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Devon

Brixham Breakwater

7.4 · Breakwater · Devon

A long, stone-cored breakwater with a concrete promenade protecting Brixham Harbour on the south side of Tor Bay. It offers deep water close in on the outer face and mixed-to-clean ground towards the end, with the inner side sheltering clearer, calmer water by Breakwater Beach. It is a year-round venue with peak action in late spring through autumn for pelagics and reliable winter sport after dark for bottom species. Feathers/sabikis and light lures score well for mackerel and scad when shoals push bait to the wall, while dusk/night ledgering produces pouting, whiting, dogfish and conger. Wrasse and mini species are taken by dropping small baits tight to the structure in daylight. Best states are the flood and first of the ebb with some tide run; neap tides can help when targeting flatfish and rays on the cleaner patches near the end. Access is straightforward via the flat promenade from Breakwater car park by Breakwater Beach (trolleys help for longer sessions). Use a drop-net for landing bigger fish, give way to boat traffic at the entrance, and avoid the swimming area in summer. Hazards include overtopping waves in onshore swells, slippery algae, snaggy boulder bases, hooks and lines near the public walkway, and occasional seals and gulls around hooked fish. Facilities (seasonal toilets/cafe) are by Breakwater Beach. Southerly swells can make the outer face dangerous; northerlies/easterlies are more comfortable and the wall gives good shelter.

Should you fish Brixham Breakwater?

58 Fair

Today · Best window

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

Most likely species: Mackerel and Garfish

Fair conditions. Best around 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide. Good chance of Mackerel and Garfish.

W 3 mph Rain 4% High tide 12:06

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Brixham Breakwater — 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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Brixham Breakwater is best treated as two different marks: the rougher, deeper seaward face for pelagics, pollack, wrasse, bass and conger, and the cleaner, calmer inner wall for garfish, flatfish-style tactics and more sheltered fishing. It can produce year-round, with late spring to autumn best for mackerel, scad, garfish, pollack, wrasse and bream, while after-dark winter sessions are more about pouting, whiting, dogfish and conger. The key decision is whether the weather allows the outer face to fish safely and clearly, or whether the inner side is the better controlled option.

  • Know when to choose the outer face over the inner wall.
  • Time the flood for mackerel, garfish, wrasse and mixed action.
  • Use the first ebb window for pollack and scad chances.
  • Avoid the easterly swell mistake that can ruin the session.
  • Match rigs to rough outer ground or cleaner inner ground.
  • Have a clear backup before the wall becomes unfishable.

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Brixham 3.0 mi Paignton 3.4 mi Torquay 4.1 mi Dittisham 4.2 mi Kingswear 4.6 mi

Explore nearby towns: Brixham · Paignton · Torquay · Dittisham · Kingswear

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Forecast tuning currently supports Bass and Mackerel — more species are on the way.

Overall rating

7.4 /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 6/10
Accessibility 8/10

Mackerel 9/10
Tip: Summer into autumn; spin feathers or small metals from the end/outer wall on a flooding tide. Dawn/evening best when baitfish show.
Scad (Horse Mackerel) 8/10
Tip: Late summer nights; fish small sabikis under the lights, slow retrieve or suspend under a float. Best on the flood and first of the ebb.
Pollack 7/10
Tip: Dusk/dawn; work soft plastics or metal jigs tight to the outer wall and kelp. Clear water helps; flooding tide is best.
Pouting 7/10
Tip: All year, best after dark; small worm or squid baits down the side into 20-40 ft. Expect constant taps; size 4-6 hooks. Flood/first of ebb.
Bass 6/10
Tip: Rougher seas or after dusk; plugs/soft plastics along the outer wall, or crab/squid baits into the surf. Spring-autumn, rising tide.
Ballan Wrasse 6/10
Tip: Summer; drop crab or ragworm into kelpy holes along the rocks by the wall. Short traces, strong gear. Best mid-flood.
Conger Eel 6/10
Tip: After dark; fish large mackerel/squid baits tight to the base of the wall. Heavy gear, use a rotten-bottom to beat snags. Flood and slack water.
Garfish 6/10
Tip: Jun-Oct; float-fish thin mackerel strip just under the surface along the inner side in daylight. Rising tide is best.
Black Bream 6/10
Tip: May-Sep; small squid or worm strips on size 4-6 hooks near rough ground by the end. Light gear; a little groundbait helps. Best on the flood.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 5/10
Tip: Dusk/night; cast small fish or squid baits to sandy patches from the end. Use light grip leads to avoid snags. Spring-autumn, mid-tide.

Local knowledge

Brixham Breakwater fishing guide

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

Brixham Breakwater guards the mouth of Brixham Harbour in Torbay, Devon, and is one of the South West’s most reliable, all‑round sea fishing venues. With deep water access, mixed ground and shelter from prevailing south‑westerlies, it produces fish year‑round for beginners and specialists alike.

Set on Berry Head Road at the eastern edge of Brixham, the breakwater is a long, wide causeway with a lighthouse at the tip and a bathing beach on the inside. Access is straightforward with level walking, but it’s an exposed half‑mile stroll to the end.

  • Parking: Pay‑and‑display at the Breakwater/harbour car parks by Breakwater Beach (postcode TQ5 9AF). Spaces fill quickly on sunny weekends and during school holidays.
  • Approach: From the car park, follow the promenade past Breakwater Bistro and onto the breakwater walkway; the surface is generally flat concrete/stone.
  • Terrain: Seaward side is rough/kelpy; inner (harbour) side is cleaner sand/gravel. The head is deeper with mixed ground.
  • Public transport: Buses serve Brixham town; it’s a 10–20 minute waterfront walk to the breakwater base.

The mark offers classic Torbay variety with seasonal peaks. Summer brings surface predators and wrasse; autumn shines for squid; winter sees whiting and pouting.

  • Spring (Mar–May): Plaice (inner side), pollack, wrasse (ball/corkwing), early mackerel, garfish; occasional bass.
  • Summer (Jun–Aug): Mackerel, garfish, scad (horse mackerel at night), wrasse, pollack, black bream (occasional), bass, gurnard; school conger after dark.
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov): Squid (excellent in settled conditions at night), scad, mackerel (early autumn), pollack, wrasse (until temps drop), bass; increasing pouting and whiting.
  • Winter (Dec–Feb): Whiting, pouting, rockling, dogfish, occasional conger; chance of herring or sprat shoals on calm clear nights; dabs/plaice on the inner side.
  • Year‑round possibilities: Pollack, pouting, conger, the odd ray on the inner sand when conditions suit.

Most styles work here: float, lures, bottom fishing and squidding all have their time. A drop net is highly recommended for safe landing from height.

  • Mackerel/gar/scad:
    • Small sabiki/feather rigs (size 6–8) with 2–3 oz leads; or float rigs set 10–20 ft with strips of mackerel.
    • Light metals (20–40 g), casting jigs or slim spoons at first/last light; slow lifts for scad at night.
  • Pollack/wrasse:
    • Soft plastics on 10–20 g jigheads or weedless Texas setups; work along the seaward kelp fringe.
    • Float fish ragworm, crab or prawn tight to the wall/rocky patches for wrasse; 20–25 lb leader to cope with kelp.
  • Bottom fishing (mixed/clean ground):
    • Two‑hook flapper (size 2–1/0) for plaice, bream, pout, whiting; add beads/spoons for plaice on the inner side.
    • Pulley/pulley‑pennel (3/0–5/0) with squid, mackerel or cuttle for conger/bass from the head or seaward edge after dark.
  • Squid (autumn):
    • Egi jigs size 2.5–3.0 under the lights at dusk into night; count down to mid‑water and vary retrieve.
  • Tackle notes:
    • 10–12 ft lure rod or 11–13 ft beach rod covers most needs; 3–4 oz leads usually sufficient.
    • Bring a drop net or long‑handled landing net; use abrasion‑resistant leaders around the head/kelp.

The breakwater fishes across most states of tide; being within Torbay it stays workable when many open coast marks are blown out. Timing and wind direction strongly influence results.

  • Tide:
    • Flood to high water is productive for mackerel, gar and wrasse along the seaward face; first of the ebb can switch on pollack.
    • Inner (harbour) side for plaice/dabs often best mid to late flood when current steadies.
  • Light and time of day:
    • Dawn/dusk for mackerel, pollack and bass; full dark for conger, pout, whiting and scad.
    • Squid peak at dusk into the first few hours of darkness on clear, calm nights.
  • Wind/sea state:
    • Sheltered in prevailing SW–W winds; comfortable and clear water after a settled spell.
    • Easterly/NE winds can push swell and weed straight onto the wall—overtopping possible and fishing poor; consider postponing.
  • Water clarity:
    • Clear water favours wrasse, pollack, gar and squid; slight colour benefits flatfish and whiting.

This is a long, exposed structure; conditions can change quickly. Use sensible footwear, keep tangle‑free walkways, and consider a lifejacket, especially after dark or in swell.

  • Exposed length: It’s around half a mile to the lighthouse; strong winds funnel along the wall—secure tripods and gear.
  • Overtopping: Easterly swells can wash the deck; avoid in rough seas. Green algae can make lower steps/edges slippery.
  • Height: The drop to the water can be significant at high tide; use a drop net, not hand‑lining fish.
  • Public sharing: It’s a popular walking route; keep rods low when casting and don’t block the path.
  • Accessibility: Level, wide surface suits trolleys and many mobility aids, but distance and wind can be challenging; benches are limited.
  • Restrictions/signage: Tor Bay Harbour Authority signage may designate no‑fishing sections (especially next to Breakwater Beach during the bathing season) and around emergency ladders or the lighthouse head—comply with any posted rules.

Facilities are excellent by South West standards, with parking, food and toilets near the base. Nights are darker toward the outer half—bring a headtorch.

  • Toilets: Public conveniences near the Breakwater car park/Breakwater Beach (seasonal opening hours may apply).
  • Food/drink: Breakwater Bistro and seasonal kiosks at the beach; numerous cafés, pubs and takeaways in Brixham harbour area.
  • Tackle/bait: Tackle shops in Brixham town centre (short walk/drive); additional options in Paignton and Torquay.
  • Lighting/phone: Some lighting near the base; outer sections are dim—carry lights. Mobile signal is generally good.
  • Water/benches/bins: Litter bins along the promenade; bring water. Always take all line and litter home.

Regulars treat the mark as two venues: the rough, lively seaward edge and the cleaner, calmer inner wall. Adjust tactics to each side.

  • A small, strong drop net saves lost fish and awkward lifting—especially with wrasse, conger and squid.
  • For wrasse, live or fresh prawn is deadly; present tight to the wall and be ready to bully fish away from kelp.
  • Avoid heavy feathers in crowds; use slim metals or single‑hook sabikis to reduce tangles and bird strikes.
  • Night scad often sit mid‑water—count down your jig and retrieve with slow lifts; switch to size 8 sabikis tipped with slivers of fish.
  • Plaice on the inner side like long snoods, small beads and a very slow retrieve to keep baits mobile.
  • In summer, expect swimmers and paddlecraft near the beach/inner wall—fish the seaward face or the head to avoid conflicts.
  • Autumn squid often arrive with clear, still conditions after a blow; carry a couple of different sink rates (2.5–3.0) to find the layer.

Angling is generally permitted along Brixham Breakwater, but it falls under Tor Bay Harbour Authority byelaws and national fisheries rules. Always read and follow local signage at the entrance and along the wall.

  • Harbour byelaws: No fishing in any posted no‑fishing zones (which may include parts of the inner wall near the bathing beach in season and around emergency ladders or the head). Do not obstruct the walkway or emergency access.
  • Bass rules (England): Check current MMO/DEFRA guidance. As of recent years, recreational bass typically have a 42 cm minimum size with a closed or reduced bag period in winter and a limited daily bag in spring–autumn; regulations are reviewed annually.
  • Minimum sizes: Observe national minimum conservation reference sizes for species such as bass, wrasse, pollack, rays, and flatfish. Return undersized fish promptly.
  • Cephalopods: No specific bag limit locally, but take only what you need; avoid inking the walkway and rinse down.
  • Shellfish/crabs: Devon & Severn IFCA minimum sizes apply; do not take berried females. Hobby potting has separate rules/permits—check IFCA if applicable.
  • Protected areas: Tor Bay includes marine conservation designations—avoid disturbing seagrass and wildlife; no bait collection where prohibited.
  • General: Use barbless or de‑barbed hooks where practical, carry a disgorger, and take all litter and line home.