Summary
Lannacombe Beach is a small, south-facing cove in the South Hams, Devon, tucked between rugged rock ledges and pockets of clean sand. It’s a quiet, wild-feeling mark that rewards careful tide timing with bass off the surf, wrasse in the gullies, and summer surface activity from mackerel and garfish.
Location and Access
Reaching Lannacombe is part of the adventure: it’s down a web of narrow, high-hedged lanes from East Prawle/Kingsbridge, ending at a tiny clifftop car park. The beach itself is a short walk down, with sand at lower water and rock platforms either side at most states of tide.
- Approach via East Prawle; follow local signs to Lannacombe along single-track lanes with passing places and blind bends.
- Small car park near the beach (limited spaces; arrives late = likely full). Payment/honesty arrangements can vary—carry coins and read on-site signage.
- Short but uneven path to the sand; rock access requires scrambling and confident footing.
- Terrain: mixed—compact sand in the cove; rough, kelpy reefs and boulder fields on both flanks.
Seasons
This is a mixed-ground venue with classic South Devon species, shifting with the seasons and sea state.
- Spring: schoolie-to-resident bass, pollack, ballan and corkwing wrasse, rockling, dogfish; chance of early rays on settled evenings.
- Summer: bass (best at dawn/dusk), mackerel, garfish, scad, wrasse, pollack; small-eyed ray over the sand at night; gurnard and the odd sole possible in calm, clear spells.
- Autumn: peak bass, thicker mackerel/scad shoals, pollack, wrasse (until first big chills), dogfish; small-eyed ray and occasional blonde ray on quiet seas; conger after dark from rough ground.
- Winter: whiting, pout, dogfish, conger from the rocks, the odd ray on settled nights; codling are rare visitors here.
Methods
Treat the cove as two marks in one: a surfy pocket of sand for bass/rays, and rock gullies either side for wrasse, pollack and conger. Adjust tactics to the tide line to avoid snags.
- Beach/sand patches:
- Bass/rays: pulley pennel or up-and-over with sandeel, peeler crab, or squid/mackerel cocktail; 4–5 oz leads and a 60 lb shockleader.
- Scratching: 2-hook flapper with size 2–1 hooks and worm/squid strips for whiting, pout, gurnard; fish just beyond the shore dump on a flooding tide.
- Rocks/rough ground:
- Wrasse: float-fish rag or hard-back crab tight to kelp gullies; or HRF weedless soft plastics (Texas-rig 10–20 g) on 20–30 lb leader.
- Pollack/gar/mackerel: metals and slim minnows at dawn/dusk; count down and work mid-water over clean gaps between weed.
- Night sessions: big fish baits (mackerel/squid) on a heavy pulley with a weak/rotten-bottom link to cope with kelp; target conger, huss, and rays on adjacent sand.
- Lure notes: surface and sub-surface walkers for bass on a gentle swell; switch to darker, smaller profiles if water holds colour after a blow.
- Tackle tips: bring spare leads and rigs; long snoods (3–5 ft) help present sandeel for rays; use fluorocarbon (15–20 lb) for gar/scad in clear water.
Tides and Conditions
Tide height and swell direction make or break this venue. Aim to fish the flood into dusk on an offshore or light cross-off wind.
- Tide: 2 hours up to high and the first hour of ebb are prime for bass across the sand; wrasse and pollack prefer mid-tide movement along the rocks.
- Wind/sea: light to moderate northerlies are offshore and clean the water; strong southerlies/south-easterlies push swell straight in—often unfishable and hazardous.
- Water clarity: a gentle residual colour after a blow can switch on bass; wrasse want some movement but not heavy surge in the gullies.
- Springs vs neaps: springs give stronger pull and shore-dump but can reduce safe standing room; neaps offer easier presentation to sand patches between kelp.
- Time of day: dawn and dusk are consistently best; nights on settled seas produce rays, huss and conger.
Safety
This is a committing coastal mark: tight lanes, slippy rock, and a tide that can pin you against the back. Fish conservatively and wear the right kit.
- Swell/surge: onshore southerly swell can boom into the cove and sweep the ledges—avoid in big seas.
- Cut-off risk: rock points either side can flood behind you on the push—plan exit routes and carry a headtorch if there’s any chance of fishing into dark.
- Footing: weeded/barnacled rock is very slippery; use grippy/studded boots. A personal flotation device is strongly recommended on the rocks.
- Rips/shore-dump: expect lateral rips along the margins and a dumpy shore break on springs—keep clear when landing fish.
- Access: not suitable for wheelchairs; limited for those with reduced mobility. No lighting; take spare lights and batteries.
- Lanes/parking: be patient and prepared to reverse; park considerately without blocking gates or emergency access.
Facilities
It’s a wild, minimal-amenity spot—plan as if there are none on site. Nearby villages offer basics if you’re prepared to drive the lanes.
- On site: small parking area; no toilets, no tap, no lighting; often patchy mobile signal.
- Nearest amenities: public toilets, cafés and a pub in East Prawle (seasonal hours); more year-round options at Beesands/Torcross and in Kingsbridge/Salcombe.
- Tackle/bait: head to Kingsbridge or Salcombe for tackle shops and fresh bait; call ahead in summer/winter shoulder periods.
- Emergency cover: nearest RNLI lifeboat at Salcombe; carry a charged phone and let someone know your plan.
Tips
Little patterns repay attention here: read the sand tongues and weed lines, and travel light so you can shift with the tide.
- Car park fills quickly on sunny weekends—dawn arrivals help both parking and fishing.
- Look for gutters forming between the shore dump and the inner bar; bass patrol these on the flood.
- After spring tides, spider crab and loose kelp can be a nuisance—fish bigger baits or switch to lures between clumps of weed.
- Wrasse love crab but will smash natural-colour creature baits; keep presentations tight to the rock line and move every 10 minutes.
- Garfish show on calm, bright afternoons—float-fish a thin sliver of mackerel with small size 6–8 hooks.
- Seals occasionally work the headlands; expect quieter fishing while they’re present and release fish promptly.
- Bring a litter bag—there are no bins, and the car park is small and closely overlooked by locals.
Regulations
Shore angling is permitted at Lannacombe, but you are responsible for staying current with national and local rules. Always check the latest guidance from the MMO and Devon & Severn IFCA before you go.
- Bass: recreational bass rules (bag limits and seasons) change—check current national regulations. Minimum size remains 42 cm.
- Tope: protected—retention by recreational anglers is prohibited under national legislation (catch and release only).
- Local protections: the surrounding coastline includes designated conservation areas; rod-and-line shore angling is allowed, but do not damage features (no kelp ripping, no anchoring of tripods into rock with bolts).
- Size/bag limits: observe national minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS) for common species; measure and release undersized fish.
- Access rules: respect any on-site signage (seasonal dog controls or temporary restrictions). No open fires or camping in the car park/foreshore.
- General: do not obstruct access, leave gates as found, and take all litter and discarded line/rigs home.
