Carr Mill Dam is situated north of St Helens town centre, on the A571 (Carr Mill Road), in Merseyside. At 55 acres, it is the largest body of inland water in the area,[1] and offers picturesque lakeside trails and walks, as well as national competitive powerboating and angling events. It is home of Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club established in 1923 where club, national and international powerboat racing takes place.
The name Carr Mill traditionally came from the Norse word 'Carr' meaning marsh or fen. Once simply a mill pond built to power a corn mill,[2] the dam is shown on William Yates's 1786 Map of Lancashire, with the mill adjacent. The land itself belonged to the Gerard family and a lease details the permissions and extent of use of the occupants. The waters were expanded significantly in the 1750s in order to provide water to the Sankey Brook Navigation, about a mile away. The dam was further enlarged by the London and North Western Railway during construction and cast iron marker posts are still visible at two points around the dam.
Originally created in the early 1800’s as a top up for the canal system of St Helens, consisting of a lower dam, and then the upper or northern end was created divided by a wall and later opened up to one water.
Carr Mill Dam is our largest water consisting of 55acres in size and 160 pegs, well known to the angling world due to the open matches held each year. Some of the countries Biggest matches have been held on this water, Whitbread UK, McPherson’s Paints UK, and the Kamasan final to name a few. Fished by some of the country’s greatest anglers Bob Nudd, Alan Scotthorn, Tom Pickering, Jan Porter, Will Raison, Ivan Marks, Kevin Ashurst, Bill Makin jnr and snr, and a regular visitor and member the England Manager Mark Addy.
Situated 2 miles from junction 23 of the M6 just off the A580 heading for Liverpool, turn right at the 3rd set of traffic lights and the lake is on your right.
Carr Mill holds a very large head of fish bream, perch, roach, skimmers, pike, tench, gudgeon, mirror carp, common carp, and some good size eel’s show from time to time.
Silver fish can be caught on most methods, pole, waggler, or feeder,
But the most common method used is feeder for the bream.
This water has recently had a lot of work undertaken by the Angling Association who has replaced all fishing platforms with new plastic staging most of these are situated a few feet from the bank so please come prepared.
Average depth for pole fishing 6 foot
Feeder fishing from 25 – 40 yards
Match Record 70lb 11oz of bream feeder fished (red maggot)
Best baits, maggot, caster, or worm.
Night fishing allowed with the purchase of a night card only, these can be obtained through the committee only.
Parking at The Waterside Public House, Alongside Carr Mill Road and around the Water were available, NO VEHICLES TO PARK ON THE BANKING [All parking is at the owners OWN Risk]
Disabled access and areas for fishing on the wall by the Waterside Public House.
In 2017 5 carp from 20lbs to 23lbs were stocked in the Dam, these could put on anything from 3-7lbs per year so there could be a 30lb carp in the right now.