Yeadon Tarn Fishing

Yeadon Tarn is a 20-acre park lake in Leeds, stocked with 600+ carp from low doubles to 30lb+. With excellent form all-year round, the tarn is an excellent carp water and often produces multiple hits of fish for those who put in the effort.

The lake has been established in the local angling community for many years, but it only since the takeover in 2019 by a group of local carpers that the lake has really started to grow as a carp water.

Since 2019, the new owners have stocked 100’s of carp, to add to the already existing stock of scaley linears. The lake now represents a great place to fish for local anglers and those travelling from further afield who are looking to fish amongst the buzz of a nice park and not pay ridiculous day ticket prices.

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My experience fishing Yeadon Tarn

I’ve fished Yeadon Tarn since early 2019, and have renewed my year book and fished it ever since (when I get the chance). – That says it all really!

I’ve probably fished around 50 nights in total, and done a load of after work evening sessions. In that time I’ve caught my fare share of the lakes residents and met some great lads on the banks.

Like most things in carp fishing, everyone likes different things, and for me I like an element of freedom and choice when it comes to my fishing. I hardly plan in advance and Yeadon is perfect for that, being able to head over to the lake after work when I feel like the weather is right for a bite.

There’s always plenty of swims to go at too, as the lads never let the lake get to capacity. For me, there’s nothing worse than not having options to move, or ridiculous peg pre-bookings which take away the all important watercraft skills!

Bear in mind, it is a park lake, so you may have to adjust to the liveliness of park life throughout the day. Fishing busy parks is nothing new to me having grown up fishing the likes of Greenbank and Sefton in Liverpool.

That being said, Yeadon is a much nicer environment to fish in, and it’s really quiet at night.

Staying mobile and casting to showing fish throughout the day often leads to plenty of bites. Don’t be afraid of putting the bait in to keep the bites coming too.

Rob Warburton

Things to take to Yeadon Tarn

Tips for Yeadon Tarn carp fishing

Stay mobile and move with the fish

The fish really do move in The Tarn, so you’ve got to stay on top of them. The most successful anglers are almost always mobile, and my best hits have come when fishing off the barrow during the day.

I would suggest fishing off the barrow during the day and not setting up camp until the later hours. That way you’ll maximise your chances of a bite and be able to set up in a good zone for the night.

The Tarn also lends itself well to day time fishing too. You don’t have to set up camp for days and wait for them to come to you. Bites are frequently throughout the day and you can have a successful session being mobile and casting to showing fish.

Don’t ignore the shallow areas

The lake itself isn’t deep at all, with maximum depths of around 6 feet in the central bowl of the lake. However, much of the lake, particularly towards the conservation areas and around the island is around 2-3 feet deep.

Whilst these areas may not be the most successful throughout the winter months, for the rest of the year they are well visited by the carp and should not be overlooked. In the shallows you can often see the carp cruising in and out of the conservation area or around the concrete jetty. It’s not uncommon to see the carp jumping tight to the reeds in the conservation area too.

Whilst you can’t fish behind the boards in the conservation for obvious reasons, you can fish towards them from pegs 31 and 32 which are great pegs in the summer months. If you do get on the fish in either of these pegs, you can be in for a big hit if you keep the bait going in.

Put the bait in to keep the bites coming

If the fish are having it, don’t be afraid to stick a fair amount of bait out to keep them in your swim. Personally I like to test the water with PVA bags and smaller handfuls of bait initially, moving and casting on to showing fish. As soon as the action starts, I’ll then keep introducing more free offerings as the bites keep coming.

It’s not uncommon for you to go through 10KG + of bait in a session up at Yeadon Tarn, so take plenty with you. The lake pellet and flaked maize that the bailiffs sell on site are loved by the carp and this bait is cheap enough to bulk out a spod mix too.

You’ll bump into multiple bailiffs throughout your session who can help with tactics and bait. You can also drop them a heads up before your session if you want pellet and maize delivering to your swim. Alternatively, they will text you an access code for the bait storage, where you can grab your own bags of pellet and maize.

On the topic of bailiffs, the team they have put in place has to be one of the friendliest I’ve come across. The guys are local lads who want the lake to be a success and they’ll happily point you in the right direction if you’re struggling on your first few sessions.

Yeadon Tarn Fishing during the winter

Due to the high stock and relatively shallow depths, Yeadon Tarn is an excellent winter water. There are many anglers who only fish Yeadon Tarn during the winter due to it’s great form.

Like the rest of the year, multiple hits of fish are common, particularly on the warmer winter days. That being said, it’s always worth heading up to the Tarn if you’re wanting to catch a snow carp too.

The winters can be harsh up there though. As a boating lake it does get some big winds so you may have to adjust your angling style a bit when the wind picks up.

If you’re not a big caster, a bait boat is a big edge for reaching the deeper areas of the lake where the fish can often be seen showing in the winter months around 25 wraps.

Rigs for Yeadon Tarn

Rig wise, you don’t need anything complicated for Yeadon Tarn Fishing. Two rigs have dominated most of my fishing on the tarn; a stiff-hinged rig for pop ups and a simple knotless knot hair rig with line aligner for bottom baits and wafters.

Both of these are coupled with a lead clip set up and a metre of leadcore leader to keep everything pinned to the deck.

The lakebed itself is typical of most public park lakes; devoid of features but full of chod and deep silt thats built up over the years. If you’re used to fishing gravel pits it can be daunting fishing in the deep silt but rest assured the carp will sift through this stuff.

Every now and then you’ll find bloodworm on your rigs after reeling in. – A sure sign that the area that you’re fishing is full of natural attraction.

One other thing to note about Yeadon Tarn is the obvious addition of the Sailing Club who are active on Sundays and a couple of times throughout the weeks. It always pays to use backleads whenever they are out to stop them picking up your line.

Bait for Yeadon Tarn

Like most well-stocked carp venues, you can’t go wrong with high protein baits such as pellet and boilies. Bear in mind, the newer stock in Yeadon Tarn will have been reared on the high-protein carp pellet from a young age, so using that as the base of your mix is recommended.

As I’ve already mentioned, the bailiffs sell the best quality carp pellets that you can get and it’s a great food source for the carp. (And not ridiculously priced like the tackle shops either).

In terms of carp bait companies and boilie flavours, most good quality bait will do the trick. The likes of Sticky Bait’s The Krill and Manilla are known to do well. Bailiffs actually sell Manilla in shelf life for £10 a kilo, which you can grab from the onsite hut. Other than that, a few local companies including S.C. Baits and Swirl Baits see plenty of their stuff going into the Tarn and achieving good results.

Outside of pellet and boilie, I’ll never head to the tarn without a few tins of sweetcorn. It’s one of the most successful baits on the tarn and most of my captures have been on double fake corn over lake pellet and boilie.

TIP: There are crayfish present in Yeadon Tarn, although the team are currently working hard to get the numbers under control which seems to be working. They do become active in the warmer months, in which case it’s best to use plastic hookbaits to deter them. Check out more of our tips for combatting crayfish.

Yeadon Carp Gallery

Just a few of the carp in Yeadon Tarn that are worth fishing for!

Yeadon Tarn FAQ

Can you catch the carp off the surface?

Yes, surface fishing is one of the most successful tactics for fishing at Yeadon Tarn. On rare days when there is little wind, the fish can be seen cruising and you’ll often be able to pick a few off using dog biscuits. You be prepared to feed off the seagulls for a while first!

Is there parking at Yeadon Tarn?

Yes, there are two car parks for anglers at Yeadon Tarn. One at the dam end near the sailing club (best for disabled access) and another to the north side of the lake next to the skate park.

Can you drive to the swims?

No, you can’t drive to the swims. However there are two car parks which allow for really easy access to both sides of the lake. There is a good pathway around the whole lake which makes pushing a barrow easy.

Is there a shop nearby?

Yes, there is a corner shop close to the sailing club or a large Morrisons about 5 minutes walk from the lake. Local takeaways such as Max’s Balti House will also delivery to the sailing club car park.

Is Yeadon Tarn man made?

It’s not a man made like, however it has been extended over time for industrial and leisure use. As a result, the bottom is quite featureless, with depths going down into the centre. You can find more information about the history of Yeadon Tarn on Discover Leeds.

Yeadon Tarn Fishing Rules

A full list of the lake rules can be found here.