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Cornwall

Porthallow

7.1 · Beach · Cornwall

Sheltered, east-facing shingle/pebble beach in a small cove on the Lizard, with rocky headlands at both ends and mixed-to-clean ground in the middle. Short walks from roadside parking put you on the beach; the rocky points offer slightly deeper water and kelp. Summer brings shoals (mackerel, garfish, scad) and good wrasse/pollack sport along the edges; winter sees whiting and pout after dark. Flats (plaice, dab) are possible over the cleaner patches with a longer cast, and conger/dogfish show at night from the boulders. Best on a flooding tide through high and into the first of the ebb, especially at dawn/dusk. Very sheltered in prevailing south-westerlies; easterlies can push weed and chop. Take care on weeded rocks and around boats/slip.

Should you fish Porthallow?

62 Fair

Today · Best window

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

Most likely species: Ballan Wrasse and Mackerel

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

W 3 mph Rain 6% High tide 10:57

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

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7-day fishing forecast for Porthallow — 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.

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· 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.

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Porthallow is a sheltered, east-facing shingle cove that fishes best when you match the ground: cleaner middle beach for ledgering and longer casts, rocky kelp fringes for wrasse, pollack and mixed sport, and the beach drop-off for summer shoals. The most reliable window is the flood through high water, with dawn, dusk and darkness adding much of the bite potential.

  • Know when to fish the clean middle instead of the kelp edges
  • Time the flood so you are fishing Porthallow’s strongest window
  • Pick the right tactic for wrasse, pollack, shoals or winter whiting
  • Avoid the easterly weed trap and low-water presentation problems
  • Use Porthallow properly as a sheltered fallback mark

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

St Keverne 1.4 mi Coverack 3.0 mi Helford Passage 3.3 mi Mawnan Smith 3.6 mi Porth Navas 3.9 mi

Explore nearby towns: St Keverne · Coverack · Helford Passage · Mawnan Smith · Porth Navas

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

Mackerel 8/10
Tip: Summer shoals on the flood; cast metal lures or 1-3 hook sabikis from beach or rock ends. Dawn/dusk best in clear water.
Ballan Wrasse 8/10
Tip: Crab or rag close to the rocky points and kelp on the flood; fish tight to structure with lift-and-drop. Best May-Oct.
Pollack 7/10
Tip: Work small metals or soft plastics along kelp edges from the headlands at dusk or dawn on a flooding tide; autumn strong.
Scad (Horse Mackerel) 7/10
Tip: After dark late summer-autumn; tiny sabikis or size 6-10 hooks tipped with mackerel, fished mid-water under a light on the flood.
Corkwing Wrasse 7/10
Tip: Small hooks with rag or squid strips down the sides of rocks and boulders; steady on the flood, May-Sep.
Rock Goby 7/10
Tip: LRF with size 14-20 hooks and bits of rag or prawn among boulders and weedy margins at low to mid tide; year-round, best in summer.
Bass 6/10
Tip: With an onshore breeze and some surf, fish plugs or cast crab/sandeel from the shingle; first push of the flood and dusk/dawn, May-Oct.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: After dark from the rocky ends; small fish or worm baits on size 2-4 hooks, keep baits just off rough ground; fish the flood and high water year-round.
Garfish 6/10
Tip: Calm, clear summer days; float small sandeel or sliver of mackerel set shallow over sand patches on the flood from the beach.
Mullet (Thick-lipped) 6/10
Tip: Quiet, clear conditions; feed bread and drift a flake along the weed line and slipway; neap tides and early mornings best, late spring-autumn.

Local knowledge

Porthallow fishing guide

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

Porthallow is a quiet, east-facing shingle cove on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, sheltered from prevailing Atlantic swells and famed for its clear water. It offers relaxed beach fishing and productive rock marks nearby, with summer mackerel and wrasse, autumn bass and scad, and winter whiting providing year-round interest.

Tucked between Nare Point and Porthkerris, Porthallow is reached via narrow lanes off the B3293 through St Keverne. Access to the beach is straightforward, with only short walks needed unless you explore the rocky headlands.

  • Driving: From the A394, take the B3293 towards St Keverne, then follow signs for Porthallow; the lanes are single-track with passing places.
  • Postcode: TR12 6PN (village/shorefront area for sat‑nav; expect lane routing).
  • Parking: Small car park and beachside spaces by the slip/sea wall; local pay-and-display or honesty box is common—bring coins.
  • Approach: The shingle beach is immediately beside parking; rock marks on both flanks require a short scramble over weeded boulders.
  • Terrain: Steep shingle, cobbles, and kelpy rock ledges; generally easy to moderate footing on the beach, trickier on the rocks when wet.

Fishing here is varied across the seasons, with clean-to-mixed ground in the cove and kelp reefs on the points.

  • Spring (Mar–May):
    • Pollack, ballan and corkwing wrasse on the rocks
    • Early bass around rough ground, especially at dusk
    • The first mackerel in settled spells; odd gurnard and pouting
  • Summer (Jun–Aug):
    • Mackerel, garfish and scad from beach and rocks
    • Wrasse and pollack over kelp; occasional black bream around rough ground
    • Bass in low light; thick- and thin‑lipped mullet mooching around the slip and moorings
    • Occasional gilthead bream in calm, warm spells; small smoothhound possible
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov):
    • Scad and mackerel into darkness; bass around surfy corners
    • Conger from the rocks at night; gurnard on baits
    • Squid on very calm, clear evenings
  • Winter (Dec–Feb):
    • Whiting, pouting and dogfish from the beach at night
    • Conger on bigger baits; pollack on lures in settled seas
    • Cod are rare in this area; flatfish are uncommon on the steep shingle

The cove fishes well with simple beach tactics, while the flanking rocks reward float fishing, LRF/HRF, and soft plastics. Clear water often favours lighter, stealthier approaches.

  • Beach ledgering:
    • Two‑hook flapper or 1‑up/1‑down with size 1–2 hooks for whiting, pout, gurnard; 4–5 oz lead usually sufficient
    • Baits: ragworm, lugworm, mackerel/squid strips; sandeel for bass/gurnard
    • A pulley/rotary dropper with a weak-link (rotten-bottom) helps over mixed ground
  • Float fishing (rocks and beach margins):
    • Ragworm, prawn, or crab pieces for wrasse; small fish strips for mackerel/garfish
    • Size 4–1/0 hooks, set to fish just above kelp fringe
  • Lures and LRF/HRF:
    • 20–40 g metals for mackerel/scad; small topwaters or minnows for bass in calm greylight
    • 3–5" weedless soft plastics (10–20 g) for pollack/bass along the kelp lines
    • Micro‑jigs, isome and small creature baits for blennies, gobies, scorpion fish around boulders
  • Night fishing:
    • For winter whiting and pout: size 2 flappers with luminous beads/tips; mackerel or squid cocktails
    • Conger: strong gear, 4/0–6/0 hooks, fish baits from rocky ledges—lock drags and use abrasion‑resistant leaders
  • Squid (calm, clear autumn evenings):
    • Size 2.5–3.0 egi jigs, slow lifts and pauses off the beach edge or gentle rock ledges

Being east-facing, Porthallow is often fishable when the Atlantic side is blown out, and it clears quickly after westerlies. Timing and light levels matter more than extreme casting distance here.

  • Tide states:
    • Mid-flood to high water is the most consistent from both beach and rocks
    • The first of the ebb can fish well from rock points; low water exposes slippery weed and can impede presentation
  • Sea and wind:
    • Light westerly or southerly winds give calm, clear water; easterlies add chop and colour—good for bass but can push in weed
    • After a couple of settled days the water becomes gin-clear; scale down terminal tackle accordingly
  • Time of day and season:
    • Dawn/dusk for bass, pollack and surface‑feeding mackerel/garfish
    • Darkness in autumn/winter for scad, whiting, pout and conger
    • Summer wrasse best on the flooding tide over kelp
  • Water depth and ground:
    • Steep shingle drops to mixed ground; both flanks feature kelp and boulders that hold wrasse and pollack

It’s generally a benign venue, but the combination of steep shingle, slippery weed and boat activity means you should stay switched on. Treat the rocky points with respect and avoid being cut off.

  • Steep shingle bank can collapse underfoot—keep clear of shore dump and avoid wading in swell
  • Rocks are weeded and very slippery: sturdy footwear, minimal kit, and a wading staff help
  • Be aware of tidal cut-off on the headlands; check tide times before committing to ledges
  • Use rotten-bottom links over kelp/rough ground to avoid hauling from snags
  • Working beach: keep off the slipway, clear of winch cables and moorings; respect commercial boats
  • Wear a personal flotation device on rock marks, carry a headtorch at night, and let someone know your plans
  • Mobile signal can be patchy in the cove; it improves on higher ground
  • Accessibility: the concrete slip offers firm access, but the loose shingle is challenging for wheelchairs/buggies; no handrails on rocks

Facilities are modest but adequate for a day session, with more options a short drive away. Expect seasonal variations in opening times.

  • Parking by the beach/slip (fees/honesty box common); spaces limited in peak season
  • Public toilets by the beach are usually open in main season; may be reduced hours off‑season
  • Food/drink: The Five Pilchards Inn in the village; a small beach café often opens seasonally—check locally
  • Shops/fuel: St Keverne (approx. 2 miles) for basics; full supermarkets and tackle shops in Helston and Falmouth
  • Rubbish bins are limited—plan to take all litter and waste line home
  • Phone signal is variable in the cove; generally better up the lane

Local anglers treat Porthallow as a dependable “plan B” when the west side roars—settled evenings can be superb for surface action. Little tweaks to presentation make a big difference in the clear water.

  • Watch for birds picking and bait dimpling just beyond the drop-off at dusk—mackerel and garfish will sit tight to the beach here
  • In clear conditions, use fluorocarbon snoods (10–15 lb), smaller hooks and natural baits; keep metal lures slim and fast
  • Wrasse love crab: peeler or hardbacks out-fish worm when crabs are moulting; fish tight to kelp with a rotten-bottom
  • For night scad, add a tiny sliver of mackerel and a luminous bead above a size 6–4 hook under a small float
  • Summer often sees a marked swimming/launch lane—set up outside buoyed areas and avoid busy times around the slip
  • If you’re losing gear, step up to a strong leader and shorten snoods to keep hooks off the kelp tops
  • Try a slow-walked surface lure along the left-hand rocks at first light for surprise bass on glassy mornings

Recreational shore angling is generally permitted from Porthallow beach and surrounding rocks, but always heed any local signage (e.g., no fishing within marked bathing/launch lanes or around working gear). Regulations can change—check current rules before you go.

  • National/UK rules:
    • Minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS) apply to many species; return undersized fish carefully
    • Sea bass regulations are updated annually; check current dates, bag limits and the 42 cm minimum size on official sources before retaining any bass
  • Cornwall IFCA byelaws:
    • Cornwall IFCA enforces local byelaws, including restrictions on certain nets, shellfish sizes, and protection for berried lobsters/crabs—do not retain berried or V‑notched crustaceans
    • Some nearby estuarine zones within the Fal/Helford system have Bass Nursery Area restrictions (mainly for fishing from boats); if you venture into the estuary, verify the exact boundaries and dates
  • Protected areas:
    • The coastline here sits near designated conservation sites (e.g., Fal & Helford SAC and the Manacles MCZ further south). Shore angling is allowed, but avoid disturbing intertidal habitats, eelgrass and maerl beds; do not remove living reef features
  • Bait and conduct:
    • Follow local codes for bait collection; avoid digging in eelgrass and refill any holes
    • Keep clear of commercial gear, mark it clearly if you snag and cannot remove, and take all litter/line home