Hannafore Fishing

Last updated: 6 days ago

Hannafore Fishing Map

Hannafore is a long stretch of rock and reef platforms along the promenade at West Looe, facing Looe Island. It’s classic mixed ground with kelp-filled gullies, boulder fields and pockets of sand. Excellent in late spring through autumn for lure and float fishing; night sessions can be productive year-round in settled seas. Best on the flood and first of the ebb, especially the last two hours of the rising tide when fish push tight to the rocks. Access is easy from Marine Drive with steps down to the ledges, but footing is slippery with weed and swell rebound can be significant. Watch the tide to avoid being cut off near Hannafore Point. Clear, calm days suit mullet and garfish; a bit of lift and colour helps bass and wrasse. Parking, benches and shelter along the road make it a comfortable venue with superb views of Looe Island.

Ratings

⭐ 7.5/10 Overall
Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 9/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 5/10
Accessibility 7/10

Fish You Can Catch at Hannafore

🐟 Ballan Wrasse 9/10
🎯 Tip: Kelpy gullies and boulder ground; fish the flood to high. Float or ledger hard crab or big rag; weedless soft plastics also score. Daylight, clear water. Use strong gear to keep them from kelp.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Abundant along kelp edges; small rag, worm or prawn on size 6-10 under a float. Best mid-flood over rough ground in clear seas.
🐟 Pollack 7/10
🎯 Tip: Work metal jigs or paddle-tails along the reef edge at dawn/dusk on the flood; let lures sink then lift over kelp. Float-fished sandeel also works.
🐟 Mackerel 7/10
🎯 Tip: Summer shoals on calm evenings; spinners or small metals, or float a strip of mackerel. Best on the flooding tide with birds working.
🐟 Rock Goby 7/10
🎯 Tip: LRF in rockpools and ledges at mid-low water; tiny strips of rag or isome on size 12-16 dropped into gaps between weed-covered rocks. Very easy in clear, calm seas.
🐟 Bass 6/10
🎯 Tip: Work shallow-diving plugs or weedless soft plastics through surfy gullies on a rising tide at first light; or fish peeler crab or sandeel into white water after a blow.
🐟 Scad (Horse Mackerel) 6/10
🎯 Tip: Late-summer nights; small metals or sabikis tipped with fish strip retrieved slowly under the surface over deeper channels on the flood.
🐟 Tompot Blenny 6/10
🎯 Tip: LRF staple in holes and under ledges at low to mid tide; tiny hooks and rag or prawn lowered tight to rock faces. Fast bites.
🐟 Long-spined Sea Scorpion 6/10
🎯 Tip: Static small baits (rag, prawn) on size 8-12 over weedy margins and small sand patches between rocks on the flood. Often in very shallow water.
🐟 Garfish 6/10
🎯 Tip: Late spring to autumn; float a sliver of mackerel 2-3 ft below a float over clean patches on the flood. Keep bait near surface; strike gently.
🐟 Goldsinny Wrasse 5/10
🎯 Tip: Small wrasse on size 8-12 with bits of rag or shrimp, float or light ledger along kelp fringes at mid to high water. Clear, calm days best.
🐟 Conger Eel 5/10
🎯 Tip: After dark into deeper gullies; whole or half mackerel or squid on strong gear. Best last of flood to first of ebb; expect snags, use a rotten-bottom link.

Hannafore Fishing

Summary

Hannafore is the rocky shoreline west of Looe in southeast Cornwall, facing Looe Island (St George’s Island). It’s a classic mixed-ground mark with kelp-fringed ledges, gullies and small sand patches that hold wrasse, pollack and bass through the warmer months, plus mackerel and garfish in summer. Accessible, scenic and versatile, it’s a rewarding spot for lure, float and light rock fishing.

Location and Access

Set along Hannafore Road/Marine Drive in West Looe, the mark runs for over a kilometre of prom and rocks overlooking Looe Island. Access is straightforward to the promenade, with multiple slipways and paths down to the reef but expect uneven, weed-covered rock once you leave the path.

Seasons

Hannafore fishes like a classic Cornish reef with seasonal visitors and resident rough-ground species. Expect variety if you adapt to conditions and move between gullies, points and sand patches.

Methods

A mix of lure, float and bottom fishing works here; match the method to the ground in front of you and the height of tide.

Tides and Conditions

Tide state and clarity make or break Hannafore. The island offers some shelter, so you can sometimes fish here when other south coast marks are blown out.

Safety

This is genuine reef fishing: beautiful but unforgiving if you misjudge swell or tides. Plan your retreat route and dress for grip.

Facilities

Hannafore is one of the more comfortable rock marks thanks to its promenade and proximity to town. You can combine a session with easy amenities.

Tips

Observant, mobile anglers do best here. Use the low tide to plan your high-tide session and match tactics to each micro-feature.

Regulations

Recreational angling is generally permitted at Hannafore. Parts of the surrounding waters form the Looe and Whitsand Bay Marine Conservation Zone, and Looe Island is a protected nature reserve managed by Cornwall Wildlife Trust.