Penberth Cove Fishing

Last updated: 1 week ago

Penberth Cove Fishing Map

A small, traditional working cove on the south Penwith coast with granite ledges and kelp-fringed rough ground dropping quickly into mixed sand. Best fished around a flooding tide into dusk for pelagics and pollack, and by day for wrasse in the gullies. Space is limited and swells can rebound off the rocks; keep clear of the slipway and working boats.

Ratings

⭐ 6.6/10 Overall
Catch Potential 6/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 5/10
Accessibility 5/10

Fish You Can Catch at Penberth Cove

🐟 Pollack 8/10
🎯 Tip: Work soft plastics or metals along kelp gullies from the headlands; dusk and first of the flood are best. Keep lures high to avoid snags.
🐟 Ballan Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Fish hardback crab or rag on strong gear tight to kelpy rocks; mid-flood in settled seas, summer–autumn. Use a rotten-bottom and lift fish fast.
🐟 Bass 7/10
🎯 Tip: Dawn/dusk on a rising tide; surface or shallow-diving lures around the cove mouth and white water after a southerly swell. Peeler crab also works.
🐟 Mackerel 7/10
🎯 Tip: Summer shoals; small metals or float-fished strips from the points at evening on the flood. Keep above weed and mind the swell on ledges.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
🎯 Tip: Size 4–8 hooks with rag or prawn into kelp edges; daytime, mid-flood, summer. Short casts and lift quickly from snags.
🐟 Tompot Blenny 6/10
🎯 Tip: Micro gear; size 12–16 hooks with rag or prawn lowered into rock crevices at low to mid tide. Great on calm days.
🐟 Conger Eel 6/10
🎯 Tip: After dark, drop oily fish baits into deep kelpy holes; neaps or slack to first push. Heavy mono trace and rotten-bottom to beat brutal snags.
🐟 Garfish 6/10
🎯 Tip: Float-fished sandeel slivers or tiny spoons near surface; clear water, summer–autumn. Best on the flood with a light onshore breeze.
🐟 Rock Goby 5/10
🎯 Tip: Small hooks with rag or mussel in weedy pools and boulder edges; best on the flood in clear, calm conditions.
🐟 Shanny 5/10
🎯 Tip: Tiny baits (rag, mussel) lowered into holes among boulders; low water or early flood, calm seas. Keep tackle minimal to avoid snagging.

Penberth Cove Fishing

Summary

Penberth Cove is a tiny, working granite fishing cove on Cornwall’s south‑west tip between Porthcurno and Mousehole. Rugged rock edges, kelp gullies and quick access to clear, Atlantic water make it a lovely, low‑key mark for wrasse, pollack, mackerel and bass. It’s tranquil and scenic, but very much a real working hamlet—fish it quietly and respectfully.

Location and Access

This is a National Trust–owned valley cove reached down a steep lane from the B3315. Access is straightforward but the walk back is a calf‑burner, and the fishing platforms are natural rock ledges and boulders rather than man‑made structures.

Seasons

Penberth fishes like a classic West Penwith rock mark, with resident wrasse and pollack and summer visitors over clean water runs. Micro‑species are abundant for LRF.

Methods

Rough ground dominates, so think snags, kelp and ledges. Lure and float fishing shine; static bottom rigs work if you gear up for losses and use rotten‑bottom links.

Tides and Conditions

Penberth is shallow in the cove with quick access to mixed rough ground outside. Tide run is manageable, but swell and water clarity dictate your approach.

Safety

This is a natural rock mark at a working cove—treat it with caution and courtesy. There is no safe fishing during big swells.

Facilities

Facilities are minimal at the cove itself; plan to be self‑sufficient and discreet.

Tips

Quiet, stealthy fishing suits this intimate, clear‑water spot. The fish are there—presentation and tide timing matter more than casting distance.

Regulations

There is no standing ban on angling at Penberth Cove, but it is a working fishery and National Trust site—fish considerately and obey national and local rules.