The Goose Pit

About The Ganzenkuil (The Goose pit), Netherlands
In the province of Gelderland, right at the river Waal and near Nijmegen you will find the beautiful 19 hectares of water named The Goose pit. This pool of water is one of our most popular bookings and it’s not hard to see why once you get to know about this water. It has depths up to 22 meters but there are shallower areas you can target too.

The water is crystal clear and this has lead to the fish taking on an amazingly dark colouration, every fish that resides in this pool is rather special and the fishing itself is perfect, pure and totally natural.

This is a lake that is essentially in the owners backyard (albeit a gigantic garden) and it’s relatively unknown in terms of what actually resides in here apart from the new stock as only a small select few were allowed to fish here before we added the GoosePit to Angling Escapes’ portfolio. The water is lined with a strip of rugged, unspoiled nature that will excite any angler.

The crystal clear water is characterized by vast lily beds, algae blooms and some bushes and trees in the water itself. Some sides of the pit descend smoothly towards the deep end but there are also many interesting gravel plateaus and shallow spots. Everything exudes the presence of carp.

It is now possible to book a peg for De Goosepit with a maximum of 6 anglers.

The Lake
Is surrounded by a strip of nature where the robust, unspoilt character immediately stands out. And is in the village Deest. The crystal clear water of the Goose pit with a lily field, weeds and some shrubs and trees in the water.

Some sides run smoothly towards the deep, but there are many interesting gravel plates and shallow parts here. Everything exudes the presence of carp. Nice overhanging trees, but this can be tricky when you want to cast.

Back to nature
The lake is surrounded by wild nature and you really feel like you are in a fisherman’s paradise. Overhanging trees, lily fields, high grass, some curious sheep and sometimes a deer that comes to drink water. Away from the crowds and back in nature. That’s how it is and how it should stay. No neatly laid pegs and a clubhouse.

Back to nature is what you get here. And if this is what you are looking for, you will never want to leave. A fairly unknown stock because the individual who was allowed to stay here has kept the secrets to themselves. There is water and european plugs. For anglers who have booked for a week its possible to use a outside shower charged by solarpanels.

The stock
On this sunny day the groups of carp are barely countable. We went around some obstacle-rich zones and the counter reached 60 in no time. We suspected that there were still quite a few among the lilies and around the aquatic plants and who knows what you find in the middle or on half water.

The water has traditionally had a beautiful resistant scale and mirror carps and around 2010 there were two stocks of fast-growing mirrors from Carpfarm put in the lake. A few promotion sessions and reports show an average weight of around 30 dutch pounds, this is also the average weight that the owner himself has caught.

In 2017 and 2018, a lot of young carp were added to complement the beautiful old stock. Some fish are set at a whopping 17 kg. Because of the regularly fish stocks, the Goose pit is a beautiful location where you can also catch good fish. In 2020 new stock had put in the lake, beautiful full scaled mirors between the 5 and 8 kilo but also big fish common and miror between the 15 and 20 kilo!

For the adventure!
There is also the possibility on the Goose Pit to charge your batteries on location (european plugs). This gives you more options whn you go out with the boat.

The goose pit is very suitable for carp anglers who like a challenge. Do not expect beautifully laid swim and gravel clad swims. However, you will find a dozen natural swims here, you can relocate in consultation during your stay. And the swims offer plenty of room for two or three anglers.

To complete the nature experience there is a good chance of spotting a deer and the kingfishers make grateful use of your rod. There is a factory nearby, which sometimes disrupts this beautiful nature.

A private area is indicated on the map. No bivvy may be placed on this side of the water. You can, however you may the lines towards the private area.

Swim 1 and 2 are easily accessible by car on a gravel road. If you have a very wide car or a lowered car, it is advisable to first explore the path on foot. Whether it is wise to drive on with your car.

Walking from peg 2 to peg 3 can only be done on foot. There is another entrance at the Goose pit to reach the pegs 5,4 and 3, this road is still unpaved, during the dry periods you can easily get here by car. In the wet months of the year it is better to first view the road on foot.

We recommend the use of a boat to keep fish safety and optimal condition. In our view, a boat is pleasant and actually a necessity. To be able to drill the fish on open water. There is 1 metal boat on site, this can be used by everyone and must be returned after use.

There are many trees with overhanging branches on the lake and even when the fish moves towards the lily fields it is nice to be able to drill the fish from the boat. And believe us, once the fish dives into the depth and you are above it with your boat, you will experience a unique experience.

Certainly when the fish shows itself from the depth into the clear water for the first time. Depending on which swim is chosen, it can be useful to take a mobile toilet with you, because the distance can be to far. The toilet on the Goose Pit is situated behind swim 3.

When you book for The Goose Pit you also get a depth and bottom map. This is a good source of information for this lake. Because of this you are a bit more aware of the many possibilities that are available.

For people that travel a long distance and stay longer on the Goose pit, it’s possible to shower on location.