Dorchester lake is set on the outskirts of Dorchester Village, Oxfordshire.

Oxford Angling and Preservation rented Dorchester lake in the late ’60s until the question was asked in 1985 if the owners would be interested in selling the lake. The sale went through in 1986 and the land registry was in the name of the Alliance as the constitution says any purchase after the 1964 formation would go into the AOAA the idea being to ensure we could own the lake and safeguard our stocks.

Originally there were few Carp in Dorchester Lake and it was well known for its Tench stocks. In 1985 19 carp were introduced. The NRA also added a few Carp and Crucian’s the same year. These Carp grew to upper 30’s and some hit 40lb at certain times of the year and a handful became famously known around the country. In 2011 the lake received 24 Common Carp from the Serpentine Lake that was being used for the Olympic Games which are certainly stunning characters.

The lake became well known for its massive Oxfordshire Carp and the handful of old Carp that still remain are now known as the originals. In recent years like many waters since the release of Otters into the wild, we suffered severe predation and sadly lost some gems in the lake. Due to the love for the water, a few members put a good word in the direction of Korda Tackle owner Danny Fairbrass who at the time had just formed the early stages of Embryo Angling Habitats, a charity to help waters like ourselves who were not in a financial position at the time to protect our water.

After several years of hard work battling with the local council we eventually got planning permission to have a new fence erected around the lake to prevent predation, which was funded by Embryo Angling Habitats. The fence was started in the early summer of 2018 and finished by October of that year. Along with the fence Embryo also introduced 5 Carp to the lake between 13lb and 19lb. We will forever be grateful for what we were given.

Since the erection of the fence the Alliance has committed to putting as much funding as possible into the lake. We have now stocked an additional 60 Carp to complement the existing stock. These fish weighed from 4lb right through to 17lb.

We have also stocked 125 8-10 inch Tench in order to bring a new bloodline into the Tench numbers. The Tench stock will remain a future priority. We now estimate the lake stock as a whole to have a healthy number of Silvers, Tench, and Pike with around 85 Carp. The Tench go to 10lb+ with a healthy number of 5-7lb fish, Pike well into double figures and the Carp we believe run to possibly mid 30lb with the majority between 15-25lb but growing quick if early signs are anything to go by.

Dorchester Lake is capable of great things and we plan to keep working hard in order to make it a great water with many plans for the future in the pipeline. We take pride in the lake being a great mixed Carp and Course water with a good balance of species and open to all skill levels.

Due to the weed growth and gin clear water that the lake is known for it can be a testing water but it’s certainly not impossible and will always leave you wanting more. Traditional tactics work for both Silver fish and Tench and they are not shy of bait at the right time of year.

The Pike fishing always depends on the day, so always wise to arrive with multiple options. Live baits work very well but these must be caught from the lake. The Carp fishing on Dorchester lake is renowned for being very tough and the weed makes this even more difficult in the summer, which is why we have bolstered the numbers more than planned, however, it’s still by no means an easy water. Boilies and pellet are always a winning tactic through most of the year when targeting Carp however when the water temp drops, a little thought is required.

The Carp also often slip up to Tench anglers so it’s wise to tackle up heavier when targetting the smaller species.