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Devon

Hooken Cliffs

6.5 · Rocks · Devon

Hooken Cliffs is a rugged undercliff and boulder field between Beer Head and Branscombe in East Devon. The mark offers kelp-filled gullies, broken ground and patches of deeper water close in, fishing best in settled to moderate seas from late spring through autumn. It’s primarily a rough-ground, lure-and-bait rock mark for wrasse and pollack, with summer mackerel and scad, plus bass opportunities in lively water. Access is strenuous via steep paths and a scramble over large boulders; footing is uneven and weed-slick, and rockfall is a known hazard. Plan your session to avoid being hemmed in by swell or higher water along the undercliff sections, and carry minimal gear.

Should you fish Hooken Cliffs?

52 Fair

Today · Best available

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

Most likely species: Ballan Wrasse and Pollack

Fair conditions. Best available around 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide, but no window reaches the strong threshold today. Good chance of Ballan Wrasse and Pollack.

NW 4 mph Rain 0% High tide 12:11

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Hooken Cliffs — 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.

Saturday 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.

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Hooken Cliffs is best treated as a mobile rough-ground rock session rather than a comfortable static mark. The productive water is close: kelp-filled gullies, boulder edges, rock walls and broken patches where bass, pollack and wrasse can feed tight to structure. It fishes best from late spring through autumn in settled to moderate seas, with clear water favouring lures and floats, and a bit of colour or rolling water helping bait tactics for bass, conger and night species. The key decision is whether conditions are safe enough: steep access, boulders, weed-slick footing, backwash, swell and rockfall risk make this a mark to avoid in big seas, heavy rain/frost-thaw periods, or when higher water could make movement along the undercliff awkward.

  • Know when Hooken is worth the scramble — and when to walk away.
  • Target the close kelp gullies instead of wasting casts over dead water.
  • Time the flood and first ebb for the best rough-ground window.
  • Pick lure, float or bait tactics to match clarity, swell and species.
  • Use a safer backup plan when swell or high water makes Hooken awkward.

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Beer 1.0 mi Seaton (East Devon) 2.3 mi Axmouth 3.2 mi Colyford 3.3 mi Colyton 4.0 mi

Explore nearby towns: Beer · Seaton (East Devon) · Axmouth · Colyford · Colyton

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

Overall rating

6.5 /10

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

Category scores

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

Bass 8/10
Tip: Dawn/dusk on a flooding tide; work surface/shallow plugs along boulder gullies, or fish peeler crab/sandeel in the surf after a blow.
Pollack 8/10
Tip: Dusk into dark over kelp; cast metal jigs or weedless soft plastics and retrieve midwater to avoid snags; spring–autumn.
Mackerel 7/10
Tip: Summer, clear water; spin or feather from the boulder beach/rocky points on the flood; small metals when shoals show.
Ballan Wrasse 7/10
Tip: Daylight over rough kelp; float or short-cast hard crab/rag tight to rocks; avoid low neaps; summer–autumn.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: After dark; small strips of mackerel or rag on 2-hook flappers, short casts onto mixed ground; flood or first of ebb.
Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
Tip: Small crab/worm under a float tight to kelp edges; keep moving to locate fish; best mid-tide up, May–Sept.
Shanny 6/10
Tip: Micro gear; tiny hooks with rag/fish bits dropped into cracks and pools around the boulders at mid tide in calm seas.
Conger Eel 6/10
Tip: Night over rough ground; big mackerel/squid baits on 100lb traces dropped into gullies at mid–high water; lock up to beat snags.
Garfish 6/10
Tip: Late summer; float a sliver of mackerel belly or small sabiki, retrieve slowly over clean patches on the flood.
Whiting 5/10
Tip: Winter nights; worm/fish baits on size 2 flappers, cast to open patches beyond the rough; fish the flood.

Local knowledge

Hooken Cliffs fishing guide

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

Hooken Cliffs lies between Beer Head and Branscombe on Devon’s Jurassic Coast, backed by dramatic chalk and undercliff. It’s a remote, rough-ground mark that rewards mobile, knowledgeable anglers with bass, pollack and chunky wrasse in clear summer seas, plus conger and winter species after dark.

This is a wild, landslip coast with steep paths and boulder beaches; plan your approach and travel light. Most anglers access either from Branscombe or Beer along the South West Coast Path.

  • From Branscombe: Park at the beach/National Trust car park and follow the Coast Path east towards Beer Head; look for signed descents into the Hooken Undercliff, then a steep, uneven path to the beach.
  • From Beer: Park in the village long-stay car parks and walk west on the Coast Path towards Beer Head, then descend via the undercliff path to the shore.
  • Walking time: 20–45 minutes depending on route, fitness and conditions; the final descent is steep, with steps, roots and loose ground.
  • Terrain: Shingle, chalk and flint boulders, kelp and rough ground; not suitable for trolleys/barrows. Good boots with grip are essential.
  • Public transport: Occasional buses serve Beer and Branscombe; allow extra time for the coastal approach.
  • Access notes: Paths through the undercliff can be diverted or closed after landslips; heed on-site signage and any temporary closures.

The undercliff and boulder fields hold classic rough-ground species in summer, with winter bringing the usual channel of pout and whiting. Expect the following through the year:

  • Spring (Mar–May): Bass, pollack, ballan and corkwing wrasse (building), garfish late spring; early mackerel runs in May in settled weather.
  • Summer (Jun–Aug): Mackerel, garfish, scad, bass, pollack, ballan/corkwing wrasse, thick-lipped mullet tight in the rocks on calm days; conger after dark; occasional smoothhound on crab baits.
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov): Peak bass (especially Sept–Oct), mackerel/scad at dusk, pollack, wrasse until the first big blows; pout and rockling increasing; chance of an occasional codling in onshore blows.
  • Winter (Dec–Feb): Whiting, pouting, conger, rockling; dogfish on smaller tides; odd codling after prolonged rough seas.
  • Bycatch possibilities: Poor cod, tompot blenny, small gurnard where patches of cleaner ground meet the rough.

Rough-ground tactics dominate: travel light, use abrasion-resistant gear and incorporate weak links for leads. Lures and floats excel in clear water; big baits shine at dusk or in a bit of colour.

  • Lure fishing: 12–35 g weedless soft plastics (paddle/sandeel profiles) for pollack and bass worked alongside kelp lines; 14–28 g metals and casting jigs for mackerel/scad; small stickbaits or surface walkers at dawn/dusk for bass in calm seas.
  • Float fishing: Ragworm, live prawn or hardback/peeler crab for wrasse along rock walls and gullies; mackerel strip for garfish; set the float to run 6–15 ft, adjusting to depth and tide.
  • Bottom tactics: Pulley or pulley-dropper with a 60–80 cm hooklength for bass/conger; use a rotten-bottom/weak link (10–15 lb mono) to sacrifice the lead in snags.
  • Rigs and line: 40–60 lb leader for abrasion; mainline 20–30 lb braid or 15–18 lb mono; strong hooks (size 1/0–4/0 for bass/conger, size 2–1 for wrasse). Grip leads 4–5 oz to hold on the flood where feasible.
  • Baits: Peeler or soft crab (top bait for bass/wrasse/smoothhound), ragworm, fresh mackerel or squid strips, sandeel; whole squid or big mackerel fillet for conger after dark.
  • Timing: Dawn and dusk for bass/pollack; daytime for wrasse in clear water; night sessions for conger, pout and whiting.

Hooken likes movement but can be dangerous in big swell; choose your windows. Lures thrive in clear, calm to moderate seas; bait works best with some colour and a rolling sea.

  • Tide state: Productive on the flood and first of the ebb; wrasse often feed well from mid-ebb to mid-flood as water floods the kelp lines. Avoid the very top of big springs if there’s swell due to fierce backwash.
  • Sea state: A gentle to moderate onshore ripple (W–SW) puts bass on the feed; prolonged easterlies clear the water for lure and float work but can make it lifeless.
  • Water clarity: Clear to lightly tinged for lures/float; use larger, scented baits in colour.
  • Time of day: First light and last light for bass and pollack; bright days suit wrasse tight to structure; night for conger/pout/whiting.
  • Seasonality: May–October for variety on lures/floats; winter is a bait game with fewer but often bigger fish after blows.

This is a serious landslip coast with steep approaches, loose ground and frequent rockfall. It is not suitable for those with limited mobility.

  • Rockfall/landslip: Do not loiter beneath vertical faces; keep gear and people well back from the cliff base. Avoid visiting during or just after heavy rain/frost-thaw when falls are more likely.
  • Steep paths: The undercliff descents are uneven, muddy when wet and slippery with leaf litter; use sturdy footwear and carry a headtorch if there’s any chance of finishing in the dark.
  • Sea hazards: Strong backwash at higher states on steep shingle; hidden boulders and kelp snags; avoid wading in swell.
  • Cut-off risk: While the beach is generally continuous, swell against the cliff can reduce safe passing points—plan your exit with tide and daylight in mind.
  • Personal safety: A waist-belt or auto-inflate lifejacket is sensible on boulders; carry a charged phone (signal is patchy) and tell someone your plan. Fish with a partner if possible.
  • Closures: Paths are occasionally diverted/closed after slips—follow on-site notices and do not bypass barriers.

There are no facilities on the beach itself—treat this as a self-sufficient, wilderness session. Nearby villages have basic amenities.

  • Parking: Pay-and-display options in Branscombe (beach/National Trust) and Beer (village long-stay). Arrive early in summer.
  • Toilets: Seasonal toilets at Branscombe beach; public toilets in Beer near the car parks (check opening hours).
  • Food/drink: Cafés and pubs in Beer village and at Branscombe beach during the season.
  • Tackle/bait: Tackle and fresh/frozen bait available in Seaton and Lyme Regis; some seasonal bait from beach boats at Beer.
  • Phone signal: Intermittent/weak under the cliffs; usually good on the cliff-top paths.
  • Bins: None on the beach—pack out all litter and line.

A little local knowledge goes a long way here—move, read the water and fish tight to the rough stuff.

  • Lure line choice: Braid with a long fluorocarbon leader improves abrasion resistance and lure control in cross-tides.
  • Weedless is king: Texas/Chinu-style weedless hooks let you work soft plastics through kelp without constant snagging.
  • Float finesse: Live prawn or peeler under a float draws out big wrasse; keep the bait moving slowly along the rock line.
  • Bass windows: After a south-westerly blow, try 24–48 hours into the settling period with crab or big worm baits; in calm, fish topwaters at first light around fizzing bait.
  • Night conger: Fish big, tough baits and lock up—use a rotten-bottom and expect to lose leads, not fish.
  • Mackerel etiquette: Single or small sabikis reduce bird entanglement; stop when you have enough.
  • Respect the undercliff: Keep noise down in the nesting season, stick to paths, and don’t remove rocks or weed for bait.

Shore angling is generally permitted along this stretch, but the cliffs and undercliff form protected SSSI/heritage landscapes—follow on-site notices and the Countryside Code. Always check current rules before you go.

  • Bass (area 7d–h): At time of writing (late 2024), recreational limit was two bass per angler per day, minimum size 42 cm, from 1 March to 30 November, with catch-and-release only in December–February. Regulations are reviewed regularly—verify the current byelaw before retaining bass.
  • No rod licence is required for sea fishing in England (rod licences apply to salmon/sea trout and freshwater fisheries only).
  • Marine Protected Areas: Lyme Bay has restrictions on commercial mobile gear; these do not limit shore angling, but do not disturb features or remove boulders/kelp from protected foreshore.
  • Local byelaws: Observe any seasonal dog, BBQ or fire restrictions on beaches managed by local authorities/National Trust; no camping or fires on the undercliff.
  • Minimum sizes/bag limits: Follow IFCA and national minimum conservation reference sizes; release undersized fish carefully and consider voluntary catch-and-release for larger wrasse which are key to the reef ecology.
  • Foraging/bait: Some forms of bait collection may be restricted in protected areas—only forage where permitted and within sustainable limits.