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

Mawgan Porth

7.1 · Beach · Cornwall

Open, sandy surf beach flanked by rocky headlands with the River Menalhyl entering at the southern end. Productive for surf bass in a rolling sea; flatfish and small-eyed rays from the cleaner sand at range, especially after dark. Summer sees mackerel and garfish around the corners, with mullet in the river outflow and pools. Best on a flooding tide into dusk; coloured water after a blow favours bass. Easy parking and amenities in the village, but take care with strong swells and rip currents.

Should you fish Mawgan Porth?

57 Fair

Today · Best window

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

Most likely species: Ballan Wrasse and Pollack

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

NW 4 mph Rain 8% High tide 10:54

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Mawgan Porth — 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 Mawgan Porth

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

Mawgan Porth is a tide-and-swell surf beach: excellent when there is fizz, colour and defined gutters, poor or unsafe when the Atlantic swell is closing the bay out. Treat it as a bass-first beach on a flooding tide into dusk, with cleaner-sand night options for small-eyed rays, dogfish, whiting and occasional turbot. The rocky corners add summer mackerel, pollack and wrasse, but only when conditions and tide allow safe access.

  • Know when Mawgan Porth is a bass beach, not a long-cast beach
  • Pick the gutters that matter before you set up
  • Time rays around the flood instead of fishing blind
  • Use the river end only when the conditions suit it
  • Know when the rock corners are not worth the risk

Included with Premium

Cancel anytime · Stripe

Unlock this mark's plan

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

Mawgan Porth 0.3 mi St Eval 2.0 mi Carloggas 2.1 mi St Ervan 3.5 mi Newquay 4.1 mi

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

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

7.1 /10

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

Category scores

Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 7/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 6/10
Accessibility 8/10

Bass 9/10
Tip: Surf beach; fish rougher water on a flooding tide. Cut sandeel, lug or peeler close in, or work surface/metals at dawn/dusk around rips.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 8/10
Tip: Clean sand; best at night into the flood. Small fish or squid baits at 30–70 m. Regular year-round, strongest spring–autumn.
Pollack 7/10
Tip: From rocky heads either side; fish soft plastics/metals on a flooding tide at dusk. Keep lures up to avoid kelp.
Whiting 7/10
Tip: Winter evenings on the beach; 2–3 hook flappers with lug or squid slivers at medium range on the flood/high.
Small-eyed Ray 6/10
Tip: Night sessions on neaps; long-cast sandeel or mackerel fillet to sandbars/gutters. Best late spring–autumn in settled surf.
Mackerel 6/10
Tip: Summer shoals off the headlands; small metals or feathers at dawn/evening over mid to high water.
Ballan Wrasse 6/10
Tip: From rock platforms; daylight flood. Fish crab or worm tight to kelp/rocky gullies with strong tackle.
Turbot 5/10
Tip: Occasional in the surf; small sandeel/smelt baits worked along the first/second breakers on the flood, spring to early autumn.
Golden-grey Mullet 5/10
Tip: Calm summer evenings by the rivermouth/surf line; small hooks with rag or sandeel strips/Isome drifted in the wash.
Weever Fish (Lesser) 5/10
Tip: Common in summer in shallow surf; small worm baits on size 6–8 hooks. Handle with care—venomous spines.

Local knowledge

Mawgan Porth fishing guide

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

Mawgan Porth is a broad, west-facing sandy bay on Cornwall’s north coast between Newquay and Bedruthan Steps. It offers classic surf-beach fishing for bass, small-eyed rays and turbot, with rocky fringes at either end for wrasse and pollack. It is scenic, accessible, and fishes best when there is some life in the water but not a raging swell.

Set in a small village, Mawgan Porth is easy to reach and has parking right behind the beach. The terrain is mainly firm-to-soft sand with rocky points at each end and short, undulating coast path sections if you explore the headlands.

  • Driving: From Newquay or Padstow, follow the B3276 and signposts for Mawgan Porth.
  • Parking: Large pay-and-display car park directly behind the beach; typical sat-nav postcode TR8 4BA. In peak season it fills quickly.
  • Approach: Level access onto the sand; 1–3 minutes walk to the waterline at low tide may be longer. Headland ledges require short but sometimes steep, uneven paths.
  • Public transport: Regular bus services run along the coast road between Newquay and Padstow with a stop in the village.
  • Terrain notes: Clean sand across the bay with shingle pockets and occasional banks and gutters; weeded, slippery rocks around both flanks. Some cliff paths can be muddy and eroded after rain; heed any closure or diversion signs, especially towards Bedruthan Steps.

Mawgan Porth is a productive surf mark through late spring to autumn, with rock species at the edges. Winter brings scratching opportunities on calmer days.

  • Spring (Apr–Jun):
    • Bass (schoolies early, better fish after a blow)
    • Turbot on sandeel
    • Plaice and the odd flounder
    • Wrasse and pollack from the rocky ends
    • Dogfish; occasional smoothhound on a crab bait
  • Summer (Jul–Sep):
    • Bass in the surf, especially dawn, dusk and at night
    • Small-eyed ray and occasional spotted ray on clean sand
    • Turbot and gurnard on sandeel
    • Thick-lipped and golden-grey mullet near the stream mouth in calm water
    • Pollack, wrasse; mackerel and garfish passing the headlands
    • Bull huss after dark from rougher patches
  • Autumn (Oct–Nov):
    • Peak bass time with a lively sea
    • Small-eyed ray still about; turbot continue in the right conditions
    • Whiting arrive late; gurnard linger into early autumn
    • Huss, pollack, wrasse on the rocks if the sea allows
  • Winter (Dec–Mar):
    • Whiting, dogfish, rockling; odd bass in stormy, coloured seas
    • Flounder in calmer spells; conger from rough ground after dark

This is classic surf-beach work with options for lure and rock fishing at either end. Keep tackle simple, present fresh baits tidily, and position them along gutters and the first or second breakers.

  • Beach bait fishing:
    • For bass and rays: 4–5 oz grip leads, pulley or pulley-pennel with 3/0–4/0 hooks; sandeel (fresh or good-quality frozen), mackerel fillet, squid strip, or peeler crab in spring.
    • For turbot and gurnard: 2-hook flapper or 1-up 1-down with size 1–2 hooks; sandeel or small fish strips. Cast across banks and seams rather than maximum distance.
    • For flatties/whiting: 2–3 hook flapper, size 2–4 hooks, beads/attractors optional; lugworm, ragworm, or small mackerel/squid slivers.
  • Lure fishing:
    • Bass in the surf with shallow-diving minnows, metal spoons, or weedless soft plastics; work the edges of rips and the white water at first light and dusk.
    • Pollack from the headlands with 20–40 g metals or weedless soft plastics; count down and retrieve just above the kelp.
  • Float fishing (rocky ends):
    • Ragworm or prawn for wrasse; mackerel strip for pollack and garfish.
  • Tackle notes:
    • Long shockleader, abrasion-resistant snoods, and a rotten-bottom link near rougher patches.
    • Often, 20–40 yards is enough for bass in lively surf; avoid overcasting past the first bar when fish are tight in.

Tide and sea state make or break this beach. Aim for movement without dangerous surf, and time sessions around the formation of gutters and banks.

  • Tide states:
    • Flooding tide into dusk or darkness is very reliable for bass; last two hours of flood and first of ebb for rays.
    • Turbot often show from mid to late flood as water pushes over the banks.
    • Springs reveal more structure; neaps can be steadier for presentation.
  • Sea conditions:
    • Best with a moderate SW–W swell that creates fizz and colour without closing out the bay.
    • After a blow, fish the dropping sea as it cleans up. Heavy surf and cross rips can make it unfishable.
    • Clear, settled water suits lure work; a slight chop helps.
  • Times of day and season:
    • Dawn and dusk outperform bright middays, especially in summer crowds.
    • Night fishing markedly improves bass, ray and huss odds.
  • Wind:
    • Light offshore or cross-off (E–SE) flattens the surf for lures; onshore (W–NW) builds bassy water but can bring weed.

This is an exposed Atlantic beach with powerful rips and changeable swell, plus slippery rocks at the ends. Plan conservatively and give the sea full respect.

  • Rips and surf: Strong rips form around banks; avoid wading in surf, and do not fish between lifeguard swim or surf flags during the season.
  • Cut-off risk: The rocky ends flood quickly on a rising tide; know your exit and timings before exploring ledges.
  • Slippery and unstable: Weed-covered rocks are very slick; cliff edges and bases can see rockfall after rain.
  • Swell awareness: Long-period swells send rogue sets; keep well back from the waterline on the rocks.
  • Night fishing: Carry a spare headtorch, mark your access point, and avoid solo rock sessions.
  • Personal safety: A modern lifejacket is strongly recommended if fishing off rocks; wear grippy boots or rock spikes.
  • Accessibility: Ramped access from the car park to the sand, but soft sand makes wheelchair access to the waterline challenging; no lighting on the beach.

The village backs the beach, so facilities are close at hand, with more comprehensive services in Newquay.

  • Toilets: Public toilets by the beach car park.
  • Food and drink: Cafés, takeaway, pub and seasonal kiosks in the village.
  • Lifeguards: RNLI lifeguard patrols typically operate during the main holiday season; observe their flag zones.
  • Tackle and bait: Head to Newquay for tackle shops and fresh/frozen bait; some village shops may stock basic items in summer.
  • Parking: Pay-and-display behind the beach; overflow options in peak periods.
  • Mobile signal: Generally good on the beach, variable on headland paths.
  • Accommodation: Holiday parks, lodges and B&Bs nearby.

Subtle features make a big difference here; reading the beach and timing your session pays off.

  • Find the gutters: Look for darker seams and the edges of rip channels; place a bait on the near lip rather than bombing it long.
  • Stream mouth signs: The small river outflow creates colour and bait interest on the flood; bass and mullet patrol this area in calmer seas.
  • Bait choices: Quality sandeel is king for turbot and rays; peeler crab and fresh mackerel score for bass after a blow.
  • Hook and snood: Keep hooks sharp and snoods tidy; short, supple snoods present well in surf without tangling.
  • Weed management: After onshore winds, suspended weed can drag tackle; step up to heavier grip leads and keep line angles low.
  • Crowd control: In summer, fish very early, late, or after dark to avoid bathers and surfers; always give water-users priority.
  • Rock edges: On calm evenings, try a mobile lure session along each end for pollack and bonus bass as light fades.

Shore angling is generally permitted at Mawgan Porth, but you must follow national and local rules and respect seasonal beach management.

  • Beach zones: During RNLI lifeguard season, do not fish within the red-yellow swim or black-white surfboard flag zones; lifeguards may move you on if you endanger water-users.
  • Bass rules: Recreational bass has a 42 cm minimum size and an annually reviewed bag limit and open season. Check current UK government guidance before retaining any bass.
  • Minimum sizes and bylaws: Observe the latest Cornwall IFCA and national minimum conservation reference sizes for species such as plaice, turbot, etc. When unsure, practice catch and release.
  • Protected areas: The surrounding coastline includes designated conservation areas and SSSIs; these do not normally restrict line angling, but avoid disturbing wildlife and do not remove seashore fauna where prohibited.
  • Bait collection: Take only what you need and avoid digging or turning rocks in sensitive areas; follow any on-site signage.
  • General: No littering, no leaving tackle or line; consider using barbless or crushed-barb hooks when releasing fish.