Looking for carp fishing in France with accommodation? We explore some of the venues available for your next carp fishing holiday to France.
France has been a Carp Fishing mecca for the longest time, providing anglers with the chance to catch PB breaking fish year-round. While carp anglers become quite attached to their bivvies and bedchairs, there’s also a lot of carp fishing in France with accommodation at the lakeside to make your trip over the channel a memorable one. We’re going to explore these lakes, how to find them, what you’re likely to pay, and some of the best options for your next trip.
Why go carp fishing in France?
France has remained immensely popular with crap anglers for one reason – monstrously sized carp, and lots of them to boot. France’s climate is similar to the UK’s; however, the extra few degrees of warmth keep the carp feeding for longer throughout the year, leading to much bigger fish. French lakes are also larger than UK water’s in general, giving you far more space to fish in. Due to the popularity of French waters, the facilities found on many of them have evolved over the years to provide a unique experience that hasn’t yet been replicated in many other countries.
What type of accommodation is available?
Firstly, you can book a lake, or even just a peg, as you would in the UK simply fish at a French venue. These are often known as ‘Drive and Survive’ options in which you provide your own transportation, tackle, bait, and food, and bivvy up the duration of your stay, like you, would in any lake usually. You can also add food, bait, and tackle packages to these deals, which increase the price, but it does save you a lot of extra effort and expense in transportation and beefier tackle for the larger French carp.
If you’re looking for a more comfortable or social trip away to France, you should consider a lake with its own accommodation. With these sites, you book out the accommodation and the lake for a set period, usually a long weekend or a week at a time. Different sized lakes and accommodations suit different numbers of anglers, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find a venue that suits you perfectly with so many on the market. Some of these lakes even have a pool on-site for when the fish aren’t biting.
What does the accommodation look like?
The accommodation on the French lakes differs from complex to complex. Usually, they feature a house or gite, with the lake situated just a few steps from the building, allowing you to stick close by to your rods when fishing. The homes will feature everything any other home would, with a kitchen to prepare meals for everyone, a dining room to eat and talk tactics, nice beds for a good night’s sleep, and usually, they feature a nice patio area to have a few beers after a long day of battling whopping carp.
The standard varies from site to site, and of course, the more luxurious the accommodation is, the more expensive it tends to be. If you’re looking for a social trip with your mates, the likelihood is that you’ll be spending more time fishing and sitting around a BBQ than sitting inside the accommodation, but if you’re taking the family on holiday you may want to pay the extra for more luxurious accommodation and picking one with a pool would probably go down great with the kids!
How much are the lakes?
The price will vary from lake to lake, depending on a variety of factors from the lake’s size, the carp’s size, the quality of the accommodation, and the facilities on site. The price will also increase if you want to rent tackle or want to have bait and food waiting for you at the lake.
To rent an entire lake on a drive and survive package, you’re likely to pay in the region £600 – £1,500 for a smaller lake that suits around 2-6 anglers. For bigger lakes, it’s better to look at the price per peg, and work out the lake exclusivity from there. Usually, it’s around £450 per peg for the week.
Now, if you want carp fishing in France with accommodation, the price really begins to fluctuate. If you find a small lake, fit for 2 anglers, and a small accommodation to accompany it, you’ll probably pay about £900 for the week, but if you require a larger lake for more anglers and in turn a larger accommodation, you’re going to be around £2,500-£5,000 depending on the size of the complex. Of course, these rates can change throughout the year, as the summer months tend to be more expensive than the winter months.
Is it worth it?
If you’re a carp angler that hasn’t yet had the chance to sample the French carp scene, then any trip over the channel will be a memorable one for you. However, you can take this chance to get together with your friends and family to head over on a fantastic holiday, while also being able to fish for some of the best fish in the world. It’s a great opportunity to introduce children to the sport, give your non-fishing partners the chance to relax in a warm climate, and, of course, catch some terrific fish.
Carp fishing lakes in France with accommodation, our top 5 venue picks
There are literally thousands of carp fishing lakes in France with accommodation that are available for exclusive bookings, but here is a quick list of some of the best in the country.
1. Domain de Morgard
Domain de Morgard – Situated in Central France, this complex offers smaller lodges situated by the lakeside to enable you to fish a stunning French water, without having to pay for the lake exclusively. The carp go all the way up to well past 70lbs and you can book a 6-person lodge for the week for just £700.
2. Le Brande
Le Brande – Located in Brenne, Le Brande offers two lodges on a single lake, available to be booked out individually, or as a pair. The lake record stands at 50lb, and you can book both cabins and the lake for just over £2,000.
3. BelleVue Lake at Etang Marolles
BelleVue Lake at Etang Marolles – Etang Marolles offers luxury accommodation overlooking the BelleVue lake that can be hired out exclusively at £1350 per week. The complex is located just outside Fougeres, and the carp run to 45lb.
4. Dreamcatchers Lake
Dreamcatchers Lake – Dreamcatchers offers anglers lake exclusivity, beautiful accommodation, a covered pool and stunning fishing at a rate of £2200 per week. It’s quite a drive at 300miles from Caen, but you can fly straight into Limoges airport which is only 11 miles away. The lake has carp to 50lb and catfish to 40lbs.
5. Etang des Persats
Etang des Persats – One of the most luxurious destinations if you’re looking for carp fishing in France with accommodation. Etang des Persats has a 6 person Gite on-site which is perfect for large groups and families. The venue was recently featured by well-known anglers Carl & Alex on their YouTube channel. You can watch the full video below. With fish to over 50lb, this venue is a must-visit if you’re looking for a more relaxed carp fishing holiday in France.
