Le Bel Etang is just minutes away from the village of St Jory de Chalais which has a bakery, small grocery shop, delicatessen and post office. There are several good restaurants in nearby villages. The lake was originally stocked with large carp in autumn 1994. These included a selection of leathers, commons and mirrors. There was already an existing stock of carp, the extent of which is unknown. The largest carp pulled out to date has been a 48lb mirror and the largest tench to date is 9lbs, with the biggest catch in one week being 1992lbs (this was in April 2008). The lake is snag free, has access at all points with plenty of bank space for bivvying-up. The water shelves to a depth of about four metres, but one side slopes in gently. For convenience, we recommend that no more than four people fish at any one time.

We have a closed season on our lake from the end of November to the end of February, during which period the fish are fed and this allows them to have plenty of rest and recuperate from the season’s fishing. We also leave the occasional week free during the letting period to maintain a high fishing standard and prevent overfeeding. The three acres of land surrounding the lake is entirely fenced. This ensures that night fishing can be enjoyed without interruption.

There is a market every Saturday in the rural town of Thiviers (12 kilometres away), where there are banks and supermarkets. During the summer months there are many fetes and fairs, In the area there are castles to visit and underground caves with prehistoric drawings. We supply information on local cycle routes or walks and places of interest.