Downend Point Fishing

Last updated: 1 month ago

Downend Point Fishing Map

Downend Point is the rocky headland at the southern end of Croyde Bay, facing the Atlantic. It’s a classic North Devon rock mark with broken ground, kelp-filled gullies and ledges dropping into mixed sand and rock. Expect good summer sport on wrasse and pollack, with mackerel and garfish passing close in during calm, clear spells. Bass patrol the surf channels on the flooding tide when a swell is running. Nights can yield conger and pouting. Ground is very snaggy—use rotten-bottom links for bottom fishing. Best conditions are a moderate flood into dusk on neaps or a calm window after a blow. Exposure to swell and surging makes it hazardous on big seas or spring highs; pick safe platforms, wear appropriate footwear, and avoid in heavy surf. Access is via the coast path from the Downend car park with short scrambles to ledges.

Ratings

⭐ 7/10 Overall
Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 8/10
Safety 4/10
Accessibility 6/10

Fish You Can Catch at Downend Point

🐟 Bass 9/10
🎯 Tip: Work surface/sub-surface lures through surfy gullies on the flood, dawn/dusk or after a blow.
🐟 Pollack 8/10
🎯 Tip: Weedless soft plastics or metals along kelp edges; best at last light on a flooding tide.
🐟 Ballan Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Crab or ragworm into kelp holes; mid-flood to high, summer-autumn; use strong tackle.
🐟 Mackerel 7/10
🎯 Tip: Settled, clear evenings; small metals or feathers from the point on a rising tide.
🐟 Pouting 6/10
🎯 Tip: Small strips or rag at dusk/night around kelp fringes; short casts on the flood.
🐟 Bull Huss 6/10
🎯 Tip: Big fish/squid baits to rough ground after dark; neaps or slack water reduce snags.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
🎯 Tip: Ragworm on size 4-2 hooks among weed and rock pools; summer flood, short casts.
🐟 Conger Eel 6/10
🎯 Tip: Large fish baits lowered under ledges after dark on the flood; heavy abrasion-resistant gear.
🐟 Garfish 6/10
🎯 Tip: Float a thin mackerel strip mid-water off the point; calm, clear seas on the flood.
🐟 Lesser Spotted Dogfish 5/10
🎯 Tip: Fish/squid baits onto nearby sand patches from the point; best at night on a flooding tide.

Downend Point Fishing

Summary

Downend Point is the rocky headland on the Saunton side of Croyde Bay in North Devon, offering a classic mix of reefs, kelp gullies, and adjacent clean sand. It’s a productive, mobile mark that rewards lure and float anglers by day and bait anglers after dark, especially for bass, wrasse, pollack, and nocturnal conger and huss.

Location and Access

This mark sits at the southern end of Croyde Bay, reached most easily from the "Down End" side of the village on the B3231. Access is straightforward via the South West Coast Path with short, steeper offshoots to the ledges.

  • Parking: Use the signed Down End/Downend car park at the south end of Croyde Bay (pay-and-display; seasonal charges). The general area postcode EX33 1QB will get you close; follow local signs once in Croyde.
  • Walk-in: 5–15 minutes along the coast path depending on which ledge you choose; final descents are on worn fisherman paths and can be steep/slippery.
  • Terrain: Wave-cut rock platforms, uneven barnacle-covered slabs, and kelp-filled gullies. Some spots allow a cast into the edge of Croyde’s sand or across to Saunton’s side.
  • Alternatives: Additional parking and facilities are at Croyde Beach car park and at Saunton Sands; both add a longer walk.
  • Night access: Feasible with a good headtorch; pre-scout your exit routes in daylight.

Seasons

Expect a reef-and-sand mixed fishery with classic North Devon seasonality. Summer and autumn are prime, with winter producing on the rougher nights.

  • Spring (Apr–Jun):
    • Bass (schoolies building to better fish in onshore push)
    • Ballan and corkwing wrasse (as water warms)
    • Pollack (dusk/low light along the kelp edge)
    • Mackerel and garfish arriving late spring in settled, clear water
  • Summer (Jul–Aug):
    • Bass (surface and sub-surface lures; bait at dusk)
    • Wrasse (ballan dominant; occasional corkwing)
    • Pollack (evenings and murk)
    • Mackerel, garfish, scad (after dark)
    • Conger eel and bull huss after dark on fish baits
    • Thick-lipped mullet mooching around the calmer fringes
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov):
    • Peak bass time with bigger fish on prawn, crab, and lures
    • Pollack fattening up before winter
    • Scad and late mackerel on calm evenings
    • Pouting, poor cod, and gurnard occasional in the sandy fringes
  • Winter (Dec–Mar):
    • Whiting, pouting, rockling on smaller baits
    • Conger and huss on rougher nights
    • Occasional codling in very heavy, cold northerlies (uncommon but possible)
  • Year-round by-catch: Spider crab activity can be high in late spring/summer; expect bait theft.

Methods

The ground dictates your approach: fish the reef edges and gullies with weedless presentations, and use robust leaders and rotten-bottom systems for bait.

  • Lure fishing (daylight/low light):
    • Bass: Surface walkers and sub-surface stickbaits over the wash; 10–20 g soft plastics (weedless Texas rigs) in white, ayu, or sandeel colours for the kelp lanes.
    • Pollack: Slim soft plastics or small metal jigs worked vertically along drop-offs at dusk; keep contact to avoid snagging.
    • Mackerel/scad: 10–30 g metals or small spoons; slow retrieve at dusk/dark for scad.
  • Float fishing:
    • Wrasse: Float-fished prawn, peeler, or ragworm set to 1–3 m over rough ground; move to find fish.
    • Garfish/mackerel: Small slivers of mackerel or sandeel under a clear bubble/float in clear, calm water.
  • Bottom fishing (evening/night):
    • Conger/huss: Strong pulley or pulley-dropper with a short trace and rotten-bottom; whole or flapper mackerel/squid/fish cocktails on 5/0–7/0 hooks.
    • Mixed species: 2–3 hook flapper with size 1–2 hooks and small baits (mackerel strip, rag, squid) into sandy tongues for pouting/whiting.
  • Rigs and tackle notes:
    • 30–50 lb leader for lures; go weedless to beat kelp.
    • For bait, use 20–30 lb mainline, 60 lb rubbing leaders, and a weak link on the sinker.
    • Long-handled net or gaff alternative is impractical on ledges; plan safe gully-landings or hand-lining leaders carefully.

Tides and Conditions

This coast is exposed; tide height, swell size, and water colour drive results and safety. Plan around manageable swell and moving water.

  • Tide states:
    • Bass/pollack: Middle of the flood to high water and first of the ebb are most reliable, especially into dusk.
    • Wrasse: Top half of the flood and early ebb over rough ground.
    • Night baiting: Low water to first flood can be excellent for conger/huss from deeper gullies.
  • Conditions:
    • Bass like a lively sea with 1–3 ft of swell and some colour after a blow; too much surf makes it unsafe and unfishable.
    • Wrasse/pollack prefer clearer water and a moderating sea.
    • Northerly winds can clean the water but make it gusty on the ledges; moderate SW–W winds put life in the water but can be heavy—assess the swell.
  • Time of day/season:
    • Dawn and dusk changeovers are premium for lures.
    • Summer evenings and autumn blow-following windows often fish best.
  • Springs vs neaps:
    • Neaps are kinder for presentation and safety on the ledges; big springs can create strong lateral pull and surge.

Safety

This is a committing rock mark with real Atlantic exposure. Treat swell, surge, and slippery access with utmost respect.

  • Wave hazard: Even on small forecasts, rogue sets and surges wash the lower ledges—stay high, watch 10–15 minutes before stepping down.
  • Slips/trips: Barnacles, weed, and sloping slabs are slick; wear rock boots or studs/cleats.
  • Tide cut-off: Some ledges flood out early on springs; always have a retreat plan and check tide times.
  • Gear and PPE: Wear a waist or manual-inflation lifejacket, carry a headtorch and spare light, and keep a charged phone in a dry pouch.
  • Edges and landing: Avoid over-reaching to land fish; use swell to your advantage and steer fish into safe gullies.
  • Crowd/surf zones: This is a popular surf break—never cast across surfers or swimmers, and relocate if the lineup pushes under your ledge.
  • Accessibility: Not suitable for wheelchairs or limited mobility due to uneven paths and steep scrambles.

Facilities

You’re close to two busy beaches with seasonal amenities, but the ledges themselves are wild with no shelter. Plan self-sufficiently.

  • Parking: Down End car park (pay-and-display; summer busiest). Additional parking at Croyde Beach and Saunton Sands.
  • Toilets: Seasonal toilets at Croyde Beach and at Saunton Sands; none on the point.
  • Food/drink: Cafés, pubs, and shops in Croyde village; a large hotel and café complex at Saunton.
  • Tackle/bait: Tackle and fresh/frozen bait in Braunton (e.g., local tackle shops on/near the high street) and Ilfracombe. Limited or no bait sales in Croyde itself.
  • Phone signal: Generally fair but can be patchy under the cliffs; move higher for better reception.
  • Lifeguards: RNLI lifeguards operate on Croyde and Saunton beaches in season—observe flagged bathing/surfing zones and local notices.

Tips

Treat this as a roaming mark: spend time reading the water and fish the features rather than anchoring to one ledge.

  • Bass on the wash: Work surface and sub-surface lures tight to the white water along reef edges; a weedless 4–5 inch SP in natural sandeel patterns is deadly.
  • Wrasse on prawn: Fresh peeled prawn under a float outfishes worm many days; keep moving ledge-to-ledge to locate fish.
  • Rotten-bottoms save gear: Use a lighter weak-link to your sinker; the kelp here will claim anything unprotected.
  • Night noise discipline: Keep lights low and noise down—bigger bass and conger are easily spooked in shallow gullies.
  • Surfer etiquette: If the surf is up and the take-off zone overlaps your casting lane, give it a miss or change ledge—hooks and neoprene don’t mix.
  • After-the-blow window: As the sea drops from wild to workable and the water still holds colour, bass fishing can be exceptional for 24–48 hours.
  • Wildlife cues: Gannets and terns hitting bait just off Saunton’s edge often herald mackerel/scad pushing tight to the point—switch to metals quickly.

Regulations

There is no general prohibition on fishing at Downend Point, but standard national and local rules apply. Always check for updated notices at the car parks and the latest byelaws before you go.

  • Local authority/IFCA: This area falls under Devon & Severn IFCA. Their byelaws cover minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS), berried/soft-shelled crustaceans, netting restrictions, and bait collection in sensitive areas—consult their website for current rules.
  • Bass rules: Recreational bass regulations (seasonal retention windows, daily bag limit, and slot size) change periodically. Recent years have seen closed winter retention with a limited 2-fish daily bag in-season at 42–65 cm—verify the current year’s rules with the MMO/IFCA before retaining any bass.
  • Pollack and other species: Retention limits and sizes for certain species can change year-to-year (pollack rules in particular have been updated recently). Check current guidance before keeping fish.
  • Bathing/surf zones: During the lifeguarded season, do not fish inside flagged bathing/surfing areas on Croyde or Saunton beaches and obey any local signage.
  • Protected species: Do not retain or disturb berried lobsters/crabs; adhere to size limits for lobsters, crayfish (spiny lobster), and edible crabs.
  • Access and conduct: Stick to established paths, avoid damaging vegetation, and pack out all litter and discarded line/hooks.