Where’s The Fish? Logo for Where's The Fish?
Cornwall

Little Molunan

6.7 · Beach · Cornwall

A small, sheltered cove beneath St Anthony Head on the Roseland, with mixed sand and rocky margins leading to kelp beds and quick depth near the headland. Best on a flooding tide with clear water; summer and early autumn see baitfish, gars and scad push in, while wrasse and pollack patrol the rocky edges year-round. Access is via the National Trust car park and a steep path/steps; swell can refract around the head, and the tidal run strengthens toward the lighthouse.

Should you fish Little Molunan?

64 Fair

Today · Best window

Best window: 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide

Most likely species: Ballan Wrasse and Pollack

Fair conditions. Best around 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide. Good chance of Ballan Wrasse and Pollack.

NW 3 mph Rain 6% High tide 10:47

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Little Molunan — 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.

Wednesday looks better than today. Unlock the week to see its score and exact window.

· 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.

Now

Tide curve will appear once tide data is available.

All windows will appear once the forecast is loaded.

Premium forecast

Unlock exact best windows, tactics and backup options for this mark.

Trip planner

Find the best time to fish Little Molunan

Choose when you're free and what you want to catch. We'll show the best tide, weather window and method for this mark.

Premium unlocks exact windows, tactics and alerts.

Premium Mark Insight

Locked

Little Molunan is a compact, sheltered cove with mixed sand, rocky margins and kelp-fringed edges beneath St Anthony Head. It is at its best when you fish it as a mobile flood-tide mark: lures and floats around the rocks for pollack, wrasse, gar, mackerel and bass, then simple bait tactics to the sandier seams or rough-ground edges as the light drops. Clear water and manageable swell are key; heavy swell, strong ebb run and awkward cross-tide can quickly make it less effective and less comfortable.

  • Know when to fish the kelp edges instead of the beach.
  • Time the middle flood for the best all-round chance.
  • Switch tactics before the ebb run ruins presentation.
  • Pick the right line for pollack, wrasse, bass or scad.
  • Use the sheltered cove option when the headland push is too much.
  • Have a nearby backup without wasting the session.

Included with Premium

Cancel anytime · Stripe

Unlock this mark's plan

Jump to towns around this mark for more marks and guides.

St Mawes 1.1 mi Falmouth 2.6 mi Portscatho 2.9 mi Flushing 2.9 mi Mylor Bridge 3.7 mi

Explore nearby towns: St Mawes · Falmouth · Portscatho · Flushing · Mylor Bridge

Zoom and pan to explore access points and nearby marks.

Jump to guide

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

Overall rating

6.7 /10

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

Category scores

Catch Potential 6/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 6/10
Accessibility 5/10

Pollack 8/10
Tip: Weedless soft plastics or metals along kelp edges from rocks by the head; best at dawn/dusk on the flood in clear water. Keep lures deep but moving; strong tide run.
Ballan Wrasse 8/10
Tip: Crab or rag baits into kelp gullies; daytime on the flood. Use strong gear and short traces to beat snags. Summer to early autumn.
Bass 7/10
Tip: Surface or subsurface lures, or live sandeel, worked in the tide run around the head. First/last light, flooding to high, with a bit of swell. Keep mobile along ledges.
Mackerel 7/10
Tip: Feathers/sabikis or small metals cast into the channel; summer evenings on a flooding tide. Keep above kelp and watch for bird activity.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: Dusk/night on small fish or squid baits to the edge of rough ground. Short hooklengths to reduce tangles; steady bites on the flood.
Scad (Horse Mackerel) 6/10
Tip: After dark late summer–autumn; small sabikis under a glow float in the channel on the flood. Keep baits midwater.
Conger Eel 6/10
Tip: After dark into rough ground; large fish/squid baits on 80lb mono traces. Best around slack to early flood. Expect snags—use rotten-bottom.
Garfish 6/10
Tip: Float-fished strips or small spinners over clean patches from beach/ledges; late spring–autumn, bright days on the flood.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 5/10
Tip: Night, oily fish baits on sandier seams at cove edges; neap tides easier. Use grip leads to hold in the run.
Mullet (Thick-lipped) 5/10
Tip: Calm clear days in the cove; bread flake under a small float or freelined. Best on a making tide; keep quiet and scale down.

Local knowledge

Little Molunan fishing guide

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

Little Molunan sits just below St Anthony Head on the Roseland peninsula, looking across the mouth of the Fal to Pendennis Point. A compact cove with access to adjacent rocky ground, it offers clear water, quick depth and plenty of tide movement—ideal for wrasse, pollack, mackerel and seasonal bass. It’s a scenic, relatively sheltered mark with options to roam between beach and rocks depending on conditions.

This mark is reached via St Anthony Head on the Roseland side of Falmouth Bay, with the National Trust car park the usual starting point. The descent to the beach is on a well‑trodden but steep path/steps; travel light and expect a lung-busting climb back up.

  • Drive to St Mawes, follow signs for St Anthony Head (National Trust). Narrow Cornish lanes for the final stretch; allow time for passing places.
  • Park at the National Trust St Anthony Head car park (pay and display for non‑members). If your sat nav needs a target, search for “St Anthony Head National Trust Car Park” rather than relying on a postcode.
  • From the car park, waymarked paths lead down to Little Molunan in around 10–15 minutes. The path is steep in places with steps and uneven stone—grippy footwear recommended.
  • Terrain is a small sand/pebble beach with kelp-fringed rocks at either end; additional ledges sit between Little and Great Molunan. Expect mixed ground beyond the sand with snag potential.

The cove and adjacent rocks produce a classic southwest mix, with summer variety and a leaner but worthwhile winter.

  • Spring (Apr–May):
    • Pollack nosing back in around the kelp; ballan and corkwing wrasse from mid/late spring
    • Early mackerel shoals on calm, clear evenings
    • Garfish show by late spring; odd bass on the flood
  • Summer (Jun–Aug):
    • Ballan/corkwing wrasse in numbers; pollack at range and around rough ground
    • Mackerel, garfish, scad at dawn/dusk; occasional squid in very clear, calm nights
    • Bass around tide lines and surfy edges on spring tides
    • Thick‑lipped and golden‑grey mullet mooching the margins in calm seas
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov):
    • Peak bass window (especially after a blow as it settles)
    • Mackerel and gar into October in fair weather; scad after dark
    • Whiting begin on dark nights; pollack steadily reliable
  • Winter (Dec–Feb):
    • Whiting, poor cod, the odd dab from the sand patches
    • Pollack on lures in daylight; conger from rough ground after dark
    • Dogfish occasional rather than prolific here

Little Molunan fishes well with mobile, light approaches, but you’ll want sturdier gear for the rough ground edges. Match your method to tide state and water clarity.

  • Lure fishing:
    • Pollack: 15–30 g metal jigs or 10–20 g weedless soft plastics (dark or natural) worked through the kelp gullies at mid to high water
    • Bass: 20–30 g surface walkers or shallow divers in calm; 10–21 g paddletails on a light jig head along the seams when there’s push
    • Mackerel/gar/scad: slim metals, spinners or sabikis under a 1–2 oz lead at dawn/dusk
  • Float fishing:
    • Wrasse: float‑fish ragworm, hardback prawn or peeler crab tight to rock faces, set 6–15 ft depending on ledge depth
    • Garfish: sliver of mackerel belly on size 6–8, shallow set and kept moving
  • Bottom tactics:
    • Two‑hook flapper (1/0–2/0) to clean patches for whiting, dabs and scad using ragworm, mackerel strip or squid
    • Pulley/pulley‑dropper with 3/0–4/0 and a big mackerel/squid bait for conger after dark near rough ground
    • Use 3–5 oz leads; grip leads help when the flood pulls across the mouth
  • Tackle notes:
    • 9–10 ft lure rod (10–35 g) for roaming; 10–12 ft beach/estuary rod rated to 4–5 oz if bottom fishing
    • 20–30 lb braid with 20–25 lb fluoro/mono leader for lures around kelp; step up to 40 lb mono leaders for rough ground
    • Snag‑wise area: favour rotten‑bottom clips when ledgering near rocks

The headland funnels tide, while the cove itself offers pockets of shelter. Work the flood, watch the cross‑set, and aim for low‑light windows in summer.

  • Tide state:
    • Flood tide is the prime window, especially the middle three hours; fish move along the edges into the cove
    • Wrasse best from mid to high water around the rocks; bottom fishing to sand patches fishes HW±2 hrs
    • Ebb can run hard across the mouth—adjust leads or switch to lures in the slack pockets
  • Sea conditions:
    • Clear to lightly coloured water is excellent for wrasse and pollack on lures
    • A little surf/colour after a SW blow can switch on the bass; avoid heavy swell that wraps in and booms on the rocks
    • Light easterlies give calm, clear water and good mackerel/gar sessions
  • Time of day/season:
    • Dawn and dusk are consistent producers May–Oct
    • Autumn springs with a dying sea are prime for bass
    • Winter nights bring whiting/poor cod; daytime for pollack on metals

Access is straightforward but steep, and the surrounding rocks can be slippery with kelp. Treat it as a light‑gear venue and plan your exit before dark.

  • Steep path/steps: not suitable for heavy trolleys; carry a rucksack setup
  • Rock edges are uneven, wave‑washed and can be cut off at higher states—know the tide and your retreat routes
  • Swell wraps unpredictably around the headland; never turn your back on the sea
  • Strong cross‑tide at the mouth on bigger springs—keep line angles sensible and avoid overhanging snags
  • Large vessel wash from ships entering/leaving Falmouth can create surprise surges
  • Wear grippy boots; a rock‑fishing lifejacket is strongly recommended
  • Headtorch with spare batteries; mark your path up in daylight
  • Accessibility: the final descent is steep and rough—unsuitable for those with limited mobility
  • Respect fences/signage near the lighthouse and battery; do not climb barriers

There are no facilities on the beach itself, so go prepared. The car park area has seasonal basics, and the nearest services are back in St Mawes.

  • National Trust car park at St Anthony Head (pay and display); seasonal opening times may apply
  • Toilets are typically available near the car park in season (check NT site for current status)
  • No water or bins on the beach; pack out all waste
  • Nearest shops, cafés, and pub options in St Mawes; broader choice in Falmouth (via ferry or a longer drive)
  • Tackle/bait: options in Falmouth; limited on the Roseland—bring bait or arrange ahead
  • Mobile signal usually good given line‑of‑sight to Falmouth, but can be patchy in the coves

A few small tweaks make a big difference at Little Molunan. Travel light, read the water, and use the tide to your advantage.

  • Work lures across the current seams on the flood; bites often come as the lure swings and lifts
  • For wrasse, hardback prawns pepped with a tiny elastic binding outlast rag in the pickers
  • Keep a tiny wire trace handy for garfish if they’re snipping fine mono near the float
  • After a summer mackerel session, switch to a single larger strip bait at dusk—scad often stack up close
  • Watch for mullet cruising the wash line on glassy evenings; freelined bread flake or small ragworm can be deadly
  • If the beach is busy with swimmers/snorkellers, hop the rocks towards the Great Molunan side for quieter pockets
  • Ships’ wake arrives a minute or two after they pass the head—lift your gear and step back if you’re low
  • Night conger: fish the up‑tide edge of rough ground rather than dropping straight into the snags

Sea angling is generally permitted here, but you are within the Fal and Helford designated conservation area network, so local byelaws and national rules apply. Always check the latest Cornwall IFCA and UK government guidance before your trip.

  • No rod licence is required for sea fishing in England, but local IFCA byelaws and minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS) apply to retained fish and shellfish
  • Bass (at time of writing): recreational limits typically include a closed/mandatory catch‑and‑release period and a daily retention limit with a 42 cm minimum size during the open season—check current MMO/CIFCA updates before retaining any bass
  • All berried or V‑notched lobsters and crawfish must be returned; observe shellfish MCRS
  • Shad, seahorses and certain other species are protected—do not target or retain
  • No camping or fires on National Trust land; respect any onsite signage and access restrictions near the lighthouse/battery
  • If bait collecting, avoid sensitive habitats (e.g., seagrass/maerl) and comply with local restrictions
  • Dispose of line and hooks responsibly; ghost gear is an enforcement issue in local MPAs