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

Portloe

6.2 · Rocks · Cornwall

A compact south-facing rocky cove with a tiny working harbour and kelp-covered ledges either side. Deep water is close in off the headlands, with tide run along the points. Best in settled conditions; dangerous in swell or on big spring tides. Summer brings wrasse, pollack, mackerel and garfish; after-dark sessions produce pouting, scad and conger. Access is via a steep walk through the village with very limited parking; take a long-handled net and fish with abrasion-resistant gear.

Should you fish Portloe?

66 Good

Today · Best window

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

Most likely species: Ballan Wrasse and Pollack

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

NW 3 mph Rain 6% High tide 11:12

Worth fishing if you can hit the best window.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Portloe — 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 Portloe

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

Portloe is a compact, kelpy rock-and-harbour cove that fishes best when settled, with deep water close to the headlands and useful tide movement along the points. Treat it as a rough-ground rock mark: short, accurate casts, abrasion-resistant tackle and a willingness to move between ledges usually matter more than distance.

  • Know when to fish the outer ledges instead of the harbour edge.
  • Time the flood-to-high window for Portloe’s best movement.
  • Target wrasse, pollack, bass and conger with mark-specific tactics.
  • Avoid the swell and spring-tide traps that spoil this cove.
  • Use a backup plan when Portloe is too surgy or busy.

Included with Premium

Cancel anytime · Stripe

Unlock this mark's plan

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

Tregony 3.6 mi Gorran Haven 4.6 mi Portscatho 4.7 mi Grampound 5.6 mi Probus 5.7 mi

Explore nearby towns: Tregony · Gorran Haven · Portscatho · Grampound · Probus

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

6.2 /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 4/10
Accessibility 5/10

Pollack 8/10
Tip: Work soft plastics or metals along kelp edges at dusk on the flood; cast parallel to the rocks. Weedless jigheads reduce snagging.
Ballan Wrasse 8/10
Tip: Crab or rag on strong gear, low to mid tide, tight to kelp and boulders in daylight. Use rotten-bottom to beat snags.
Bass 7/10
Tip: Lures or crab in surfy gullies on a flooding tide at dawn/dusk or after a blow. Keep mobile along ledges; avoid big swells.
Mackerel 7/10
Tip: Summer evenings on a rising tide; small metals or feathers from headlands when shoals push tight. Keep gear high to avoid kelp.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: After dark in the gullies; size 2 hooks with small mackerel or rag strips, short casts. Flooding tide improves bites.
Scad (Horse Mackerel) 6/10
Tip: Warm nights Aug-Oct; small sabikis under a float or slow-jigged from headlands, retrieve slowly. Flood and slack water fish best.
Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
Tip: Small rag or crab on size 4-6 hooks, fish tight to weeded rock in daylight at mid-flood. Use abrasion-resistant snoods.
Conger Eel 6/10
Tip: Night over rough ground into deep gullies; big mackerel/squid baits, heavy traces and rotten-bottom. Best 2 hours around high water.
Garfish 6/10
Tip: Late spring to autumn; float fish thin mackerel strips or small spinners near the surface over clean patches on the flood.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 5/10
Tip: Night over mixed ground; two-hook flappers with small fish or squid baits, short casts into gullies. Best on the flood into early ebb.

Local knowledge

Portloe fishing guide

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

Portloe is a tiny, dramatic cove on Cornwall’s Roseland Peninsula, backed by steep cliffs and a working crab-and-lobster harbour. It’s a rough-ground, kelpy venue that rewards careful anglers with wrasse, pollack, bass, and summer surface action. Expect clear water in settled weather, bitey ledges, and proper West Country character.

Set in Veryan Bay, Portloe is reached by narrow Cornish lanes and rewards early arrivals with a peaceful, postcard-perfect setting. Access to fishing is from rocky headlands flanking the harbour and short goat-tracks above the cove.

  • Drive via Veryan from the A390/B3287; allow time for single-track sections with passing places.
  • Use the small village car park signed above the harbour (postcodes around TR2 5RD/TR2 5RA get you close). Spaces are limited in summer; arrive early or late.
  • The harbour itself is tiny and actively used—do not block slipways or working areas; some spots may be signed no fishing when boats are operating.
  • West and east of the cove offer rough-ground rock marks reached by short, steep paths. Footing is uneven with weeded slabs and boulders.
  • Not wheelchair-friendly; steep gradients and steps make it challenging for those with limited mobility.

Portloe is classic south-coast rough ground. Expect wrasse and pollack in the kelp, summer pelagics on calm evenings, and nocturnal eel action.

  • Spring: Pollack, ballan and corkwing wrasse, early bass on a building sea, occasional garfish late spring; thick-lipped mullet nosing around the harbour.
  • Summer: Ballan/corkwing wrasse, pollack, mackerel, garfish, scad at dusk, bass in low light; mullet in the cove; occasional black bream and triggerfish in warm spells.
  • Autumn: Bass often peak, mackerel and scad shoals, garfish to the first chills, squid occasionally on still, clear nights; conger eels from the rougher ledges.
  • Winter: Strap conger, pollack in calm clear spells, pout/poor cod; whiting possible on colder nights. Expect generally slower sport.

Rough ground means tackle losses—fish smart and accept some gear attrition. LRF/HRF and float tactics shine in clear water; baits score for bigger wrasse and conger.

  • LRF/HRF: 5–12 g jig heads and weedless Texas rigs with 2–4 inch soft plastics for wrasse/pollack. Work lures tight to kelp edges and drop-offs.
  • Float fishing: Ragworm, lug, prawn, or peeler crab for wrasse; mackerel strip/sandeel for gar/mackerel. Set floats to run just above weed.
  • Spinning: Slim metals and small surface/sub-surface stickbaits for mackerel/scad/gar; 20–30 g paddletails or leadheads for pollack in low light.
  • Bottom fishing: 2-hook flapper or short pulley/pulley dropper with a weak-link/rotten-bottom for snags. Big mackerel/squid cocktails for conger/huss after dark.
  • Mullet: Bread flake or small crust baits on size 8–12 hooks, light fluorocarbon and stealth around the slip and weedbeds in calm water.
  • Tackle notes: 9–10 ft lure rods for mobile work; 12–13 ft beach/rock rods with 20–25 lb mainline (or 0.30–0.35 mm + leader) and abrasion-resistant leaders for bottom work.

This south-coast nook likes settled seas and movement on the flood. Water clarity often dictates the approach.

  • Best tide: Mid-flood to high and into the first of the ebb, especially around dusk. Neaps are kinder for LRF; springs provide movement for bass/pollack.
  • Conditions: Light onshore breeze or a gentle swell for bass; otherwise calm/clear for wrasse, pollack, and sighty float fishing. Big easterly swell can make it unfishable.
  • Time of day: Dusk and dawn are prime for bass/pollack and summer pelagics; full dark for conger and scad.
  • Seasonality: Peak general sport June–October; winter sessions are shorter and more target-specific (pollack/eel).

Cliff-backed ground and surgy ledges demand respect. Treat Portloe as a serious rock mark, not a promenade.

  • Wear a PFD, carry a headtorch with spare batteries, and fish with a partner where possible.
  • Weed-slimed rocks and kelp ledges are extremely slippery—use studded boots/cleats and avoid jumping gaps.
  • Watch swell sets; the cove can surge unpredictably on a long-period swell, especially with easterly component.
  • Use rotten-bottom links over rough ground and keep lines high to avoid snags and pot warps.
  • Harbour etiquette: Keep clear of the slip, winch, and working areas; heed any local signage or requests from fishermen.
  • Limited mobile signal in the cove; better reception higher up the village.
  • Not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs; steep approaches and uneven terrain throughout.

Portloe is small and traditional—plan self-sufficiently. You’ll find food and loos nearby, but no tackle shop on the doorstep.

  • Food and drink: The Lugger Hotel and The Ship Inn in the village (seasonal hours—check ahead).
  • Toilets: Public conveniences typically available near the car park (seasonal opening may apply).
  • Tackle and bait: Head to Truro or St Austell for shops and fresh bait; none in Portloe itself.
  • Parking: Small village car park above the harbour; on-street is tight—do not obstruct access for residents or boats.
  • Signal: Patchy down in the cove; improves up the hill.

Subtlety and mobility catch more fish here. Treat every ledge as a new swim and adapt to the water clarity.

  • Use fluorocarbon leaders (10–12 lb LRF, 20–30 lb HRF) in clear water to improve takes, especially for mullet and wrasse.
  • Peeled prawn or hardback crab is deadly for better wrasse; strike positively and bully fish clear of kelp immediately.
  • Work lures tight to the rock line on a flooding tide for pollack; count them down and keep contact—most hits come on the drop.
  • Gars and scad stack at dusk in summer; scale down hooks (size 6–8) and keep baits slim. A small float or micro-metal jigging under the rod tip can be electric.
  • Expect snags: carry spare leads and use weak-link systems. Short snoods help keep hooks above kelp.
  • Respect pot lines and marker buoys—don’t cast across them and give working boats plenty of room.
  • For mullet, fish ultra-quietly with bread mash sparingly—commotion in the tiny cove kills the swim.

Angling is generally permitted at Portloe, but it’s an active working harbour—follow local signage and keep slips/gear clear. Check national and local rules before your trip.

  • Bass: England’s recreational bass rules apply (seasonal retention limits and a minimum size). Check current MMO guidance before retaining any bass.
  • Cornwall IFCA byelaws: Minimum conservation reference sizes for finfish and shellfish, protection for berried lobsters/crabs, and other local measures apply. Verify the latest sizes and restrictions on the Cornwall IFCA website.
  • No removal from pots: It is illegal to tamper with or remove catch from commercial pots.
  • Marine protected areas: The wider Roseland coast includes designated sites; recreational angling is typically allowed, but some methods may be restricted—check site-specific guidance.
  • General: Only keep what you need, measure fish accurately, and dispose of line/weights responsibly. If in doubt, release.