Hawke’s Point Fishing

Last updated: 1 month 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.

  • Approach from Carbis Bay: follow Headland Road to the coast path; signed paths drop to the point. Pay-and-display parking is available around Carbis Bay/Carbis Bay Station (TR26 area) but fills quickly in summer.
  • Approach from Lelant/Porthkidney: park near the church/common and walk across the dunes to the beach, then pick up the coast path towards the point. Allow extra time and check tide to avoid long detours.
  • Terrain: uneven, weed-covered rock ledges with kelp gullies; lower platforms expose on bigger lows and can be cut off on the flood.
  • Public transport: the St Ives Bay Line stops at Carbis Bay and Lelant; it’s a handy way to avoid parking pressures.
  • No coordinates are given here; follow local signage on the South West Coast Path and keep to established paths.

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.

  • Spring (Mar–May):
    • Bass along the rocks on small surf; early-season pollack on lures; ballan wrasse as water warms.
    • Plaice and turbot are occasional from Porthkidney on long traces; flounder near the estuary side.
  • Summer (Jun–Aug):
    • Bass, pollack, garfish, mackerel, scad; ballan and corkwing wrasse in kelp gullies.
    • Night bites can see conger from deeper holes; small-eyed ray are a possibility on the beach.
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov):
    • Peak bass and pollack on lures; mackerel and scad shoals; wrasse still reliable until the first chills.
    • Whiting and gurnard show on the beach as temps drop.
  • Winter (Dec–Feb):
    • Fewer lure options; whiting and the odd codling from surf beaches in a blow; dogfish on baits. Occasional conger from the rocks on settled nights.

Methods

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

  • Lures (rocks):
    • Bass: 12–20 g hard minnows and topwaters at dawn/dusk; 10–20 g weedless soft plastics (paddle/slug) on Texas/weightless rigs for kelp lanes.
    • Pollack: 15–30 g jigheads or chebs with soft shads swung along the edge of kelp; metals for distance when birds are working.
    • Garfish/mackerel/scad: small metals and spoons; micro-jigs at dusk into dark for scad.
  • Float fishing:
    • Wrasse: strong gear, 20–25 lb fluoro trace, size 2–1/0 hooks; baits of hardback crab, prawn or ragworm set to just off the bottom over rough ground.
    • Garfish: small slivers of mackerel under a pencil float in clear water.
  • Bottom tactics (rocks and beach):
    • Beach bass/rays: 4–6 oz leads, pulley or pulley-dropper with 3/0–5/0 hooks; peeler crab, fresh sandeel or squid/sandeel cocktails.
    • Turbot/plaice: long up-and-over or flowing traces, size 1–2 hooks, sandeel or worm baits on the cleaner patches.
    • Conger (rocks, after dark): strong mono rubbing leaders, 6/0 hooks, mackerel or squid sections.
  • Tackle notes:
    • Lure rods 8’6–9’6, 10–35 g; 20–30 lb braid with 20–25 lb fluoro leaders for rough ground.
    • Wear cleated or studded boots; carry a long-handled net or gripper for safe landing.

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.

  • Tide states:
    • Lures: last of the flood through high and first of the ebb are prime along the rocks; fish the movement around kelp edges.
    • Beach: 2 hours up and first 2 down are productive for bass and rays; look for rips and gutters off Porthkidney.
  • Sea conditions:
    • Bass: light colour and a metre or so of swell is ideal; too much swell creates dangerous surges.
    • Pollack/wrasse: clear to lightly coloured water over kelp; avoid gin-clear mid-day sun or go early/late.
  • Wind and clarity:
    • E/SE winds can flatten and clear the bay; W/NW adds life but watch for wrap-around sets.
  • Time of day/seasonality:
    • Dawn and dusk are consistently better for bass/gar/scad; summer nights fish well for conger and scad.
    • Autumn often gives the best all-round fishing before winter storms.

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.

  • Slippery, uneven rocks with thick weed: studded boots recommended; take small, deliberate steps.
  • Swell and surges: never fish close to the edge; keep eyes on the sea; avoid big-swell days entirely.
  • Tide cut-off: some lower ledges flood early on the push; know your escape routes and timings.
  • Cliff edges and loose ground: stick to established paths; do not undercut or climb unstable sections.
  • Night fishing: carry two headtorches and a charged phone; mark safe exits in daylight first.
  • Personal safety: a rock-fishing PFD is strongly recommended; fish with a partner where possible.
  • Restrictions: respect any seasonal wildlife signage (nesting seabirds) and private property boundaries along the coast path. If in doubt, move on.

Facilities

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

  • Parking: pay-and-display options around Carbis Bay/Carbis Bay Station (TR26 area); limited roadside spaces—arrive early in peak season.
  • Toilets and cafés: usually available at Carbis Bay beach and in Carbis Bay village; none at the point itself or on Porthkidney beach.
  • Tackle and bait: available in St Ives and Hayle; check opening hours in winter.
  • Lifeguards: Carbis Bay typically has seasonal lifeguard cover; Porthkidney is generally unlifeguarded—verify locally.
  • Phone signal: generally good on the headland; can dip under the cliffs—don’t rely on it at water level.

Tips

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

  • Travel light and rove: pick off likely gullies and points rather than camping on one ledge.
  • Weedless is king: Texas-rigged soft plastics save gear and reach fish in kelp lanes.
  • Polarised glasses help you read weed lines and spot bait fish and gar.
  • Bird signs: terns and gannets working over the sand line often push mackerel/scad within casting range.
  • After a small blow: as the sea settles and colours slightly, bass often move tight to the rocks.
  • Train hack: park at St Erth and use the branch line to Carbis Bay/Lelant to dodge parking stress on busy days.
  • Summer crowds: at busy times, fish very early or late to avoid swimmers and paddleboards.
  • Landing fish: plan a safe landing spot before you cast; use a net or gripper rather than risking a wave-washed ledge.

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.

  • European bass (Dicentrarchus labrax): as of 2024, the recreational daily bag limit in this area is 2 fish per angler, minimum size 42 cm, with retention typically permitted 1 March–30 November and catch-and-release only outside those dates. Verify the current year’s notice before fishing.
  • Protected species: do not intentionally target shad, dolphin, porpoise, or basking sharks; release any accidentally caught rare or protected species immediately.
  • Shellfish and crustaceans: local byelaws apply (minimum sizes, berried/v-notched lobsters/crabs must not be taken). Check Cornwall IFCA for specifics before collecting from shore.
  • Hayle Estuary and nearby designations: parts of the adjacent estuary are protected for wildlife (SSSI/RSPB). Observe any on-site signs and avoid restricted areas; do not disturb nesting birds or seals.
  • Access: the coast path is public, but adjacent land may be private/managed (including National Trust and hotel areas). Respect signage and do not block gates or emergency access.
  • Litter and fish welfare: follow catch-and-release best practice where appropriate; take all line, hooks and litter home.