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

Porthgwidden Beach

6.8 · Beach · Cornwall

A small, sheltered, east‑facing sandy cove in St Ives beneath The Island headland. Clean sand in the middle with kelp‑covered, fish‑holding rocks at both ends gives options for light lure, float and short‑range ledger fishing. Best fished at dawn/dusk or after dark (and outside peak bathing times in summer when lifeguard no‑fishing zones may apply). The flood through high water draws baitfish into the cove; calm, clear days suit surface and float tactics, while autumn/winter nights can produce from the sand. Sheltered from prevailing W/SW winds but exposed to easterlies. Access is easy via steps from The Island car park; rocks can be slippery with weed and swell rebound around the headland, so take care.

Should you fish Porthgwidden Beach?

65 Good

Today · Best window

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

Most likely species: Ballan Wrasse and Mackerel

Good conditions. Best around 06:00-09:00 around the falling tide. Good chance of Ballan Wrasse and Mackerel.

W 3 mph Rain 0% High tide 06:15

Worth fishing if you can hit the best window.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Porthgwidden Beach — 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.

Stop guessing when to fish this mark. Unlock the week to see every 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 Porthgwidden Beach

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

Porthgwidden is best treated as two compact marks in one: the clean sandy cove for short-range ledgering, especially after dark, and the kelp-edged rocky margins beneath The Island for float, lure and wrasse work. The key decision is whether to fish the open sand or hug the rock/sand line, then time it around the mid-flood to high-water window when the cove gains depth and baitfish are more likely to push in.

  • Know when to fish the clean sand or the kelp edges
  • Time the flood window that brings baitfish into the cove
  • Pick bass, pollack, wrasse and scad tactics by exact area
  • Avoid the easterly conditions that spoil this sheltered cove
  • Build a nearby Plan B before bathing zones limit the beach

Included with Premium

Cancel anytime · Stripe

Unlock this mark's plan

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

St Ives (Cornwall) 0.5 mi Carbis Bay 1.5 mi The Towans 2.7 mi Lelant 2.8 mi Hayle 3.3 mi

Explore nearby towns: St Ives (Cornwall) · Carbis Bay · The Towans · Lelant · Hayle

Zoom and pan to explore access points and nearby marks.

Jump to guide

Fish forecast key

Excellent (80+) Good (65-79) Fair (50-64) Poor (0-49)

Overall rating

6.8 /10

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

Category scores

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

Mackerel 8/10
Tip: Summer; feather rigs or small metals from the Island rocks; dusk on a flooding tide is best.
Ballan Wrasse 8/10
Tip: Crab or rag baits dropped into kelp-lined gullies on the rocks either side; best mid to flood in daylight; use strong gear.
Bass 7/10
Tip: Dawn/dusk in the surf or around boulders; shallow divers or sandeel baits on a rising tide after a blow.
Pollack 7/10
Tip: Work soft plastics or float sandeel tight to the rocky points at dusk into dark; last 2 hrs of flood.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: After dark from the rocks into mixed ground; small fish baits or rag; steady on a flood.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 6/10
Tip: After dark on the sand; small fish or squid baits cast from the beach; fishes all states, better on a flood.
Scad (Horse Mackerel) 6/10
Tip: Warm nights Aug-Oct; small sabikis under a float or slowly jigged metals from rocks; best at dusk on a making tide.
Garfish 6/10
Tip: Late spring-autumn; float fish strips or sandeel over clean ground; bright days, mid-flood.
Whiting 5/10
Tip: Winter nights; small fish/squid baits on the sand; best around high on the flood.
Plaice 4/10
Tip: Spring-early summer; long casts to clean sand with ragworm or tipped lug; daylight on a flooding tide.
Mullet (Thick-lipped) 4/10
Tip: Calm, clear water; free-lined bread or small rag along the margins; stealth needed; neap tides help.

Local knowledge

Porthgwidden Beach fishing guide

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.