Summary
Porthgwidden Beach is a small, sheltered cove tucked under The Island headland in St Ives, Cornwall. Facing into St Ives Bay, it offers calm water in prevailing south-westerlies and easy access, making it a handy light-tackle and family-friendly sea angling spot when nearby surf beaches are blown out.
Location and Access
Getting to Porthgwidden is straightforward, and the mark suits those who prefer short walks and tidy ground close to amenities. It sits on the eastern side of The Island, a few minutes from St Ives harbour and town.
- Closest parking: The Island Car Park (pay-and-display; commonly signed locally, postcode TR26 1SY). It fills quickly in summer—arrive early or late.
- Additional options: Trenwith Long Stay (St Ives Leisure Centre, TR26 1DD) with park-and-ride/shuttle down; Barnoon Long Stay (hilltop).
- Approach: From The Island car park, follow the steps or path down to Porthgwidden Beach and café. For rock fishing, continue around The Island path to low ledges and platforms.
- Terrain: Clean sand in the cove with rocky margins; low to medium rock ledges around The Island. Mostly short, easy walks but steps are involved.
- Public transport: Regular trains to St Ives via St Erth, then a 10–15 min walk through town to the beach.
Seasons
A compact cove with sandy bottom and rocky edges, Porthgwidden produces a mix of clean-ground and rough-ground species. Expect more action in settled summer conditions, with opportunistic winter fishing at night.
- Spring: Bass (schoolies with occasional larger fish), pollack (from rocks), wrasse, flounder/dab, early garfish; odd plaice across the bay.
- Summer: Mackerel, garfish, pollack, ballan and corkwing wrasse, schoolie bass (chance of better fish at dusk), scad (horse mackerel) at night, small gurnards, occasional gilthead bream in calm, clear water.
- Autumn: Bass (often best of the year), mackerel (until water cools), pollack, wrasse, scad, dogfish after dark, whiting starting late.
- Winter: Whiting, pouting, poor cod, rockling, dogfish after dark; odd conger from the rougher Island ledges; chance flounder/dab on the sand.
Methods
Light, mobile tactics shine here; the beach fishes best with simple bottom rigs while the adjacent rocks suit float, LRF, and lure work.
- Beach (clean ground): 1–2 hook flapper or loop rigs, size 2–4 hooks, 2–3 oz leads; baits: ragworm, lugworm, mackerel strip, sandeel, squid slivers for whiting/dabs/dogs. Night sessions are productive.
- Bass tactics: At dusk/dawn, fish a pulley/dropper (1/0–3/0) with whole sandeel or squid/sandeel cocktail into the margins/gutters, or freelined/live sandeel along the rock edges on a flooding tide.
- Rocks around The Island:
- Float fishing: 8–12 ft trace beneath a float with small strips of mackerel/sandeel or rag for garfish, mackerel, pollack.
- Lure fishing: 10–20 g metals for mackerel/scad; small soft plastics (2–4 in) on 3–10 g jigheads for pollack/wrasse; surface/sub-surface bass lures at first/last light.
- LRF: Size 8–14 hooks, isome/gulp worms or tiny creature baits for corkwing, small pollack, scad.
- Ground bait match: Use peeler crab/hardback for wrasse tight to kelp and rock creases; scale up abrasion resistance (fluorocarbon 15–20 lb) near the rough stuff.
- Tackle notes: Long rods (11–12 ft) are handy on the rocks; a standard 9–10 ft light spinning rod covers most lure work; on the beach, 10–12 ft is plenty as heavy leads are rarely needed.
Tides and Conditions
The cove is sheltered from the prevailing south-westerlies and often fishes best in calm, clear conditions—ideal for float and lure approaches. Bass and nocturnal species respond to low light and darkness.
- Tide: Mid-flood to high and the first of the ebb are the prime states; the beach gains depth at high water and the rocky margins come alive.
- Swell and wind: Very good in W–SW winds (lee of The Island). It can be uncomfortable or weeded in strong E–NE onshores; avoid big easterly swells on the rock ledges.
- Water clarity: Clear water boosts mackerel/garfish/pollack and LRF; a bit of colour after a blow can switch on the bass.
- Time of day: Dawn/dusk for bass, mackerel, gar; after dark for whiting, dogfish, pouting, scad.
- Seasonality: May–October is busiest for variety; winter is quieter but can give steady scratching after dark on neaps and small springs.
Safety
This is a generally friendly mark, but the usual coastal cautions apply—especially around the rocky points and in onshore easterlies. Respect bathing zones in season.
- Bathers and watercraft: In lifeguarded months, a flagged swim zone is usually set—do not fish within or cast across it. Fish early/late or at night when the beach is quiet.
- Rocks: Weed and spray make ledges slick; wear good footwear and consider a buoyancy aid if working low ledges. Beware surges wrapping around The Island in E/NE swells.
- Tides: Some lower ledges get cut off or become awkward near high; keep escape routes and timing in mind.
- Access: Steps down to the beach; generally short walks. A ramp by the café can aid access, but soft sand and gradients may still challenge wheelchairs—assistance advised.
- General: Headtorch, spare light, and a drop-net if fishing slightly higher ledges for scad/mackerel at night.
Facilities
Being in St Ives, amenities are close at hand, making this a comfortable venue for family trips and short sessions.
- Porthgwidden Beach Café directly behind the beach; seasonal kiosks nearby.
- Public toilets near the beach/café area (seasonal opening hours).
- Seasonal RNLI lifeguard cover typically in peak months—check current RNLI listings.
- Bins and beach huts in season; mobile phone signal usually good.
- Tackle and bait: Available in St Ives town and in nearby Hayle; confirm seasonal opening times, especially early/late sessions.
- Parking: The Island Car Park (TR26 1SY) is closest; alternative long-stay options at Trenwith (TR26 1DD) and Barnoon.
Tips
Treat Porthgwidden as two marks: the clean beach for scratching and the rougher Island edges for float/lure sport. Small adjustments in presentation make a big difference in this clear-water cove.
- Use lighter mainline/fluorocarbon leaders (10–15 lb) and small, sharp hooks for gar/scad; step up abrasion resistance when probing the kelp for wrasse.
- Tiny metals (10–15 g) ripped high in the water at first light pick out mackerel; slow-count-down soft plastics pick off pollack deeper.
- Watch for sandeels shoaling in the corner by the slip and along the rock/sand line—where there are sandeels, bass and mackerel won’t be far.
- After a strong SW blow, the surf beaches may be coloured; Porthgwidden often stays fishable and clear on the same day.
- Seals patrol St Ives—land fish promptly and release away from inquisitive heads; never feed or interfere with wildlife.
- In summer, fish dawn or late evening to avoid crowds and to stay outside any flagged bathing zone.
Regulations
Normal recreational sea angling applies here, but you must respect seasonal bathing zones and national fishery rules. Rules can change—always check the latest official sources before your trip.
- Bathing/swim zones: When RNLI flags and signage are in place, do not fish within the designated swim area; comply with any on-site instructions from lifeguards.
- Bass regulations (England): As of recent DEFRA/MMO guidance, a minimum size of 42 cm applies; retention is typically limited to a small daily bag within a defined open season. Check current dates and limits before keeping any bass.
- Minimum conservation reference sizes: Adhere to Cornwall IFCA/MMO minimum sizes for species such as bass, wrasse, pollack, mackerel, flatfish, etc. Return undersized fish carefully.
- Protected species: Do not target or retain shad, allis/twaite, or any legally protected species; release if caught incidentally.
- Local bylaws: St Ives and Cornwall council beach byelaws may restrict activities that endanger bathers; observe on-site signage.
- General: No littering; take line and hooks home. Use barbless/single hooks where practical around busy beaches.
