The Middle Doughnut Lake offers a great introduction into specimen carp angling but don’t be fooled, this is not your typical ‘runs’ water. With an array of depths and features, the Doughnut provides fantastic sport for anglers both new and old to the sport. My personal favorite of all four lakes, the Doughnut is often disregarded by many experienced anglers but in my personal opinion at great expense.

Originally constructed in 1992, the Doughnut has matured into a beautiful water and is by far our most intimate lake.  You can quite easily mistake a session on the Doughnut as time spent on a stretch of canal due to its unique design. Over the years we have found certain tactics and swims can easily increase your odds of hooking into a Doughnut specimen dependent on season. Much like the S Lake, the Doughnut was originally designed with the intention of match fishing. The ‘Canal’ nature of the lake was intentionally incorporated to increase swim capacity and remove the likelihood of crossed lines. Twenty years down the line however and the original stock has progressed well beyond a match angler’s interest. The beauty of the original design is that all areas of the lake can easily be accessed – perfect for marginal stalking! In terms of catch reports, the largest head of captures are without doubt accounted for via stalking and surface tactics.

Spring – Summer: 

The most productive areas of the lake are generally where you find the lilly pads and weed beds. During the warmer months, a zig rig or surface controller is often most successful. The large beds of lilies often attract sunbathing carp and a mobile approach is highly recommended. I’d recommend patrolling the hedged bank with either floater equipment or a small PVA bag dropped in the near margin reed beds. The doughnut is very well suited to overnight Summer sessions, often producing a barrage of bites. 

Autumn – Winter: 

During the colder months, many fish will congregate where the lake is generally at its deepest, the North-West corner. Due to the weedy nature of this area, a pop-up rig is essential.  I’d personally suggest either a Chod or Multi Rig with a small number of freebies scattered around the hook bait. Many anglers also prefer the use of a wafter rig for a more subtle approach.

The Doughnut is stocked mostly with low to mid double Carp, the largest capture recorded is 26lbs so the lake offers a wide variety of specimens.