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

Rinsey Cove

6.7 · Rocks · Cornwall

A small, south-facing rocky cove between Praa Sands and Porthleven, below the Wheal Prosper engine house. The main fishing is from rough ground and ledges flanking the pocket beach, with kelp beds and deep water close in. Best in settled seas and clear water, especially on a flooding tide into dusk. Expect strong snags and swell rebound; avoid big westerly swells and fish only when conditions are safe. Access is via a steep coastal path from the National Trust car park; no facilities on site. Excellent scenery, but footing is uneven and space is limited at high water.

Should you fish Rinsey Cove?

64 Fair

Today · Best window

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

Most likely species: Ballan Wrasse and Pollack

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

NW 3 mph Rain 16% High tide 10:38

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Rinsey Cove — 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.

Wednesday looks better than today. Unlock the week to see its 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 Rinsey Cove

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

Rinsey Cove fishes best when you treat it as two compact marks: a small surf pocket for bass when there is controlled movement, and kelpy rock ledges for wrasse, pollack, mackerel and night predators when the sea is settled and clear. The strongest general plan is a safe flooding tide into dusk, but the exact area should be chosen by swell, colour and how much room remains on the beach.

  • Know when Rinsey is a bass beach, not a rock mark.
  • Pick the flood window that suits the beach or kelp ledges.
  • Avoid the swell traps that make Rinsey unfishable.
  • Use rigs and lures that survive the kelp and rough ground.
  • Switch targets fast when the water colour changes.

Included with Premium

Cancel anytime · Stripe

Unlock this mark's plan

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

Ashton (Cornwall) 1.1 mi Praa Sands 1.2 mi Breage 1.9 mi Porthleven 2.4 mi Godolphin Cross 2.9 mi

Explore nearby towns: Ashton (Cornwall) · Praa Sands · Breage · Porthleven · Godolphin Cross

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

6.7 /10

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

Category scores

Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 8/10
Safety 3/10
Accessibility 4/10

Bass 8/10
Tip: Work surf and reef edges at dawn/dusk on a flooding tide. Shallow-diving plugs or 5–6in soft plastics; fresh sandeel or peeler in the wash after a blow.
Pollack 8/10
Tip: Rocky points into depth on a flood. Cast 20–40g metals or shads parallel to kelp lines; count down and sweep retrieve. Best spring–autumn, evenings.
Ballan Wrasse 8/10
Tip: Kelp-filled gullies at mid–high water, daytime. Float-fish crab or hardback; or paternoster with strong trace. Peak May–Oct.
Mackerel 7/10
Tip: May–Sep in clear, calm seas. Spin 20–40g metals or float a strip at midwater on the flood; keep mobile to find shoals.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: Rough ground ledges; fish dusk/night. Small fish or worm baits on short snoods near bottom; steady on the flood.
Scad (Horse Mackerel) 6/10
Tip: Aug–Oct evenings/nights. Sabikis or small metals under a float light; suspend midwater on a flooding tide.
Conger Eel 6/10
Tip: Night over rough ground. Big mackerel/whiting baits on a pulley rig; target first 3h of the flood. Use heavy mono and strong hooks.
Garfish 6/10
Tip: Late summer in clear water. Float small sandeel strip shallow over sand tongues on the flood; long shank hooks help unhooking.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 5/10
Tip: Sandy patches at night. Small squid or fish baits on a simple running ledger; last of the ebb into early flood.
Bull Huss 5/10
Tip: Rock-to-sand fringes after dark. Large fish baits on 80lb mono trace; best on neap floods and settled seas.

Local knowledge

Rinsey Cove fishing guide

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

Rinsey Cove sits between Praa Sands and Porthleven on Cornwall’s south coast, backed by striking mine ruins and flanked by kelpy rock ledges. It’s a wild, beautiful mark that rewards effort with quality bass, wrasse, and pollack, plus the chance of night-time huss and conger. Surf over sand and rough-ground rock fishing give you two very different options in one compact venue.

Reaching Rinsey is straightforward but the final approach is steep and uneven. Park at the National Trust car park signed for Rinsey near the hamlet of Ashton/Breage, then follow the coast path down to the cove. Expect a short but strenuous return climb. The beach all but disappears at higher tides and the rock platforms can be slippery.

  • Parking: Small National Trust car park at Rinsey (limited spaces; arrive early in summer and on spring tides).
  • Approach: 10–15 minutes on a rough, steep path with steps; sturdy boots recommended.
  • Terrain: Sandy cove with rocky flanks; adjacent ledges on both sides provide higher, safer perches than the beach in swell.
  • Access notes: No vehicular beach access; not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
  • Alternative bases: Amenities and additional parking in Praa Sands (east) and Porthleven (west), each a short drive.

The cove offers a classic south-coast spread with bass in the surf and wrasse/pollack around the rocks. Seasonality matters: clear, calmer water suits wrasse and pollack; stirred surf draws bass tight in.

  • Spring (Apr–May): Bass (increasing from May), pollack off the ledges, early wrasse; occasional turbot/plaice from the sand in calm seas.
  • Summer (Jun–Aug): Bass (including lure fishing at dawn/dusk), mackerel and garfish on calmer days, ballan and corkwing wrasse, pollack, scad after dark; chance of bull huss from rough ground.
  • Autumn (Sep–Oct): Peak bass time with lively surf; wrasse still strong until the first big blows; mackerel/scad on settled evenings; bigger pollack from the rocks.
  • Winter (Nov–Feb): Whiting and pouting on the sand in onshore seas, dogfish, strap conger; an occasional codling in a real blow is possible but uncommon here.
  • Year-round targets: Conger (night, rough ground), bull huss, rockling; resident wrasse on mild spells.

Two styles shine: surf fishing on the sand for bass and flats, and rough-ground rock fishing for wrasse, pollack, and nocturnal predators. Match approach to sea state and clarity.

  • Surf/bottom (beach, flooding tide):
    • Rigs: Pulley pennel (3/0–4/0) for bass; two-hook flapper (size 1–2) for flats/whiting; clip-down for distance if required.
    • Leads: 3–4 oz grip leads; use a weak/rotten-bottom if casting near the rocky fringes.
    • Baits: Fresh peeler crab, whole sandeel, squid/mackerel cocktails for bass; lugworm, ragworm, small sandeel for turbot/plaice.
  • Lure fishing (rocks and surf margins):
    • Clear/moderate seas: 20–40 g metals, slim minnows, and paddletail soft plastics on 20–30 lb braid with a fluorocarbon leader.
    • Snaggy ground/weed: Weedless soft plastics (Texas/weightless), surface walkers and subsurface stickbaits at first and last light.
  • Float fishing (rock ledges):
    • Ballan wrasse and pollack with prawn, crab, or rag; set 8–15 ft and keep moving to find fish. Strong gear (30 lb leader) helps beat kelp.
  • Ledger from the rocks (evening/night):
    • Big fish baits (mackerel/squid cocktails, fillets) for huss and conger; 60–100 lb mono rubbing leader, large single hooks (6/0–8/0), and a sensible drop-off/weak link.
  • Tackle notes: A 9–10 ft lure rod (20–40 g) covers lures; a 12–13 ft surf rod with 3–5 oz rating for bait; always carry spare rigs due to kelp and snags.

Pick your day around wind direction and swell height. Bass like lively surf on the beach; wrasse and pollack prefer clearer, settled water on the ledges.

  • Tide state:
    • Beach: Mid-flood to high, and first of the ebb for bass; a neat overlap with dusk/dawn is excellent.
    • Rocks: Flood or ebb with movement; avoid being cut off—plan a safe retreat.
  • Wind/swell:
    • Light northerly/easterly winds tend to settle the sea and improve water clarity for wrasse/pollack and lure work.
    • A moderate SW–S swell creates productive bass surf; too much swell makes the cove dangerous and unfishable.
  • Water clarity:
    • Slightly coloured water is ideal for bass; very clear water favours wrasse/pollack and topwater or subtle SPs for bass at dawn.
  • Seasonality:
    • Late spring to late autumn is prime overall; winter sport shifts to whiting/dogfish and occasional predators in onshore blows.
  • Time of day:
    • Dawn and dusk consistently out-fish middays, especially in summer when swimmers use the beach.

Rinsey is a serious, tidal venue with steep access and powerful seas. Treat the ledges and backwash with respect and plan your session around safe exits.

  • Steep path with uneven steps; take your time descending and allow for a strenuous climb out.
  • Beach is small at high water—risk of cut-off against the rocks; know the tide times and keep an escape route.
  • Rock ledges are kelpy and slick; wear studded soles or cleats and take a headlamp if there’s any chance of finishing in the dark.
  • Atlantic swell can wrap in hard—rogue waves possible even on seemingly moderate days. Keep well back and never fish low ledges in heavy seas.
  • Old mine workings and cliff edges: keep clear of overhangs and unstable ground.
  • Lifejacket recommended for all rock sessions; fish with a partner where possible and tell someone your plan.
  • Dogs and children: supervision essential near cliffs/ledges.
  • Mobile signal can be patchy in the cove; carry a charged phone and, if possible, a whistle or PLB.

There are no facilities in the cove itself—plan to be self-sufficient. Nearby villages cover most needs before or after a session.

  • On-site: No toilets, water, or bins; pack out all litter and line.
  • Nearest amenities: Cafés, pubs, and public toilets in Praa Sands and Porthleven; larger supermarkets, fuel, and ATMs in Helston.
  • Tackle/bait: Tackle shops and bait suppliers in Helston and Penzance; pre-order live bait (rag/lug/peeler) in peak season.
  • Phone/data: Variable signal around the cove; better reception up near the car park and along the coast path.

Treat Rinsey as two marks in one: a surf beach and a rough-ground headland. Adapt quickly to the conditions and you’ll cover your bases.

  • If the surf is up and milky, fish the beach for bass with crab or sandeel; if it’s clear and calm, switch to wrasse/pollack on the ledges.
  • Weedless soft plastics save gear in the kelp; a slow, sink-and-draw retrieve along gullies is deadly for bass and pollack.
  • Use a rotten-bottom clip when casting anywhere near the rocky fringes—snags are inevitable.
  • Summer evenings see mackerel and scad shoals tight in; a small metal or float rig can salvage a quiet session.
  • Wrasse fight dirty: lock up, keep the rod low and turn their heads immediately.
  • After heavy seas, give it 24–48 hours for colour to drop from chocolate to “tea with milk”—often the sweet spot for bass.
  • Seals patrol the area; if one shows persistent interest, move marks to avoid lost fish and fouled traces.
  • The mine engine houses make great windbreaks for a quick lure chuck on the flood—just stay clear of cliff edges.

General UK and Cornwall rules apply; some measures change year to year. Always check the latest guidance before you go.

  • Bass: Recreational bass rules (bag limits and open seasons) are reviewed annually. Minimum size remains 42 cm; verify current daily limits and dates with the UK Government/MMO before retaining fish.
  • Minimum sizes/bag limits: Cornwall IFCA publishes local minimum conservation reference sizes and byelaws for finfish and shellfish—consult their latest tables.
  • Shellfish: Strict protections for berried/soft-shelled crabs and lobsters, and MLS for crawfish/spider crab; recreational potting has additional rules—check Cornwall IFCA if you intend to gather.
  • Protected species/habitats: Multiple Marine Protected Areas exist along the south Cornwall coast; some have additional restrictions—review official maps before collecting bait or targeting reef species.
  • Landowner rules: Much of the access is via National Trust land—no fires, no camping, and respect signage or temporary path diversions.
  • General: No setlines or unattended rods; dispose of line and hooks responsibly; observe local seasonal dog restrictions on beaches.