Lee Bay Fishing

Last updated: 1 week ago

Lee Bay Fishing Map

A compact, rocky cove between Ilfracombe and Woolacombe with kelp-filled gullies, ledges and a small pocket beach. Access is via the village of Lee with a short walk from the car park; some scrambling is needed to reach the outer rocks. Best results come on a flooding tide into mid-to-high water: clear, calm days suit wrasse and mullet, while dusk into darkness brings pollack, pouting and scad. The ground is very rough with snaggy kelp, swell rebound and potential tidal cut-offs on the outer ledges—use sturdy footwear, check the forecast and know your exit routes.

Ratings

⭐ 7.1/10 Overall
Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 5/10
Accessibility 6/10

Fish You Can Catch at Lee Bay

🐟 Ballan Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Crab or ragworm into kelp-filled gullies on the flood; summer–autumn. Strong gear; expect snags.
🐟 Bass 7/10
🎯 Tip: Plugs or soft plastics in surfy corners on a rising tide or first of the ebb after a blow; late spring–autumn.
🐟 Pollack 7/10
🎯 Tip: Small metals/soft plastics worked at dawn/dusk along the kelp line from the points; flooding tide to high.
🐟 Pouting 6/10
🎯 Tip: Two-hook paternoster with small squid/worm baits into rough ground; best after dark, especially autumn–winter.
🐟 Lesser Spotted Dogfish 6/10
🎯 Tip: Small fish/squid baits on long snoods to sandy patches at night; easier on neap tides.
🐟 Mackerel 6/10
🎯 Tip: Summer shoals; feathers or 20–40 g metals at range from the headlands, best on the evening flood. Watch swell.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
🎯 Tip: Float-fish rag or prawn tight to boulders and weed in settled seas; mid tide up in summer.
🐟 Bull Huss 5/10
🎯 Tip: Large fish baits at night cast to kelp edges; slack to first of flood. Expect rough-ground snags.
🐟 Rock Goby 5/10
🎯 Tip: Tiny hooks and rag/sabiki dropped into rock pools and ledges on the flood; calm, clear days.
🐟 Conger Eel 5/10
🎯 Tip: After dark, big fish/squid baits into deep gullies; favor neap tides and use heavy trace/abrasion-resistant line.
🐟 Garfish 5/10
🎯 Tip: Float-fish slivers of mackerel midwater in clear water from points; late spring–autumn on the flood.

Lee Bay Fishing

Summary

Lee Bay sits between Ilfracombe and Woolacombe on North Devon’s rugged Atlantic coast, a pretty, steep-sided cove fringed by kelpy reefs and slate ledges. It’s a classic rock mark for wrasse, pollack and night-time conger/huss, with bass in the right surf and mullet nosing around the creek in calm, clear weather.

Location and Access

Tucked below the village of Lee, access is via very narrow Devon lanes from the A361/B3343; take your time and use passing places. Parking is by the bay with a short stroll to the shingle and rock platforms on either flank (approx postcode: EX34 8LR).

Seasons

This is mixed, rough ground with classic North Devon reef life. Expect wrasse and pollack in season, with night predators over the kelp and occasional summer visitors.

Methods

Rough ground tactics rule here; think abrasion-resistant leaders, rotten-bottom links and presentations that rise above kelp. Lure fishing is excellent in clear water and low light.

Tides and Conditions

The Bristol Channel’s range is big; water depth and access change fast. Work the tides to avoid cut-offs and to put baits/lures in the right water.

Safety

Lee Bay is beautiful but unforgiving—kelp, slippy slate and fast-flooding tides demand respect. If in doubt, stay high and fish the beachy sections or return another day.

Facilities

The cove is rural with limited amenities at the water’s edge; plan self-sufficient and top up in nearby towns.

Tips

Lee is known as “Fuchsia Valley” for a reason—summer crowds come for the scenery. Fish early, fish late, and think vertical water over kelp.

Regulations

Recreational sea angling is permitted at Lee Bay, but normal UK and local byelaws apply—check them before you go as they change.