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Cornwall

Bedruthan Steps

6.3 · Rocks · Cornwall

An exposed Atlantic rock mark beneath the Carnewas/Bedruthan Steps cliffs between Mawgan Porth and Porthcothan. Deep, kelp-filled gullies, fast tide run-offs around the sea stacks and ledges, and quick-flooding platforms. Best in calm to moderate swell with clear water from late spring to early autumn; winter swells usually make it unfishable. Most productive at dawn/dusk on the flood. Expect heavy ground—use strong leaders and rotten-bottom rigs. Access is via very steep National Trust steps that are sometimes closed after storms; check access, tides and swell, and beware of cut-off and rockfall risk.

Should you fish Bedruthan Steps?

57 Fair

Today · Best window

Best window: 18:00-21:00 around the rising tide

Most likely species: Ballan Wrasse and Mackerel

Fair conditions. Best around 18:00-21:00 around the rising tide. Good chance of Ballan Wrasse and Mackerel.

NW 4 mph Rain 6% High tide 10:54

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

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7-day fishing forecast for Bedruthan Steps — 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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Bedruthan Steps is a high-reward but serious exposed Atlantic rock mark. It fishes best when a manageable W–NW swell puts fizz and movement into the gullies without pushing water over the ledges. The main tactical decision is whether to work the kelp-fringed headlands and gullies with lures/float gear, or settle into rough-ground bottom fishing for night species. May to October, dawn or dusk on the flood, is the strongest general pattern.

  • Know when the flood helps—and when it cuts you off
  • Pick kelp gullies for wrasse, run-offs for pollack
  • Time bass around fizz, colour and low light
  • Use the right rough-ground rig before you lose gear
  • Have a safer nearby fallback when swell wins

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Mawgan Porth 1.2 mi St Eval 1.9 mi St Ervan 2.8 mi Carloggas 3.2 mi St Merryn 3.5 mi

Explore nearby towns: Mawgan Porth · St Eval · St Ervan · Carloggas · St Merryn

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Forecast tuning currently supports Bass and Mackerel — more species are on the way.

Overall rating

6.3 /10

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

Category scores

Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 7/10
Scenery & Comfort 8/10
Safety 3/10
Accessibility 3/10

Bass 8/10
Tip: Surf beaches and rock gullies; plugs, soft plastics or live sandeel; best at dawn/dusk on a flooding tide with a bit of swell.
Ballan Wrasse 8/10
Tip: Kelp-filled gullies; fish hard crab, prawn or rag on float or light ledger; fish the flood to high in settled seas.
Pollack 7/10
Tip: Work soft plastics/metals along kelp edges from rock points; dusk on the flood; let lures sink and retrieve slow and deep.
Mackerel 7/10
Tip: Summer shoals; feathering or small metals from headlands; clearer water and a flooding tide; try dusk for bigger fish.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: After dark over rough ground; small worm or fish baits on two-hook flappers; mid-to-late flood.
Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
Tip: Small hooks baited with rag or small crab tight to rock/weed; float-fish mid-water on the flood in calm conditions.
Garfish 6/10
Tip: Calm, clear summer spells; float-fished sliver of mackerel or small spinners; rising tide around headlands.
Bull Huss 5/10
Tip: Night in kelpy gullies and boulder fields; big fish or squid baits on strong gear; neap tides, last of the ebb into first of the flood.
Scad (Horse Mackerel) 5/10
Tip: Late summer/autumn after dark; small metals or sabikis worked midwater in bays; fish the flood.
Conger Eel 5/10
Tip: After dark among boulders/ledges; large fish baits on 80lb trace; neap tides with light swell; low to mid tide to access gullies.

Local knowledge

Bedruthan Steps fishing guide

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

Bedruthan Steps, between Newquay and Padstow on Cornwall’s wild north coast, is a spectacular but serious rock mark overlooking deep gullies and powerful Atlantic surf. It rewards careful, experienced anglers with bass, pollack and wrasse around the kelp-fringed headlands, and occasional surprises in summer. Access to the beach itself is often closed; most fishing is from safe rock platforms either side of the famous stacks.

This mark sits around the National Trust site at Carnewas/Bedruthan Steps on the B3276 coast road, with parking at the National Trust car park (often signposted Carnewas at Bedruthan; postcode TR8 4BU). Expect a short but uneven walk to the cliff-top and longer, more demanding scrambles to any fishable ledges.

  • Parking: National Trust pay-and-display (free for NT members); overflow used in peak season; arrive early in summer and on spring tides.
  • The famous steps to the beach are frequently closed due to rockfalls and erosion; obey all closures and fences. Assume beach access may be unavailable and plan to fish the headlands/rock platforms instead.
  • Approaches: Well-made coast path to viewpoints (5–10 minutes). Beyond the fenced viewpoints, access to ledges varies from simple to very exposed goat tracks; only attempt what you are absolutely confident with.
  • Alternative access to sandy surf beaches is via Mawgan Porth or Porthcothan, not directly from Bedruthan when the steps are shut.
  • Terrain: High, sheer cliffs; rough, kelpy rock platforms; barnacled slabs; deep water close-in in places, sandy bays elsewhere.

This coast fishes very seasonally with a classic north-coast mix of surf and rock species. Expect wrasse and pollack on the rocks, with bass on the surf and in the white water.

  • Spring (Apr–May):
    • Pollack from rock edges (evenings)
    • Early bass on lures or crab in coloured water
    • Ballan and corkwing wrasse as water warms
  • Summer (Jun–Sep):
    • Bass along foamy gullies and on calmer surf nights
    • Pollack (dawn/dusk), mackerel and garfish in clear water
    • Wrasse (best period), occasional bull huss and conger after dark
    • Scad at night under headlands
    • Odd turbot/brill from nearby surf beaches in settled spells
  • Autumn (Oct–Nov):
    • Bass peak with onshore winds and stirred surf
    • Pollack still good at dusk, wrasse tailing off late
    • Huss/conger on big baits after dark
  • Winter (Dec–Feb):
    • Whiting and pouting on calmer nights from sandy draws
    • Occasional bass in heavy, coloured seas (fish with great caution)
    • Rock marks quiet; focus windows between storms

Rugged ground calls for robust tackle and thoughtful presentation. Fish light and mobile for lure work, but step up gear for bottom fishing among kelp and boulders.

  • Lure fishing (rocks/headlands):
    • For pollack: 20–40 g metals, casting jigs, or 4–6 inch soft plastics on 10–20 g heads; work mid-water at first/last light.
    • For bass: weedless soft plastics (paddle or straight tails) and shallow divers over kelp/white water; also surface lures in calm, overcast spells.
    • Tackle: 9–10 ft lure rod, 20–30 lb braid, 20–30 lb fluoro leader.
  • Float fishing (wrasse/garfish/mackerel):
    • Set 8–15 ft with ragworm, peeler crab, prawn, or mackerel strip; trace 20–25 lb mono to take abrasion.
    • Fish tight to rough ground for wrasse; mid-water over clearer ground for gars/macks.
  • Bottom fishing (rough ground):
    • Pulley or pulley-pennel with strong hooks (3/0–5/0) and a weak-link (rotten-bottom) to the lead; 5–6 oz lead often needed.
    • Baits: peeler or hardback crab for bass/wrasse, whole squid or mackerel fillet for huss/conger, sandeel (whole or double) for bass/rays on adjacent sands.
  • Surf fishing (when/where beach access is available):
    • 12–13 ft beach rod, 4–6 oz grip lead, pennel rigs with crab or sandeel for bass; long traces with sandeel for small-eyed ray on calmer summer nights.
  • Times: dawn and dusk are prime; after-dark brings huss/conger; moving water on the flood often out-fishes slack periods.

Tide and swell dictate what’s fishable here. Aim for manageable swell creating white water without booming onto ledges.

  • Tide: mid-to-flood into high water is reliable for bass and pollack; wrasse feed well from mid-flood over rough ground; ebb can fish but watch for cut-offs.
  • Swell: a moderate W–NW swell with some colour stirs bass; too much groundswell is unfishable and dangerous. Clear, calm water favours mackerel/garfish and lure pollack.
  • Light: dawn/dusk best for lure fishing; after-dark for huss/conger; bright, clear middays are slow unless the water is coloured.
  • Seasonality: May–Oct is the main window; winter can produce whiting/pouting and the odd bass between storms.
  • Wind: onshore W–NW creates fizz for bass; strong northerlies can make many ledges exposed; offshore easterlies flatten the sea but can chill bites.

This is a serious, high-cliff venue with changeable Atlantic swell. If you’re unsure, don’t fish it—there are safer marks nearby.

  • Cliffs: sheer drops and unstable edges—stay behind fences; do not step beyond barriers for a cast.
  • Beach steps: often closed; never bypass closures—rockfall and tides make the beach hazardous.
  • Swell: long-period Atlantic swell can surge onto ledges even on calm days; observe for at least 15–20 minutes before committing.
  • Footing: kelp, weed and barnacles are extremely slippery; wear boots with studs/cleats; consider a rock-fishing PFD and helmet on exposed ledges.
  • Tides/cut-off: gullies flood rapidly—plan exit routes and avoid ledges that cut off on the flood.
  • Night fishing: only if you know the ledge from daylight; take two headtorches, spare batteries, and a buddy.
  • Comms: mobile signal is patchy; leave a shore contact and return time.
  • Accessibility: not suitable for wheelchairs or limited mobility; paths are uneven and can be muddy. Choose alternative, safer venues if needed.

Facilities are focused around the National Trust site; there are no facilities on the rocks or beach.

  • Parking: National Trust car park at Carnewas (charges apply; seasonal opening hours—gates may be locked at night).
  • Toilets: usually available at/near the NT car park in season; may be closed in winter—check ahead.
  • Café: National Trust café at Carnewas (seasonal hours). Additional food/shops in Mawgan Porth, St Mawgan, Porthcothan, and Newquay.
  • Tackle/bait: tackle shops and fresh bait in Newquay, Padstow, Wadebridge; limited bait in small village stores.
  • RNLI: neighboring beaches like Mawgan Porth can be lifeguarded in season; Bedruthan itself is not.
  • Signal: variable 4G; do not rely on it. No lighting and no potable water on site.
  • Waste: no bins on ledges—pack all litter and line out.

Bedruthan fishes best when you match the day to a safe platform, the tide, and the swell. Travel light, keep moving, and let the water tell you what’s feeding.

  • After a blow, give it 24–48 hours for the water to settle to a bass-friendly fizz; too chocolatey, go home or switch marks.
  • Pollack love a dropping sun—count your jig down, sweep it up and keep contact; many hits come on the drop.
  • Use a rotten-bottom (weak link) 12–18 inches lighter than your main trace to save leads in the kelp.
  • Weedless soft plastics dramatically reduce snags over the fronds—think 10–20 g weighted belly hooks.
  • If seals are working the bay, move; bites often die off.
  • Summer crowds: the car park fills by mid-morning—fish dawn or evening to avoid walkers and to hit the best bite windows.
  • Bird nesting season sometimes brings temporary path diversions—respect closures; the fishing will still be there next week.
  • First visit? Scout in daylight at low-to-mid tide to spot safe platforms, surge lines, and escape routes.

There is no blanket ban on angling at Bedruthan Steps, but parts of the site are fenced or closed for safety—do not cross barriers or ignore National Trust signage. Much of the cliff-top is within the Carnewas and Park Head SSSI; shore angling is allowed, but protect features and nesting birds.

  • Bass rules: recreational bass fishing in England is subject to a seasonal bag limit and a minimum size (currently 42 cm). Dates and limits can change—check the UK Government/MMO website before you go.
  • Minimum sizes/bag limits: Cornwall IFCA publishes current Minimum Conservation Reference Sizes and any local byelaws—consult Cornwall IFCA for updates before retaining fish.
  • Marine Protected Areas: the inshore waters off this coast are within/near designated sites (e.g., MCZ/SSSI). Shore angling with rod and line is permitted; avoid damaging habitats and do not remove rocks or kelp for bait.
  • Bait collection: hand-gathering of small quantities is generally tolerated where safe and not prohibited, but commercial-scale digging or hammering rocky SSSI features is not—follow local bylaws and NT guidance.
  • Night access/parking: NT car park hours may be restricted at times; check gate closing times to avoid being locked in.
  • Litter and fish welfare: remove all line and litter; consider catch-and-release for wrasse, which are slow-growing and important for reef ecology.
  • If in doubt, verify current rules with Cornwall IFCA, the MMO, and the National Trust site pages before your session.