Fishcombe Cove Fishing

Last updated: 1 week ago

Fishcombe Cove Fishing Map

Sheltered pebble cove on the north side of Brixham with kelp-fringed rock ledges and quick access to relatively deep, clear water. A prime light-rock-fishing spot: wrasse, gobies and blennies are abundant, with summer mackerel, scad and garfish passing through and pollack along the weed lines. Best on a flooding tide with clear water. Access is via a steep path/steps from the Battery Gardens area; ground is snaggy and weeded but the scenery is superb.

Ratings

⭐ 7.5/10 Overall
Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 9/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 6/10
Accessibility 6/10

Fish You Can Catch at Fishcombe Cove

🐟 Ballan Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Crab or rag baits tight to kelp-covered rocks on the flood; daylight, spring–autumn. Use strong gear to steer fish from rough ground.
🐟 Pollack 7/10
🎯 Tip: Work small metals or soft plastics along rocky margins at dawn/dusk on a flooding tide; deeper water by the headlands fishes best.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 7/10
🎯 Tip: Size 4–6 hooks, rag or prawn under a float beside weeded rock edges on the flood; summer into autumn.
🐟 Rock Goby 7/10
🎯 Tip: Micro hooks tipped with rag or shrimp in rock pools and pockets around boulders at mid-to-flood, year-round; very close in.
🐟 Bass 6/10
🎯 Tip: At first light or after a blow, fish soft plastics or shallow divers around gullies and rough ground on a rising tide; late spring–autumn.
🐟 Pouting 6/10
🎯 Tip: Night fishing with small hooks and strips of mackerel or rag in deeper gullies; flood to high water.
🐟 Mackerel 6/10
🎯 Tip: Summer shoals; feathering or small metals from beach or rocky points, best at dawn/evening on a making tide.
🐟 Tompot Blenny 6/10
🎯 Tip: Tiny hooks with rag or crab dropped into holes/ledges along the rocks; steady on the flood, day or dusk.
🐟 Garfish 6/10
🎯 Tip: Float slivers of mackerel or rag 1–2 m down; calm, clear days on the flood, late spring–autumn.
🐟 Mullet (Thick-lipped) 6/10
🎯 Tip: Bread flake under a float or slow-sinking along the weed line; prebait with mashed bread. Calm, clear water on the flood; summer–autumn.
🐟 Scad (Horse Mackerel) 5/10
🎯 Tip: Summer nights; small metals or sabikis worked midwater off the points on a flooding tide. Add glow beads.
🐟 Conger Eel 5/10
🎯 Tip: After dark, whole squid or mackerel on strong traces from rocky points; last of flood to slack, neaps safer.

Fishcombe Cove Fishing

Summary

Fishcombe Cove is a small, sheltered shingle-and-rock cove on the north side of Brixham in South Devon. Backed by woodland and edged with kelp-covered reefs and patches of seagrass, it offers varied inshore fishing with lures, floats and light ledgering. It’s a peaceful alternative to the nearby Breakwater, rewarding on settled summer days and quietly productive after dark.

Location and Access

Reaching Fishcombe Cove is straightforward, but the final approach is a steep, stepped path through Battery Gardens. Allow a few extra minutes for the climb back to the car with kit. The terrain is mixed—shingle beach in the middle with rocky ledges to either side that uncover further on spring lows.

Seasons

This is a classic mixed-ground Torbay mark with summer variety and year-round potential for a few hardy species. Expect clear-water specialists by day and predators nosing in at dusk and after dark.

Methods

Fishcombe rewards finesse and thoughtful positioning. The central shingle holds cleaner patches; the sides are kelpy and snaggy—perfect for wrasse and pollack if you rig accordingly.

Tides and Conditions

The cove fishes best on a flooding tide into the first couple of hours of the ebb. Clarity is a major factor: the venue comes alive in settled, clear water, while a modest onshore push can switch on bass.

Safety

This is a relatively sheltered cove, but the rock fringes are kelpy and slick, and the path is steep. Treat it as a rock mark if you step off the shingle.

Facilities

Facilities are better than many wild coves thanks to seasonal amenities and proximity to Brixham. Plan for off-season closures.

Tips

Think “light, stealthy and close-in.” The water is often gin-clear, so presentation and line choice matter.

Regulations

Fishcombe Cove sits within Tor Bay, part of a Marine Conservation Zone with sensitive seagrass and occasional seahorses. Shore angling by rod-and-line is allowed, but extra care is expected.