Portway River Wall Fishing

Last updated: 6 days ago

Portway River Wall Fishing Map

A long roadside river wall along the A4 Portway on the tidal River Avon. Deep, fast-flowing water with a pronounced tidal run and silty bottom. Best fished on the flood into dusk or at night. Expect snags and strong currents; grip leads and a drop net are recommended. Parking is in lay-bys; comfortable but exposed with traffic noise. Keep well back from the edge and beware the rapid tide rise.

Ratings

⭐ 6/10 Overall
Catch Potential 6/10
Species Variety 6/10
Scenery & Comfort 7/10
Safety 4/10
Accessibility 7/10

Fish You Can Catch at Portway River Wall

🐟 Bass 8/10
🎯 Tip: Flood to high on spring tides; work soft plastics or peeler crab along wall eddies and moorings. Dusk best. Use a drop-net to land from the wall.
🐟 Mullet (Thick-lipped) 8/10
🎯 Tip: Bread flake under a waggler tight to the wall; prebait with mashed bread. Neap tides and clear water help. Use a drop-net for landing.
🐟 Mullet (Thin-lipped) 7/10
🎯 Tip: Small Mepps-style spinner tipped with ragworm, trotted along the wall/outfalls on the flood. Best on summer neaps in daylight.
🐟 Flounder 6/10
🎯 Tip: Rag or lug on a 2-hook flapper; short casts to channel edges on the flood, keep baits slowly moving. Best late autumn to spring.
🐟 European Eel 6/10
🎯 Tip: Dusk into dark on the flood; small fish strip or worm on a running rig, short casts to margins. Beware strong run and snags.
🐟 Shanny 5/10
🎯 Tip: Tiny worm pieces on small hooks dropped straight down the wall around crevices at mid to low water. Fast bites; lift, don’t strike hard.
🐟 Golden-grey Mullet 5/10
🎯 Tip: Tiny rag/shrimp on size 12–14 under a float near surface slicks in summer. Clearer neap tides improve takes.
🐟 Common Goby 4/10
🎯 Tip: Micro hooks (16–20) with tiny worm slivers right in the margins on neaps or slack water. Quick lift when tapping bites show.
🐟 Rock Goby 4/10
🎯 Tip: Size 12–16 hooks with prawn/worm bits; fish tight to rocks/steps on slack water. Very close in, short drop from the wall.
🐟 Sea Trout 3/10
🎯 Tip: Chance while bassing at dawn/dusk with small spoons/spinners on the flood near current seams. Check bylaws—often C&R only.

Portway River Wall Fishing

Summary

Portway River Wall is the long roadside embankment that lines the tidal River Avon between Hotwells and Sea Mills in Bristol, sitting in the upper reaches of the vast Severn Estuary system. It’s a classic urban estuary mark: heavy tide, deep coloured water, and real chances of codling in winter, bass and mullet in the warmer months, plus ever-reliable whiting. If you’re prepared for the flow and snags, it can fish exceptionally well on the right neap tides and after-dark sessions.

Location and Access

This mark runs alongside the A4 Portway beneath the Avon Gorge, with multiple pull-ins and pavement stretches where anglers drop baits over the wall to deep, fast water. Access is straightforward on foot once parked, but parking itself is limited and heavily regulated along the Portway.

Seasons

This is a true estuarine venue, so expect turbidity and powerful tidal movement that suit certain species and seasons especially well.

Methods

Tackle for this mark needs to beat the flow, carry big leads, and cope with rough ground and debris. Fish strong, simple rigs with sticky-bottom tactics where needed.

Tides and Conditions

The Severn system produces one of the world’s biggest tidal ranges; here it translates to fierce currents, short feeding windows, and large rafts of floating debris on springs.

Safety

This is a high-energy tidal river with a vertical wall, fast currents, and lethal mud below. Treat it like a commercial waterway and a cliff mark rolled into one.

Facilities

Facilities along the wall itself are minimal, but you’re close to Bristol amenities if you plan ahead.

Tips

Regulars treat the Portway like “river uptiding from the bank”: keep it simple, overgunned, and ready to move if the debris train rolls in.

Regulations

This stretch is tidal and generally fished under sea angling rules, but multiple authorities overlap. Check signage on the day and consult official sources before trips in the close season window.