Swinderby Rd, Norton Disney, Lincoln LN6 9QH

07497 183976 – info@embryoangling.org

2 Very hot weekends in August 2026

If you are planning a day at Billy’s Lake, there is one thing I would strongly recommend you understand before setting off, and that is how the arrival and peg allocation works. If you arrive before the fishery opens at 7am, you need to park in one of the numbered spaces, in order, as this determines your position in the queue once the staff arrive. You then follow the line of cars down towards the tackle shop, where you will be given a sticker to put on your bucket. That bucket is then placed next to the peg you want to claim, assuming one is available, before you return to the tackle shop, tell them which peg you are taking and pay for your ticket. You cannot pay until this process has been completed, which is understandable as it prevents you paying for a peg that you cannot actually get.

This was the first negative for us, and unfortunately it had quite a big impact on our first visit. We arrived at 6.50am and were 12th in the queue. Once the staff arrived, we followed the process and walked around Billy’s Lake, which is immediately to the left when looking out from the tackle shop. Unfortunately, there were no pegs available. The shop does tell you which anglers are due to leave that day, so we spoke to a few people and found some anglers who were due to leave around 10.30am to 11am. We decided to wait it out, although a few other anglers left the site understandably very frustrated.

I think when you put so much into a day’s fishing, planning everything around family and work, making sure you are actually free and then travelling well over an hour to get there, turning up at a venue that operates on a first come first served basis from 7am, while night anglers are not required to leave until 11am, is very outdated and unfair. We ended up travelling for well over an hour only to potentially spend three or four hours waiting before we could actually fish. In my opinion, a booking system for the lakes is something every fishery should be looking at, because it removes this kind of uncertainty and avoids anglers making a long journey only to find they cannot fish when they arrive.

Once you are actually on the lake, though, things become very different. Billy’s Lake itself is beautiful and exceptionally well kept. Every peg is maintained to a very high standard and has clearly been carefully thought out. It is easily one of the best kept fisheries I have had the pleasure of fishing. The pegs are also a really good size, so you have plenty of room and do not have to spend the session worrying about another angler casting into your water.

The tackle shop is also very well equipped. A day ticket is £18, and there is a good selection of tackle and clothing available if you have forgotten something. In my case, I had managed to turn up overdressed and ended up needing a pair of shorts! There is no hot food available in the shop, but there are chocolates and a fridge stocked with drinks. One thing I particularly liked was that the tackle shop remains open throughout the day until 8pm. That is something you do not find at every fishery and it is genuinely useful if you need something during your session.

It is also important to know that although there is parking available around the site, you are not permitted to drive down to the pegs to unload or load your fishing equipment. Everything needs to be taken from the designated parking areas, so be prepared for that when bringing your gear. Once you have secured your swim, the fishery provides you with a landing net, unhooking sling and landing mat, and you are not permitted to use your own. The equipment provided must be used while fishing the lake and all three items need to be returned to the tackle shop at the end of each day.

The lake itself is 27 acres and, in my opinion, this is where you need to be realistic about what you are booking. Billy’s Lake is not really a day ticket lake if you are expecting to turn up, cast out and quickly pick up a few carp. You need to give it time and create a swim. If you are fishing it properly, I would definitely recommend spodding and putting the effort into building your area rather than simply turning up and hoping to nick a fish.

Embryo Angling advertise over 1,100 carp being in the lake. We did see a few fish on the surface during the day, but I have to say we did not see as many as I would have expected for a lake of this size with that reported stocking level. That does not mean the fish are not there, though. An angler on a peg not too far away from us managed to catch two carp during the session, so there is clearly fish to be caught. What was interesting was the amount of work he put into his swim. He spent much of the morning spodding, probably around 20 times, and it clearly benefited him. It reinforced my feeling that this is a lake where putting the effort in and giving the swim time is going to make a big difference.

The rules at the fishery are clear and, from what we experienced, fair. There is no confusion about what is expected of you and the staff are helpful and well organised. There was, however, another situation during our visit that I found frustrating.

While we were waiting for a peg to become available, we noticed that one of the swims nearby had been closed. We had been told that swims could not be pre booked under any circumstances, yet around 1pm an angler arrived, joined his friends who were fishing a few pegs away and then proceeded to fish from the supposedly closed peg without any issue. From what we could see, that peg had clearly been reserved for him.

That was particularly frustrating because the fishery knew we were waiting for a peg to become available until around 11am, yet they were apparently reserving a peg for someone who was not arriving until the afternoon. About half an hour before our peg became available, one of the bailiffs did offer to let me put a rod into the closed peg for that final half hour if I wanted. While that was well intentioned, it was more of an upset than a bonus because, knowing that person was not due to arrive until the afternoon, we could have potentially been allowed to use it from 7am rather than sitting around waiting for somewhere to fish.

Putting that aside, the actual fishery is excellent. It is well maintained, well staffed and the facilities are very good. The toilets next to the tackle shop are clean and convenient, and the whole site gives you the impression that a lot of effort goes into looking after it. Billy’s Lake is clearly a venue that is cared for properly, and that makes a big difference when you are spending a day or several days there.

Unfortunately, we did not manage to catch during our visit, but I would definitely return to Billy’s Lake. The big difference next time is that I would not book it for another single day. I would be looking at a 48 hour session instead, giving myself enough time to actually create a swim, put some bait in and allow the lake to work for me. I think that is what Billy’s Lake is really suited to.

Overall, I think Billy’s Lake is a great fishery, but you need to choose the right type of session for it. If you are looking for a quick day ticket where you can turn up, get a peg and hopefully catch a carp within a few hours, I would personally look at one of the other lakes at Norton Disney or choose another venue where you know you have a guaranteed swim. The biggest issue for me is the possibility of travelling a long way, arriving early and still spending several hours unable to fish because the lake is full. That is something I think could be solved very easily with a proper booking system.

If you are prepared to commit the time, though, Billy’s Lake is definitely worth considering. The lake is stunning, the pegs are excellent, the facilities are good and the fish are clearly there. Just do not make the mistake we did of treating it as a quick day ticket water. Give it the time it deserves, put the work into your swim and I think you will get much more out of it.