Little John Lakes in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire is a great fishery which tends to offer decent fishing through the year. It is a modern commercial fishery with plenty of car parking, fairly short walks and comfortable pegs. It’s a very popular match fishing venue, which is normally a sign of a good fishery. Lakes tend to be booked out on the weekend, so keep that in mind if you are planning a visit. They hold open matches midweek and some weekends.
There are 3 lakes on the complex:
Robin Hood – a large oval lake with central island features. Winning match weights in winter could easily be 80-100lbs, in summer they can be double that. Pole and feeder tactics tend to be the most obvious choices, but a waggler could work if you have open water or one of the lonnger island chucks. Some of the island pegs are slightly out of pole range, but fishing a float on a long line that can be swung out can allow you to get the range.
Maid Marian – the middle lake and the one you will see as you drive into the complex. You might have a déjà vu moment as you drive in, the lake is on a number of YouTube videos from the likes of Nick Speed, Alan Scothorne, Rob Whotton and Baggup TV – you’d be forgivven for thinking you’ve been here before. The lake offers good sport, with a big head of carp. There is a resident sturgeon too – that should give you a good pull if you hook into it.
Friar Tuck – a more typical snake lake water. This one tends to see less match action, but don’t let that put you off, the lake still offers good sport. There are lots of fish in here, a very big head of carp and silvers. Some of the bigger carp can be tricky to get out, so don’t make the mistake of fishing too light.
Food wise, there is a Maccy D’s on the turning from the A616. There is a Tesco not too far away on the main road. If you are travelling from the Nottingham direction, then the Limes Cafe will be the best bet.
A sunny winters day melting the frost on Robin Hood
