By agreement with Merton Council, the Wandle Piscators have now relinquished our lease on Cannon Hill Lake.

However, we did enjoy the years we spent looking after (and improving) this interesting water. Here’s a taste of our activities during that time.

Cannon Hill Lake is an old estate brick pit and it is filled by run off from the park land surrounding it. For many years, before the Wandle Piscators took it over, it was a neglected coarse fishery, full of small silver fish, a handful of carp (up to 8lbs) and a few tench.

Location: Cannon Hill Common Lake

On 1 June 2012 the lake on Cannon Hill Common became a club fishery in time for the 2012/13 coarse angling season.

Our improvement works included building floating islands and fishing platforms, planting water lilies and other native plants, and installing an aerator to help fish to survive when oxygen levels got low.

As a small, accessible water, Cannon Hill Lake proved very convenient for club events, and as a training ground for junior anglers.

Fishing was only allowed from the bank alongside the foot path. The other three banks of the lake are formed by a nature reserve and Cannon Hill Lane, and were out of bounds.

The late Will Tall was the driving force behind all these efforts to restore the lake, and we and other local residents owe him a great debt of gratitude.