Hawke’s Point Fishing

Last updated: 1 week ago

Hawke’s Point Fishing Map

A rocky headland between Carbis Bay and Porthkidney Sands near St Ives, offering mixed rough ground with kelp gullies and access to deeper water close in. Best on a flooding to high tide in calmer swells; exposed to Atlantic swell and crosswinds. Popular for spinning and float fishing in summer (mackerel, garfish, pollack) with wrasse in daylight, scad at dusk, and conger after dark. Access is via the South West Coast Path with a short but steep, uneven scramble to the ledges. No facilities or shelter; superb views but limited comfort. Exercise caution with swells, slippery weeded rock, and drop-offs.

Ratings

⭐ 6.9/10 Overall
Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 4/10
Accessibility 5/10

Fish You Can Catch at Hawke’s Point

🐟 Bass 8/10
🎯 Tip: Dawn/dusk on a flooding tide; work soft plastics or surface lures along kelpy points and surfy seams. After a blow, fish crab baits in gullies.
🐟 Pollack 8/10
🎯 Tip: Flood to dusk; cast soft plastics or metals parallel to kelp edges and drop-offs. Keep lures high to avoid snags.
🐟 Mackerel 8/10
🎯 Tip: Summer, clear water; small metals or float rigs from the point when the tide runs. Best at dusk around high water.
🐟 Ballan Wrasse 7/10
🎯 Tip: Fish hardback crabs or ragworm into kelp gullies; last 3 hrs of the flood. Use strong gear and a rotten-bottom to beat snags.
🐟 Rock Goby 7/10
🎯 Tip: Micro-fish along boulder edges with small worm bits on size 12–16 hooks; gentle lift-and-hold over kelp.
🐟 Tompot Blenny 7/10
🎯 Tip: Size 12–16 hooks with small worm or prawn right under ledges; any tide but calmer water helps; keep baits static.
🐟 Shanny 7/10
🎯 Tip: Tiny hooks and worm near weeded rock pools and crevices at mid to high water; short drops, no long casts.
🐟 Garfish 7/10
🎯 Tip: Late spring–autumn; float a sliver of mackerel near the surface over clean patches; flood to high water with clear water.
🐟 Pouting 6/10
🎯 Tip: After dark over rough ground; small fish baits on a 2-hook paternoster; high water and first of the ebb.
🐟 Scad (Horse Mackerel) 6/10
🎯 Tip: Warm evenings into dark; small sabikis or size 6 hooks with mackerel strip under a float or light; tide run near high water.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
🎯 Tip: Small rag or crab on size 4–6 hooks in weed fringes; last of the flood over kelp patches.
🐟 Conger Eel 5/10
🎯 Tip: Night; big mackerel/squid baits to kelp edges on strong trace; fish high water into first of the ebb. Use a rotten-bottom.

Hawke’s Point Fishing

Summary

Hawke’s Point sits on the headland between Carbis Bay and Porthkidney Sands in St Ives Bay, Cornwall. It’s a classic mixed-ground rock mark with kelp, ledges and clean sand fringes, offering great lure and float sport for bass, pollack and wrasse in clear water. When conditions line up, it’s one of the most scenic and productive spots on this stretch of coast.

Location and Access

This mark is reached via the South West Coast Path on the headland above Carbis Bay. Access is straightforward for fit anglers but includes steep paths and short scrambles onto weeded rocks. Go light and wear good footwear.

Seasons

This is a mixed ground mark that fishes differently through the year. Expect lure sport in clear water and bait fishing options on adjacent clean sand.

Methods

Lure fishing is the headline act here, with float and light bottom tactics also effective. Adjacent clean sand opens classic surf options.

Tides and Conditions

Tide and sea state matter here. The point is sheltered compared to the open north coast but swell wraps into the bay and surges on the ledges.

Safety

These are exposed rock ledges with kelp, swell and cut-off risks. Treat it as a serious rock mark and plan around tides and conditions.

Facilities

Facilities are focused around Carbis Bay and St Ives; the point itself is wild with no amenities on the rocks.

Tips

Local patterns reward stealth, mobility and timing. Treat it like a clear-water lure venue with backup options on the beach.

Regulations

Regulations change—always check current rules from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Cornwall IFCA before you go. The following is guidance, not legal advice.