Frensham Great Pond
Frensham, Surrey
OS Map Reference: SU 844 405
Postcode: GU10 2QD
Water Type: Ancient Estate Lake
Designation: Carp & Specimen Water
Size: 60 acres
Maximum Depth: 5 feet
Facilities:
Car Park
Contacts:
Head Bailiff: Mr. M. Slater
Deputy Bailiff: Ian Lamb
Local Police 0845 1252222
Stock:
Mainly Tench from 3-6lb and up to 10lb
Some Leney Carp to over 20lb
Roach and Rudd to 3lb+
Pike and Perch
For many anglers the traditional quarry of early summer remains the tench, and this lovely sixty acre lake has them in abundance. Later in the season specimen roach are a strong possibility, and as winter sets in, Frensham lives up to its reputation as a top-class pike water.
Large shallow lake mainly containing stocks of Tench, Roach, Rudd and Perch. Large bags of Tench can be expected in early season with specimens in excess of 7lb are a possibility. Numbers of Roach and Rudd may be caught with the odd specimen over 2lb present. Perch have made a welcome comeback and a small number of specimens over 3lb have been reported.
Please use a wire trace if you are lure fishing for them as you are likely to encounter Pike as well, see Bye-law 4.s. pages 10/11. Pike fishing can be rewarding at times, with the odd fish touching 20lb occasionally being caught.
Other species are also present, e.g. Carp. The specialist angler may find an interesting challenge.
Members should note that this water is very popular with the general public and that we also share it with the Yacht Club. Early morning, evening and midweek sessions are advised, particularly in the summer. Members are advised to avoid the beach and swimming areas on Summer weekends and Bank Holidays.
This fantastic fishery is a frequent early season target for the Tench and responds well to the usual feeder tactics, although frequent casting to get a bed of bait out is needed to hold the shoals.
The Carp have been putting weight on over the past few years and need specialist tactics for a result, but are well worth the challenge.
Lure fishing for Pike can give interesting results for the active winter angler, but dead baits are recommended for the larger specimens.
Alan Murphy had great mixed catches on the maggot feeder on 16th & 17th June 2010:
16th June - Fishing from 4.30 until 7pm, he had 4 Tench to 7-3 along with 10 Rudd, including 5 x 2 pounders up to 2lb 8oz plus a nice Perch of 1lb 9oz.
17th June - Fished 4.30am until 12.30pm, he had 3 Tench to 6lb 1oz and 6 Rudd between 1lb 4oz and 2lb 2oz.
That's 16 Rudd over the two sessions weighing in at 27lb 14oz. The Tench fishing was quite slow, possibly because most of the fish were still carrying spawn.
June 2009 to November 2009:
Start of the season the lakes Tench had their normal pre and post spawn munch up. Winning Tactics were either traditional float or feeder tactics with groundbait, maggots, corn and mini boilies, or a straightforward boilie approach. Bags of up to 30 fish averaging 4-5 lb were reported in early season, tailing off as the season progressed
The lakes Rudd, (although sometimes hard to track down) were obliging. Fish averaging 1 1/2 lbs were caught with either feeder tactics as above or float fishing baits mid water. Again sport slowed as the season progressed. (I had 11 Rudd between 2.2lbs and 3.1 lbs in one hour and have had 3 other 3lb fish this season).
The Perch have not been seriously targeted, but fish have shown, averaging 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. Legered or float fished lobworm is by far the best bait and method. Anglers have targeted the Perch with both Lures and fish baits with little success. The Perch will be prepared to feed through out the whole season, with sport being best in low light conditions, especially as the water is again crystal clear. Members need to be aware if Lures or fish baits are used for Perch a wire trace must be used.
The lakes Carp are being more and more pressured every year and due to this they have seen a lot of bait, this has made sport patchy. Even with the lakes shoals of Tench the weed is giving both the Carp and Tench a lot of natural food and in turn leaving an amount of uneaten bait causing slow sport and leaving some anglers to be still fishless so far this season. The fish that have been caught have averaged 18 lbs.
The Pike have not shown in numbers yet this year and with the present weed being expected to again stay around all year, it's spreading the shoals of small fish which in turn is spreading the waters predators. Expect pike to average 7-8 lbs when caught.
Members need to be aware that there have been numerous reports of the yachts catching Anglers lines and wiping out entire spools of line. So please be aware to have rod tips down well below the waters surface to reduce the risk of this happening.
Farnham Angling Society Record
| Species | lbs:ozs:drms | kilo.grms | Date | Captor |
| Rudd | 3:06:00 |
1.361 |
June 2008 |
Mark Brison |
- Members can fish all banks with the exception of the area from the front of the Hotel to the front of the Yacht Club and the private land/sanctuary in the south east corner (see map).
- Bye-law 4.z No boats with the exception of bait boats are permitted.
- Night fishing is allowed, but we must stress that junior members are not permitted to fish at night without an accompanying AND adjacent SENIOR MEMBER. (see bye-law 4.r page 10)
- Umbrellas and Stormsides may be used all season, bivouacs are permitted from 1st October until the end of the season.
- The platform indicated on the map may be fished, but it must be approached in chest waders due to the depth of water.
- No open fires - see Bye-law 4.o page 10 or BBQ's of any kind at this fishery.
- Nobody to be on the banks with fishing tackle before 12 o’clock midday on 15th June
- Anyone fishing too close to the buoys or floating island are putting fish at risk. As a guide, fishing beyond or within 30 metres is too close and is unacceptable. Fish safety and conservation must at all times come first.
Big rudd in the month of March...
you'd better believe it!
This great Angling Times article (March 2009) features Duncan Charman on Frensham Great Pond...
Memorable Tench & Rudd Fishing at Magical Frensham Great Pond
Our Secretary's fascinating Freshwater Informer article (August 2007) about Tench and Rudd fishing
Approach from the A287 travelling south from Farnham.
There is an official car-park off the road which leads to the Frensham Pond Hotel.
This road is the first right turn past the school on the A287.
You may have to pay a fee in the summer and gates are locked at night.
There are other areas around the pond where cars may be parked but please take care not to cause obstruction.