The lovely, 22-acre Mar-Pêche, originally named Lac du Martin-Pêcheur, lies in the valley of the famous river Yonne, near Montereau only 3½ hours drive from the ports of Calais, Boulogne and Dunkerque. The lake is less than 10 minutes from the A5 autoroute.
Comfort
Virtually everyone that visits Mar-Pêche remarks on how comfortable the place is. The gently sloping, grass swims with large amounts of space behind each fishing area offer what can only be described as 'sheer comfort'.

There is ample room in every swim to erect the largest of bivvies, to park your car and spread out your tackle. This, combined with a maximum of 10 anglers on the whole lake, ensures there's plenty of room for everyone.

On three banks you will see the customary rows of French poplars, far enough away from the water to allow comfortable casting, yet close enough to offer good shade in mid-summer. The shorter west bank, on which there are no swims, has been allowed to grow more naturally and borders Lac Cachette, where you can sample the action of this wild, overgrown lake, heavily stocked with doubles, 20's and the occasional 30.
Facilities
Another comment repeated by most of our customers is how amazingly good our facilities are and these include:
  • clean toilet and shower block with separate ladies and gents plus hot water on tap 24hrs a day (no extra charges, no timers etc)
  • additional single toilets on south and east banks
  • large fridge and freezer log cabins on the three sides of the lake for food, bait and beer
  • UK and continental mains plugs for charging boat batteries, phones etc on three sides of the lake
  • stone-built barbeques on three banks
  • drinking-water taps in every swim.
  • two fully-equipped lakeside chalet caravans for hire on the north bank
  • numerous large picnic tables on three banks
  • mains power points close to most swims so anglers can run their own extension leads to bivvy to watch DVD's, etc.
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    Stock
    The lake holds about 150 carp with 95% being between 30 and 70 pounds (14-32kg). More than 35 DIFFERENT 50's and EIGHTEEN DIFFERENT 60's, including four different 70's have been caught in the last two years. The majority of stock are very young, growing fast and expected to exceed 80 pounds in the near future. The current lake record stands at 74.4 caught by Wesley Savage in May 2010.
    There is a small head of catfish and the average size is about 50lbs with a sprinkling of 100lb plus fish, including a 180-pounder landed by Michael Scott in July 2009.
    Photo Albums
    If you visit the fishery you will get the chance to see our impressive photo albums. Not only do they contain PROOF of the stock we claim, but you will be able to trace progress of each individual fish in the lake. Each carp has it s own page and you can see the dates it was caught on and the progress it has made over the years. Mar-Peche can boast some of the fastest growth rates in Europe and it's all there for you to see!
    Destination PB
    Mar-Pêche cannot really be classed as a "runs-water". Big catches are made every year, but what the venue is really capable of is multiple big fish captures such as, Gordon & Ann McIntosh's four 50's in one session, James Budd's three 50's in a week and Neil Watkin's four 50's in one session and Mark Gray's three 60's in his first 24 hours! It is the kind of lake where most anglers have a very good chance of beating their PB, the water holds a large head of 40's and 50's and many anglers visiting the water beat their personal bests at least once, sometimes several times, in a week! Several 40's are caught every week and most weeks at least two over 50 are caught. For monthly catch reports of every carp over 40 pounds, visit our website and click on 'Catch Reports'.
    Winter Fishing
    There is a winter syndicate on the lake made up of 25 members costing £300. Visits are unlimited during our winter period, which runs from mid-November to mid-March. Telephone 07989 979 373 or 07968 580 670.
    Don't forget that ferry crossings are a lot cheaper during the colder months.
    Chalets
    There are two lakeside chalet/caravans for hire on the north bank. These are fully equipped with their own toilets, showers and kitchen areas and are ideal for the angler who wishes to take a wife or girlfriend.

    Both chalets boast TV/DVD/VIDEO and receive English channels so you can keep up with your favourite programmes etc! If you book a chalet you are also guaranteed the exclusive use of the nearest swim. So if you book Kingfisher Lodge you get The Jetty swim or, if you book Woodpecker Lodge you get the Fallen Tree swim. We also offer hook-up points at several places around the fishery should you wish to take your own touring caravan or camper-van.
    'Tour of Mar-Peche'
    If you want to see more of Mar-Peche, click on 'Tour of Fishery'. Here you will be able to visit one swim at a time and see exactly what the area looks like, together with information on depths, where to cast, advantages and disadvantages on various tactics,noteable captures, etc. all given by fishery manager, Kevin.
    Access
    There is a perimeter track around the entire fishery enabling anglers to easily access all facilities and every swim, so there's no need to carry any gear! You can park your vehicle behind you no matter what swim you fish.
    Management
    Mar-Pêche is a family-owned venue run by Kevin and Anita Maddocks. There are no silly rules, unlike many French waters! The water is private and therefore no licenses are required. You can use 4 rods, there are no tackle restrictions, no bait bans and you can sack your fish. A well-run fishery, with sensible rules goes a long way to ensuring that you enjoy your visit.
    Security
    The water is fully-fenced with the main gates secured by combination lock and there are no public rights of way over any part of the property.
    Local amenities
    About five minutes drive from the lake is a large supermarket and fuel station. Close to this is a medium-sized town featuring most types of shops, banks and take-aways. A 15-minute drive takes you to a choice of two very large towns, whilst a 35-minute drive takes you to Disneyland. If you wish to visit Paris for the day, the station is very close with a journey time of about 50 minutes to central Paris.
    Vacancies & How to Book
    Mar-Peche is rapidly increasing in popularity and it is therefore, becoming more and more necessary to book your favourite weeks long in advance. To check out a date with us, you will need to either click on 'Vacancies' on this website, or telephone us. As soon as we have agreed a date, it will be reserved for you whilst we send the necessary paperwork.
    Any Questions?
    Call Kevin or Anita NOW on 01767 641322 or 07989 979373.
    Ross Somerville's 41.12 from the fallen tree swim on the north bank.
    One of the many, previously uncaught, 30 pounders that the lake holds.
    Lac Du Martin Pecheur holds a good head of big commons.
    Stroud angler, Rex Harrison, landed this fantastic 59½lb mirror whilst test-fishing in October 2002. Rex also had several other big carp and cats.