Stocks Lake Norton Disney [Tips & Tactics]

Stocks Lake is the smallest of the six lakes on the relatively newly-opened Embryo Angling Norton Disney Complex.

It’s considered one of the easier lakes on the complex, holding the second highest stock per acre behind Hodgetts Lake.

Given the unique shape of the lake, resembling a golf club, there is no distance casting required unlike some other lakes on the complex.

With that in mind, it’s an excellent lake for beginners to test and try new tactics. Or if you’re like me, an ideal lake if you’re looking for some Autumn/Winter bites.

If you’re looking for more info on Stocks Lake, keep reading on and I’ll share my thoughts on the lake and hopefully help you bag a few on your next session.

My experience fishing Stocks Lake

I’ve never made a beeline to Stocks Lake when I’ve arrived at Norton Disney, but I did end up fishing the lake in Autumn 2023.

All of the other lakes were rammed, and needing to pitch up next to a mate who I was helping, we opted for the only remaining two swims available which were Stocks Lake 2 & 3.

I have walked the lake many times in the past, speaking to many anglers on there which has given me a good insight into the hot spots and swims.

Most people opt head straight to the bowl area of the lake, which is significantly deeper than the thinner arm of the lake. The fish do tend to congregate here and can be found in the margins closest to Pettitt’s lake.

Regardless, being one of the higher stocked waters, you’ve pretty much got a chance no-matter where you’re set up on Stocks.

Fishing-wise, you don’t need anything complex on here. Find the fish and bait accurately on top and you should have the chance of a bite.

Getting there early

If you’re set on fishing Stocks Lake, I would highly recommend getting there as early as possible. Even then, Norton Disney is a free-for-all, so you may have to look at one of the other lakes if you can’t get on Stocks.

It can make you a little anxious at the start of a session, not knowing if you’ll get a decent peg or near any showing fish. Unfortunately that’s just the current state of day ticket fishing in the UK, and it just reinforces just how good a complex Norton Disney really is.

If I didn’t have a 9-5 job, I’d certainly recommend going down in the week. Every time I’ve left the complex, the best pegs on Stocks have always been available on a Sunday afternoon and I’m sure this lake isn’t the most popular midweek either.

What You Need For Stocks

Tips for Fishing Stocks Lake

Fish The Central Channel

If you happen to be fishing the thinner leg of the lake, you might be tempted to fish over to the far margins. Whilst this may be an option, I’ve seen more people experience success fishing at the bottom of the slops that leads into the central channel.

It allows for incredibly easy fishing, and from peg 3 on my session, I was getting bites at just 8 wraps.

Speak to the bailiffs

The bailiffs at Norton Disney are definitely some of the most helpful I’ve came across.

Don’t be shy in asking them for tips and tactics for your swim. They really want to help you catch and will often have them golden nuggets of information to turn your session around.

Don’t ignore the margins

I’ve already mentioned how typical it is of people to fish right over to the far margins on Stocks. While they do produce, you shouldn’t ignore your nearby margins.

They do drop off, leading down to a central channel. The swims are fairly split out two, so you’ve got plenty of reed-lined margins that see very little angling pressure.

In fact, when I fished Stocks, we noticed numerous fish boshing along the margins between my mates swim in Peg 2 and Peg 1.

Be Prepared to Fish In Weed

I was quite surprised to see just how much weed was present when I fished Stocks in November 2023.

Most of it was low-lying silk weed, so there was little to worry about in terms of playing fish, but it did make me think about about presentation.

I opted for longer hooklinks and brighter coloured baits that would stand against any green stuff littering the lakebed. Like all the lakes at Norton Disney, this is a gravel pit but I did find it a struggle to find any super-clean spots from Peg 3. – At least they we’re as clean as what I’ve found on the other lakes on the complex.

Check Out The Lake Map

As soon as you turn up to the car park at Stocks Lake, you’ll notice the lake map displayed on a large board.

It’s well worth studying this, taking a photo on your phone before heading to your swim. It’s a great starting point if it’s your first session.

It gave me a great insight into the central channel in front of Peg 3 that I fished, which resulted in a couple of bites!

Rigs for Stocks Lake

I like to keep rigs simple at the best of times. That includes for higher-stocked venues like Stocks Lake.

You don’t need to be fishing with anything complicated on here. Just make sure that whatever you’re using it enabling you to present a bait in the best possible way.

Adapt your rigs to what evers in front of you. If that’s silkweed on the lakebed, lengthen your hooklink and fish pop ups, balanced baits or solid bags.

If you’re fishing clean gravel, you can get away with short, stiff boom type rigs that most Korda anglers seem to be pushing right now.

Just make sure that you go with whatever you’re confident in.

One thing I would say on a lake like this is to be prepared at all times with fresh rigs. If you get a bite, chances are there are more fish in the area so you want to be getting that rig straight back out as fast as possible.

Bait for Stocks Lake

Heading to a complex like Norton Disney, it can be quite tempting to just go with what everyone is using or whatever the team are pushing on social media.

From what I can see, this seems to be anything yellow! In my opinion, it’s always worth going with something you’re confident in and that has caught you fish elsewhere.

That being said, these fish have been reared on pellet and flaked maize, so it might be worth considering adding some of them to your mix.

Me? I went for something different when I fished Stocks. With everyone around me spombing pellet and maize, I went with simple match the hatch pop ups with a good spread of boilies over the top.

Simple tactics but I’m sure on venues like this, doing something different which can often be going back to basics, often works wonders!

My bait of choice for Stocks was the OG Fruit & Nut by Parker Baits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you drive to the swims?

Stocks is one of the only lakes on the complex where you can be very close to your car.

You can’t technically park behind it, but if you fish on Pegs 8 & 9 then you have really close access, probably close enough that you don’t need to use your barrow.

The other side of the lake can be a fair walk with a barrow, but there is a really good pathways that goes all the way around.

Is this lake suitable for beginners?

Definitely. Being the second most stocked lake on the complex, there’s always the chance of a bite. It’s also perfect for working on your casting technique, especially casting to far margins.

How many carp are in Stocks?

Stocks Lake has been stocked with over 700 carp, so there’s plenty to go at!

Do you need to be able to fish at distance?

Not at all, Stocks if the smallest lake on the complex, with many of the swims having a max range of about 12 wraps. It’s an ideal venue for learning how to cast against overhanging trees or far margins, or even feeling the lead down.

Norton Disney Stocks Lake Rules

You can find a full list of the Norton Disney Stocks Lake rules on their website here.