Haven Cliff Fishing

Summary

Haven Cliff sits immediately east of Seaton and the Axe estuary on Devon’s Jurassic Coast, with a steep shingle beach tucked beneath striking red cliffs. It’s a classic open-coast mark offering mixed rough and clean ground within easy casting range. Expect summer lure sport and winter bottom fishing, plus year-round chances for a bass when the sea has a bit of life.

Location and Access

This mark is reached from Seaton’s eastern end and the Axmouth/harbour side, then a shingle tramp along the foreshore under the cliffs. Allow extra time and plan around the tide, as sections are cut off at high water.

• Approach via Seaton seafront; pay-and-display car parks run along the esplanade (east end closest). Postcode guidance: Seaton esplanade EX12 area; Axmouth/harbour side EX12 4AA is handy for the eastern access.
• From the harbour/bridge area, drop to the beach and head east under the cliffs. It’s a shingle slog; travel light and use a shoulder sling or backpack rather than a trolley.
• Terrain is steep shingle with patches of boulders and reef at lower water. No formal platforms; you’re on the stones.
• The South West Coast Path runs above, but there’s no safe descent along Haven Cliff beyond the established beach access points. Do not attempt to scramble the undercliff.

Seasons

This is a mixed-ground stretch with seasonal variety. Summer brings shoals and wrasse; winter draws in the usual channel species after dark.

• Spring: school bass, early wrasse on crab, occasional plaice/flounder near sand seams, dogfish.
• Summer: mackerel and scad on calm clear evenings, garfish, bass (after a blow or at dusk), pollack on rough patches, ballan wrasse, the odd smoothhound; conger after dark.
• Autumn: bass peak, mackerel linger in early autumn, scad, pout; increasing conger and dogfish at night.
• Winter: whiting after dark on the flood, pout, dogfish, rockling; very occasional codling in prolonged onshore seas; conger from the boulder margins.
• Occasional visitors: small-eyed or spotted rays where the ground opens up, sole on quiet, warm nights near the estuary side, squid on very clear, still nights.

Methods

Both bait and lures score here. Adjust to the ground: clean patches favour clipped distance rigs; rougher seams call for shorter, stronger gear and rotten-bottoms.

• Bottom fishing: 2-hook flapper (size 1–2) for whiting/pout/dogs; pulley or pulley-pennel (3/0–5/0) with a weak link for bass/conger. Clipped-down 1-up/1-down or long flappers for range on cleaner areas.
• Floats: Float fish strips or sandeel for gar/mackerel; bigger floats with prawn/crab baits close to boulders for wrasse on a flooding tide.
• Lures: Metals and slim spoons for mackerel/scad; small soft plastics or weedless paddletails along rough edges for bass/pollack; diving minnows at first/last light.
• Baits: Fresh peeler or soft crab (wrasse/bass), sandeel and squid cocktails (bass/ray), mackerel strip (gar/scad/pout), worm baits—rag/lug—for general bites and flats.
• Times: Dusk into dark is prime for predators and winter species; daytime on calm, clear summer tides for mackerel/gar and wrasse.
• Tackle notes: Use a rotten-bottom clip over any reefy patch. Long-tail grip leads help hold on steep shingle in a pushy surf.

Tides and Conditions

Tide height controls access and success here. Plan your session to avoid being pinned against the cliff and to hit the productive water movement.

• Best states: Mid-flood to high and first of the ebb often fish best; 2 hours either side of high water is a good bass window.
• Access caution: On springs, high water can cut off sections beneath the cliff—know your exits and don’t push it.
• Sea state: A dying W–SW swell with a touch of colour turns on the bass; flat and clear for mackerel, gar, wrasse and lure work.
• Light: Dusk, dark and dawn markedly improve bass, whiting, pout and conger. Bright days suit lure fishing in clear water.
• Seasonality: Late May–October is the most varied; November–February is predominantly whiting/dogfish/conger with weather windows for a bonus codling.

Safety

This is a committing shingle/cliff-line venue with real hazards. Treat the cliff and the tide with respect and keep your retreat plan realistic.

• Cliff fall risk: Do not set up directly beneath the cliff face; rockfall and landslip occur year-round.
• Tide cut-off: Sections are impassable at higher stages—check tide times and leave an escape margin.
• Footing: Steep, mobile shingle and slippery boulders at low water; stout boots and headlamp essential. Wading is not recommended.
• Swell/surf: Shore dump on steep shingle can be powerful—keep rod rests high and well back.
• Lifejacket: Strongly recommended, especially at night or near the waterline on boulders.
• Accessibility: Not suitable for limited mobility; long shingle walks and no railings or firm platforms.
• Comms: Phone signal can be patchy tucked under the cliffs; tell someone your plan and carry a whistle/torch.
• Protected area: The undercliff is a National Nature Reserve—no climbing or entering fenced/posted areas; keep to the foreshore.

Facilities

You’re close to Seaton’s amenities before you step onto the shingle, but under the cliff there are none—plan to be self-sufficient on the beach.

• Toilets: Public facilities along Seaton seafront (seasonal opening hours may apply).
• Parking: Pay-and-display along the esplanade; additional parking near the harbour/Axmouth side.
• Food/drink: Cafés, pubs and takeaways in Seaton and Axmouth (Harbour Inn/Ship Inn nearby).
• Tackle/bait: Tackle shops in Seaton carry bait and essentials—check opening times and pre-order worms/crab in season.
• Signal: Generally good in town; can drop under the cliffs.
• Lighting: The beach under Haven Cliff is unlit—bring spare headlamp batteries.

Tips

Small tweaks make a big difference at Haven Cliff. Think carefully about ground, angle and timing.

• Ground-reading: Look for colour changes and shingle ridges—cleaner seams for distance rigs; darker, kelpy seams for wrasse/conger.
• Casting angles: A slight lob parallel to the cliff can find a productive gutter on the flood, but avoid snaggy boulder fields without a weak link.
• After a blow: Fish the first settling sea for bass with big crab or squid/sandeel wraps—dusk into the turn of the tide is golden.
• Lure finesse: In clear water, small 10–20 g metals outperform big jigs for mackerel/scad; switch to slim soft plastics at dusk for bonus bass.
• Night rigs: Short snoods reduce tangles in surf; carry pre-tied rigs as re-rigging on rolling shingle in the dark wastes time.
• Etiquette: Keep clear of bathers in summer near Seaton; walk further east for space, and pack out all litter—cliff gullies trap rubbish.

Regulations

Shore angling is generally permitted on the open beach here, but you’re adjacent to protected sites and an estuary—know the local byelaws and national rules.

• IFCA district: This mark falls under Devon & Severn IFCA. Check their website for current recreational netting/permit and bait-collecting byelaws, and any estuary nursery protections near the River Axe.
• Bass rules: Recreational bass retention limits and seasons are set annually by the UK Government/MMO. Check the latest before you go; minimum size is 42 cm, and closed/limited retention periods apply.
• Tope protection: It is illegal for recreational anglers in England to retain tope (Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 2008). Handle and release promptly.
• MCZ/NNR: The coastline abuts designated conservation areas (including the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs NNR). Stay on the foreshore, do not climb or enter restricted zones, and avoid disturbing wildlife.
• Size/bag limits: England has a mix of national and local measures; verify current minimum conservation reference sizes (e.g., bass 42 cm) and any species-specific limits before retaining fish.
• Access signage: Obey any temporary local notices (landslips, path closures, emergency works) that may restrict beach sections.
• General: No fires under the cliffs; take litter home; be considerate of other beach users and watercraft near the harbour mouth.