Steam Mills Lake
Car Park Location:
OS Ref – SO 6437 1526
What3Words – staining.warnings.lemmings
Steam Mills Lake is the largest of the Club’s waters, and also the deepest, being 40-50 ft. in places, during to the lake formally being the site of an open-cast mine. Steam Mills Lake forms the northern part of Cinderford Linear Park, and borders the new Cinderford College.
Like all RFODAC waters, the lake is leased from Forestry England, and is accessed using FE roads and tracks, either from the B4227 Broadmoor Road or the A4136 Mitchedean to Coleford road.
To find the lake car park from Cinderford, turn up the track immediately adjacent to Cinderford MG Garage, from Broadmoor Road; you’ll pass Abbey Recycling (scrap yard). Take the track for some 500 yds, the car park is on the right. From the main A4136, pass the set of lights north of Cinderford heading towards Coleford, take a left into the old Northern United Colliery. Follow the track from approximately half a mile, the car park is on your left. There is a car park on the opposite side of the track too, if that closest to the lake is full. Be cautious – the tracks are somewhat rough, rutted, and prone to man-sized potholes after wet weather or heavy forestry traffic.
There is a circular path around the lake, and close to 50 fishing platforms, including three near to the car park designed for disabled anglers.
Steam Mills is the only Club water where night fishing is permitted; extra rules apply and a night fishing levy is payable. Please see “Membership” for full information.
The lake is regularly used by the Club for matches; please check the website or Facebook prior to making any plans.
Ground bait is allowed as are most particle baits. No artificial baits and no barbed hooks or braided mainline, even when carp fishing.
Holders of a three-rod EA licence are permitted to use three rods on a single pod, on a single platform, at Steam Mills. This is the only one of the Club’s waters where fishing with three rods is permitted.
Stock
Steam Mills has carp to over 20 Lbs, bream to 6 Lb, tench to 7 Lb, in addition to roach, rudd, chub, perch, eel and a few brown trout. Very good bags of bream can be had when conditions are right, and there are rumours of some very large carp.
Stunning mirror carp caught by James Ellway on 9th April 2022. 22Lbs 11oz – according to my (limited) information that’s a club record. Even if it’s not – well done James!
Aaron Thomas: “Turned up to the Mill on a Friday afternoon, thought I would fish the bay after the weather had been dry and partly warm.
After years of not fishing the lake I decided to fish the swim I’d fished years ago, and, to be honest I thought I wouldn’t do any good but I was proved wrong.
I used a 16mm Sticky Baits Banoffee boilie with 14 boilies in PVA which did the job! Friday night at 11 pm my right-hand rod went off which meant I was buzzed about; didn’t think much of it until I got it in the net – then I knew it was a good fish a very clean and looking healthy 20lb common”
Aaron Thomas’ 20-pound carp – Steam Mills
Paul Hurley with the stunning “Black Mirror” caught at Steam Mills during the FODCAC match in July 2021.
22Lb 10oz – that will take some beating!
Paul Hurley’s “Black Mirror” from Steam Mills.
