Windmill Pond

Windmill Pond is a century old brick pit on the south bank of the Humber at New Holland, owned by the Association since the 1970s.

It was a very popular venue with our members as a carp and rudd fishery, unfortunately it was inundated with saltwater during the Humber tidal surge in December 2013. This resulted in the loss of all the venue’s valuable fish, including numbers of quality rudd, tench and many carp, some weighing well in excess of 25lb.

Association officers closely monitored the salinity and from a high of 28 parts per thousand just after the surge, concentrations steadily reduced to 8 parts per thousand when measured in early 2016. This was well below what scientific research indicates as lethal to coarse species. So in the spring of 2016, 78 carp from a fast-growing, quality strain were introduced. Other species have also been stocked. The venue’s extensive reed beds were the motivation in the past to designate many of the old Humber clay pits as SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) and these included Windmill Pond. Obviously, as a responsible angling association we wished to plot a course via negotiation with these agencies, allowing Windmill Pond to be returned to its pre-surge state. Interestingly, in the past some of these agencies and their consultants blamed the presence of carp on the lack of submerged weeds, despite older anglers knowing that the pond had never had aquatic weed long prior to the introduction of any carp (the president fished it as a boy in the 1950s when there was no weed and no carp). However, since the recent stocking of the exact same number of carp that perished, Windmill Pond has seen submerged aquatic weed become prevalent. Just because someone has letters after their name doesn’t always mean they know what they’re talking about!

To protect the fishery, and the considerable investment in new stock, an otter fence has been installed around the fishery by Association volunteers.

The Association decided to allow the newly introduced fish to settle in and placed a one-year moratorium on any fishing. Angling started again in 2017 and the stocked fish have since grown very quickly. There are numbers of carp over 20lb being caught, with an odd 30-pounder present in 2022. By 2023 it was known that the carp had started breeding profusely and significant efforts have been made to remove all the small carp by rod and line.

Permits required

Standard Membership 5am – 10pm

Night Permit 10pm – 5am

Stock / Size

Carp, Rudd, Eels.

Directions

Head towards New Holland on the B1206. At the roundabout just before entering New Holland take the first left, signposted “Industrial Estate” and “Barrow Haven”. Continue for 0.65 mile until a large blue storage building (NHBS) is seen on the left. Just past this building is a track. Follow the track outside the steel fence and carry on past the small sewage works on the left. The track then turns left with a small drain on the right and a railway track, and comes to a manual railway crossing on your right. Use extreme caution in crossing the railway track. Open both gate after carefully checking that no trains are coming and observing the lights and audible signal. Drive across the track after again checking that no trains are coming. Stop on the pond side of the track and again check for trains and observing the lights and audible signal before closing both gates. READ LATEST NOTICE BELOW ABOUT RAILWAY CROSSING. There is a single track that goes partly around the pond.

Postcode: DN19 7RY

Parking

Parking is limited. The are some swims on the south side of the pond (where you first enter) with good parking. There is no fishing on the west bank alongside the track which is used by the householder (north/west side of pond). There is further parking on the north bank where there are a couple of swims. There is also a swim on the east bank but no parking near the swim (park on south bank if using this swim).