to Buckinghamshire and offers a great chance of respite so close to the large urban surroundings of Milton Keynes. It is also the home to a fantastic coarse fishing venue, known as the Great Linford lakes. Just north of Milton Keynes, and near the M1, it is easily reached and has a reputation as a quite popular venue amongst the locals. Size-wise, it is one of the largest venues in Buckinghamshire, and easily amongst the largest of the region. It has so much variety in all aspects and offers a unique experience every time you visit. And with so much diverse features and lakes, it is guaranteed that every angler will find something to his liking.
Great Linford lakes are a sprawling fishery and are comprised of nine lakes and around 2 miles of river. Many of the lakes are quite big in size and needless to say, this venue is quite large. Luckily, it is settled in lovely landscapes, with plenty of nature all around. Peace and quiet are guaranteed here. The first lake, called Alder is around seven acres in size. Like most of the lakes, it is stocked for coarse fishing, with plenty of good-sized roach, perch, tench, bream, and specimen carp up to great 35 lbs.
It is also filled with diverse features, including lily pads, reed beds, overhanging trees, islands, and gravel bars.
Another lake is Blackhorse, very large water of 30 acres, also stocked in a similar fashion, with a great choice for coarse and carp fishing. Linford is the adjacent water, also large and 22 acres in size. It has even more features, dominated by plenty of reed beds. In it there is plenty of carp in high doubles, with 20 heads of 30+ lbs, and a few one reaching 40 lbs.
Other lakes include Poplar of 7 acres, Redhouse of 17 acres, and Rocla, another large lake of 30 acres. Each one is perfectly stocked with coarse fish species and specimen carp all in the high doubles. Each one is also filled with various natural features. On-site there is the Marle Inn to offer you food and drinks, and a tackle shop that offers day tickets and a good selection of gear. Toilet facilities are also present, as well as parking. The venue operates on a dawn to dusk mode, and there is no night fishing available.
But one thing is certain – with so much variety, so much space and such large lakes, Great Linford Lakes remains as one of the finest venues of South Central England. Catering for coarse anglers, carp anglers, and catfish anglers, as well as for beginners, it is a dream come true for all ambitious anglers. When you’re up Milton Keynes way, do not miss this venue. It is not to be missed.
Mike has over 30 years of fishing experience in carp fishing and general coarse fishing. He is always looking for the latest fishing kit to try out and talk about and needs a bigger shed due to all the fishing tackle he owns. You can read more about him here.