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Devon

Ladram Bay

7.4 · Rocks · Devon

Ladram Bay is a red-sandstone rocky bay with sea stacks and ledges set between Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth. The ground is mixed rough and kelpy with pockets of cleaner water toward the bay mouth, making it ideal for wrasse, pollack and LRF species, with mackerel/garfish in summer and scad after dark in late summer. Best results are on the flood and around dawn/dusk when fish patrol the weed lines and gullies. Access is via the Ladram Bay Holiday Park (steep steps to the beach, then short scrambles to ledges at either side on lower tides). Beware cut-off risks around the stacks at mid-to-high water and heavy southerly swell reflecting off the cliffs; wear good footwear and consider a lifejacket. Night sessions can produce conger and pouting from deeper, snaggy ledges.

Should you fish Ladram Bay?

54 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 12:14

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Ladram Bay — 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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Ladram Bay fishes best when you treat it as a mixed-ground venue rather than one single beach mark. The centre shingle and cleaner sand tongues suit distance bait work, dogfish and general scratching, while the rock ledges, kelp edges, gullies and stack margins are the higher-value ground for wrasse, pollack, bass, conger and LRF. The main decision is whether conditions allow you to safely work the rough edges on a flooding tide, or whether you should stay on the cleaner, easier centre ground.

  • Know when to fish the ledges and when to stay on the clean tongues
  • Time the flood for wrasse, pollack, bass and mackerel
  • Avoid the stack cut-off trap on the wrong tide
  • Pick rigs that survive Ladram’s kelp and sandstone snags
  • Switch from dusk lures to after-dark baits with a clear plan

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Jump to towns around this mark for more marks and guides.

Otterton 0.8 mi East Budleigh 1.8 mi Colaton Raleigh 1.8 mi Budleigh Salterton 2.5 mi Sidmouth 2.9 mi

Explore nearby towns: Otterton · East Budleigh · Colaton Raleigh · Budleigh Salterton · Sidmouth

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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 9/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 5/10
Accessibility 6/10

Pollack 8/10
Tip: Work soft plastics or metals along the ledges at dawn/dusk on a flooding tide; long casts parallel to weed lines. Summer-autumn.
Ballan Wrasse 8/10
Tip: Float fish crab or prawn tight to kelp-covered rock edges on the flood. Summer into early autumn; clear water, light swell best.
Bass 7/10
Tip: Plugs or weedless soft plastics through white water around gullies on a rising tide, after a blow. Evening into dark; autumn is prime.
Mackerel 7/10
Tip: Summer shoals within range from the headlands; small metals or feathers. Best at first/last light over flooding tide.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: After dark, small fish-baits or rag on 1/0-2 hooks into rough ground; short casts over the flood. Year-round, best autumn-winter.
Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
Tip: Small hooks and ragworm or prawn under a float tight to boulders/weed. Short casts on the flood in settled summer seas.
Conger Eel 6/10
Tip: Night sessions with big fish/squid baits on strong gear; drop into gullies at slack to first of the flood. Keep rigs simple to beat snags.
Garfish 6/10
Tip: Float a sliver of mackerel or rag 4-6 ft deep over clean patches; summer, bright days, flooding tide. Keep traces fine.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 5/10
Tip: Fish/squid baits on a pulley or long snood to reduce snags; cast to sand patches from the beach on the ebb or first of the flood. Best at night.
Scad (Horse Mackerel) 5/10
Tip: Summer-autumn nights; small sabikis or single size 6-8 tipped with fish, worked mid-water under a headlamp glow on the flood.

Local knowledge

Ladram Bay fishing guide

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

Ladram Bay, East Devon sits between Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast, famous for its striking red sandstone stacks and mixed ground. For shore anglers it offers a blend of clean sand tongues and rough, kelpy gullies — great for summer wrasse and pollack, with bass, mackerel and night-time conger also on the cards. It’s a scenic, productive mark when you match the tide and respect the snags.

Getting there is straightforward via the Ladram Bay Holiday Park above the beach, or on foot via the South West Coast Path. The final approach is steep, and the fishing spots are a mix of shingle and rock ledges.

  • Location: Between Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth, near the village of Otterton on the East Devon coast.
  • Parking: Day-visitor parking is usually available at Ladram Bay Holiday Park (postcode EX9 7BX); charges and opening hours vary seasonally — check the park’s website or reception.
  • Alternative access: Limited parking in Otterton, then walk the signed coast path to the bay (allow 20–30 minutes; undulating). Avoid blocking village lanes.
  • Final approach: Steps/paths down to the beach; shingle underfoot once on the bay. Rock platforms at either end of the cove and around the sea stacks at lower states.
  • Terrain: Steep shingle, red sandstone ledges, kelp and broken ground with sand tongues out from the middle of the bay.
  • Night access: Park gates may be locked after hours; if fishing late, plan your return route and parking beforehand.

A mixed-ground venue that fishes through the year, with a strong summer profile and winter scratch potential on calmer nights.

  • Spring (Mar–May): Early bass, pollack, wrasse from late April, dogfish; odd plaice or gurnard from cleaner patches.
  • Summer (Jun–Aug): Ballan wrasse, pollack, mackerel, garfish, scad at dusk, school and better bass; occasional smoothhound and small-eyed ray if you find cleaner sand; pout at night.
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov): Peak bass, late mackerel/scad, wrasse until temps drop, conger and bull huss after dark, gurnard; chance red mullet on calm, clear nights.
  • Winter (Dec–Feb): Whiting, pouting, dogfish on calmer spells; conger after dark from rough ground; occasional codling in onshore blows; rockling.

Match your approach to the patchwork seabed: fish the clean tongues from the shingle, and the rougher margins or ledges for wrasse, pollack and conger.

  • Bottom tactics (mixed/rough): Pulley pennel or pulley dropper with a short snood and a rotten-bottom (weak-link) for the sinker; 3/0–5/0 hooks. Baits: squid, mackerel, bluey for conger/huss; crab, squid/lug cocktails for bass.
  • Bottom tactics (cleaner sand): 2-hook flapper or clipped-down 1/2-hook for distance. Baits: ragworm, lug, small sandeel, peeler crab; sandeel/squid strips for rays/gurnard.
  • Float fishing: Ragworm, prawn or hardback crab close to kelp for wrasse; small slivers of mackerel for garfish. Set 6–12 ft depending on ledge depth.
  • Lure fishing (HRF/LRF): Weedless soft plastics (2–4 inch paddletails/creatures) for wrasse and bass along kelpy seams; metals and slim minnows for pollack/mackerel at dawn/dusk.
  • Feathers/sabikis: Productive for mackerel/scad in season — scale down to small sabikis when baitfish are tiny.
  • Night sessions: Big fish baits for conger/huss from the rough; size 2–1/0 hooks with worm/fish cocktails for whiting/pout from the shingle.

Ladram Bay is at its best on a flooding tide into dusk with a modest sea running, but different species prefer different states.

  • Tide state: Mid tide rising to high and the first hour of ebb often fish well from the beach; wrasse favour mid-to-high over the rough; conger after dark across the tide.
  • Swell and wind: Avoid strong easterlies/SE onshore which colour the water and make ledges sketchy; a gentle onshore ripple is great for bass; clear, settled water helps wrasse and lure fishing.
  • Time of day: Dawn and dusk are prime for bass, pollack and mackerel; nights for conger, huss and winter scratching.
  • Seasonality: May–October is the headline window; winter can produce on calmer nights but set expectations accordingly.

The bay’s soft cliffs, slippery ledges and fast-flooding tide around the stacks demand care. Plan where you’ll stand and how you’ll retreat.

  • Cliffs/rockfall: The red sandstone is friable — avoid standing directly beneath overhangs; heed rockfall signage.
  • Cut-off risk: Some ledges and the base of the stacks can be cut off at mid–high tide. Check the tide table and keep an exit route.
  • Underfoot: Kelp, weed and polished sandstone are very slippery; wear good boots and consider studs on the ledges.
  • Swell: Reflected waves in the cove can surge unpredictably; keep well back from the edge and avoid heavy onshore swell days.
  • Snag management: Use rotten-bottom links and keep rod high to lift over kelp.
  • Accessibility: Steep steps, shingle, and uneven rocks make it unsuitable for wheelchairs and challenging for limited mobility.
  • PPE: A modern inflatable lifejacket and headtorch with spare batteries are strongly recommended for ledge or night fishing.
  • Summer bathing zones: Respect any marked swimming/launch areas set by the holiday park; do not cast across them.

Most amenities sit within Ladram Bay Holiday Park above the beach, with more options in Sidmouth and Exmouth.

  • On-site (seasonal): Toilets, café/bar, takeaway, small shop, bins; day-visitor access/fees vary — check with the park before travelling.
  • Watercraft: Kayak/SUP hire in season increases water traffic near the launch lane; give wide berth when casting.
  • Nearby services: Supermarkets and cafés in Sidmouth and Budleigh; multiple tackle shops in Exmouth and Sidmouth area.
  • Mobile signal: Generally fair on the beach but can drop against the cliff; download tide/weather info in advance.

Treat it like two venues: clean tongues from the centre shingle, and classic rough-ground work near the stacks and headlands.

  • Use a weak-link (rotten-bottom) on all bottom rigs near the rough — accept losing leads, not whole rigs.
  • Find transitions: Cast to the edge where kelp meets sand; that line often produces bass, gurnard and rays.
  • Wrasse finesse: Float-fish rag/prawn tight to kelp in clear water; if they’re shy, switch to small weedless creature baits.
  • Dusk switch: Metals and slim minnows for pollack/mackerel until light fades, then swap to baits for conger/pout.
  • Summer crowds: Fish very early or late to avoid swimmers and boat traffic; keep lures low and controlled around people.
  • Presentation: On the shingle, clipped-down rigs help gain the extra yards to reach cleaner ground.
  • Signs of life: Tern or gannet dives and sprat dimples in the cove signal instant mackerel/garfish action — have a float or sabiki ready.

Recreational sea angling is generally permitted at Ladram Bay, but you must follow local bylaws and any site rules set by the holiday park. Always check current rules before you go.

  • Site rules: Obey any on-site signage (e.g., no fishing within marked bathing/launch areas, seasonal restrictions, opening hours for day visitors). The holiday park controls vehicle access and may charge for parking.
  • Local authority/IFCA: This coastline falls under Devon & Severn IFCA. Minimum conservation reference sizes, berried/v-notched lobster/crab protections, and other byelaws apply.
  • Bass regulations: Seasonal retention limits, bag limits and minimum sizes apply on the south coast. Check the latest MMO/IFCA guidance for dates and allowances before retaining any bass.
  • Protected areas: Parts of East Devon’s coast are within designated conservation areas; hook-and-line angling is typically allowed, but some collecting/foraging activities may be restricted — consult official maps/byelaws.
  • Licences: No rod licence is required for sea fishing from the shore. A separate Environment Agency licence is required for migratory species in rivers/estuaries (e.g., the nearby River Otter).
  • General: Take litter and line home; do not light fires; respect cliff safety exclusion zones and private land.