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West Sussex

Selsey Bill

7.0 · Rocks · West Sussex

Selsey Bill is an exposed, tide-driven rocky headland with mixed ledges, gullies and adjacent shingle, reached on foot from Selsey’s seafront and coastal paths. It is a productive summer mark for float, lure and bait fishing, with rough-ground species close in and bream, bass, mackerel and rays available according to tide, season and sea state.

Should you fish Selsey Bill?

64 Fair

Today · Best window

Best window: 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide

Most likely species: Mackerel and Black Bream

Fair conditions. Best around 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide. Good chance of Mackerel and Black Bream.

SE 3 mph Rain 0% High tide 12:51

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Selsey Bill — 7-day forecast

Scores and best windows are weighted for .

Met Office Met Office · Open-Meteo

Where the data comes from. Weather and sea-state readings come from the Met Office and Open-Meteo forecast models, refreshed several times a day. High and low water are taken from tide-station predictions for this stretch of coast.

How the score works. Each window is scored 0–100 from the signals that most reliably move fish inshore: tide movement (a running tide carries food, so the last of the flood and first of the ebb are usually the prime spells), wind speed and direction (onshore wind stirs food into the surf — up to the point it makes fishing hard), sea state (a little wave and swell movement helps, heavy swell hurts), and weather — rain, temperature and light. Behind the headline number we score bite opportunity and comfort separately, and run a separate safety check on wind and swell. The size of the tide counts too: spring tides move more water than neaps, so the tidal range for this stretch of coast is weighed alongside the tide's direction, your target species and this mark — and unusually big springs strengthen the safety check, because the water rises faster and covers more ground.

Your target species counts. Pick a species below and the score also weights what we know about it — its season, preferred sea temperature, tide stage and sea state, and whether it feeds by day or night.

The rating is guidance, not a guarantee — conditions change fast on the coast, so always judge the sea in front of you before you fish.

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· windows & tide

Spring vs neap tides. Spring tides have a larger difference between high and low water, so more water moves on each tide — usually stronger flow that stirs up food and gets fish feeding. Neap tides have a smaller range and generally gentler movement. The range here is compared with what is normal for this stretch of coast, and the cycle swings between springs and neaps roughly every week, following the moon.

Big spring tides: the water rises faster and covers more ground than usual — double-check access routes and cut-off points before you fish.

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Selsey Bill is a tide-driven, exposed headland rather than a single fixed peg. The productive approach is to choose the fishable side for the day’s wind and sea state, then match the ground: kelpy gullies and rock edges for close-range rough-ground species, and cleaner shingle or sand patches beside the rough for bream, smoothhound and rays. Strong lateral flow can make a position unfishable quickly, so mobility matters more than forcing a long cast from the tip.

  • Know when to leave the tip and fish the cleaner side of the Bill
  • Put bream baits on clean patches beside the rough—not in the worst snags
  • Match night baits and ground choice to rays, dogfish, pouting or conger
  • Use a move-first plan when tide and weed shut down a line

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Jump to towns around this mark for more marks and guides.

Selsey 0.9 mi Keynor Estate 3.1 mi Highleigh 3.5 mi Pagham 3.7 mi Almodington 4.1 mi

Explore nearby towns: Selsey · Keynor Estate · Highleigh · Pagham · Almodington

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Fish forecast key

Excellent (80+) Good (65-79) Fair (50-64) Poor (0-49)

Overall rating

7.0 /10

Blend of catch potential, access, safety, and overall experience.

Category scores

Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 7/10
Safety 5/10
Accessibility 6/10

Black Bream 9/10
Tip: Prime summer target over clean patches beside rough ground; use small hooks with ragworm, squid strips or crab.
Bass 8/10
Tip: Fish live or fresh crab, worms and sandeel around moving water; dawn, dusk and coloured water are best.
Mackerel 8/10
Tip: Reliable in warmer months when shoals are present; feathers, metal lures and small dexter wedges work.
Smoothhound 7/10
Tip: Fish crab baits on sandy or shingly ground in late spring and summer; expect fast, powerful runs.
Garfish 7/10
Tip: Take small float-fished fish strips or sandeel near the surface during summer and early autumn.
Pollack 6/10
Tip: Best around deeper kelpy gullies, especially on a moving tide; use soft plastics, spinners or small fish baits.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: Common after dark and in cooler months; small fish, squid and worm baits produce bites.
Thornback Ray 6/10
Tip: Best after dark or on a flooding tide over cleaner ground; use squid, sandeel or mackerel strip.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 6/10
Tip: A regular night bait species; fish squid, mackerel or mixed fish baits away from the snaggiest gullies.
Ballan Wrasse 6/10
Tip: Fish close to kelp and rock edges with crab or ragworm on a short, strong trace; return carefully.
Conger Eel 6/10
Tip: Possible from deeper rocky crevices after dark; use robust tackle and large fish or squid baits.

Local knowledge

Selsey Bill fishing guide

Practical access, seasons, methods, tides, safety and facilities for this mark.

Selsey Bill is a famous, exposed Sussex shore mark where the south coast’s east- and west-running currents meet around a shingle headland. It can produce excellent sport, but it is a serious mark rather than an easy, all-weather beach session.

The mark is at the southern end of Selsey, with fishing possible from the shingle beaches and harder ground around the Bill rather than from one single formal peg. Conditions and available casting room vary greatly with tide, beach level and sea state.

Selsey Bill’s mixed ground, moving water and open-sea exposure support a broad seasonal catch list. The better species are often caught by matching the method to the particular stretch of clean shingle, rock or broken ground being fished.

Tackle should be selected for strong lateral tide and the possibility of rough ground, rather than simply for casting distance. A mobile approach is useful: fish a likely feature, then move if weed, tide or lack of bites makes the position unproductive.

The Bill is heavily influenced by tide, wind direction and water clarity, and it can change from fishable to unpleasant very quickly. Do not treat a tide time alone as a guarantee of safe or productive conditions.

This is an exposed coastal mark with powerful currents, uneven shingle and hard, potentially slippery ground around the point. It is unsuitable for anyone who cannot move confidently over loose stones and retreat promptly from a rising or rough sea.

Selsey town has the practical services anglers need, but the immediate Bill is a natural, exposed shoreline rather than a fully serviced fishing venue. Plan food, water, lighting and tackle requirements before walking out to a chosen spot.

Success at Selsey often comes from reading the water and fishing the right side of the headland for the day’s wind, rather than committing to the very tip. A short walk can reveal cleaner water, a calmer lee shore or a less weed-choked line.

There is no clear general prohibition on sea angling at Selsey Bill, so this mark is not treated as banned. However, access, parking and fishing can be affected by temporary works, local notices, private land boundaries and safety controls, so check conditions and signage on arrival.