Three Dusk Pike Bays — Hickling Broad
Stone Hill to Wroxham: three dusk ambush bays on Hickling Broad
The 2–4 acre weed beds north of Stone Hill hold pike that push into 0.9–1.5m edges between 18:00–20:00; anglers approach from the eastern reed fringe and work hard edges with wobblers and slow deadbaits.
From Coltishall Common to Horstead Mill the River Bure corridor runs two miles of undercut banks and submerged willow roots where tannin-stained water narrows visibility to 0.6–1m. Access from Horstead Mill car park keeps approaches quiet; 120–150mm lures in the 20–30g range retrieved at 1–1.5m/s produce the bites here.
The Wroxham Cut to Hoveton Great Broad junction is a 200-yard choke with depths of 1.8–3.5m and tight weed margins. Best results come from slow-walked pike lures and floater-deadbait combos, keeping torches low and anchors silent to avoid spooking holding fish.
Practical kit and evening tactics
Use 8–10ft boat rods, 20lb braid and stout leaders. Strike zones sit from 1.2–2.8m in margins; autumn runs produce the biggest specimens, commonly 10–18lb with twenty-pounders turning up. Stealth boat lanes, targeted retrieves and stitching the lure along reed transitions are the evenings that pay off.
A dark silhouette slides from the reeds at last light and the strike comes hard—this is Hickling Broad pike fishing when the reed edge turns murderous.
Recommended: 8ft boat rods