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Devon

Newberry Beach

6.8 · Beach · Devon

Newberry Beach sits on the eastern side of Combe Martin Bay, a small shingle-and-sand cove fringed by kelp-covered rock ledges and boulder patches. It’s a mixed-ground mark with clear patches of sand in the centre and snaggy reefs towards Newberry Point, giving options for both beach casting and close-quarters rock fishing. Best windows are the flood into dusk for bass, mullet and mackerel in season, and the lower stages around the rock gullies for wrasse and pollack. Night sessions produce dogfish, pouting and the odd conger. Use rotten-bottom links if ledgering over the rough, and consider float or LRF tactics to pick fish off the fringes. Baits that score include ragworm, peeler crab, prawn, sandeel and mackerel strip; lures (7–20 g metals and weedless soft plastics) work well along the kelp line. Access is straightforward via Newberry Road car park with a short walk, though the beach is pebbly and uneven. Hazards include a very fast Bristol Channel tide, slippery weeded rocks, swell rebound in onshore conditions, and the risk of being cut off around Newberry Point—plan exits and avoid pushing onto the rocks on big tides. Amenities are in Combe Martin village nearby. Summer can be busy with bathers; fish early/late for space and better sport.

Should you fish Newberry Beach?

55 Fair

Today · Best window

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

Most likely species: Ballan Wrasse and Corkwing Wrasse

Fair conditions. Best around 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide. Good chance of Ballan Wrasse and Corkwing Wrasse.

W 4 mph Rain 1% High tide 11:39

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Newberry Beach — 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.

Wednesday 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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Newberry Beach is a compact mixed-ground cove where the biggest advantage is choosing the right ground for the tide: clean sand in the centre for simple bait fishing, and kelp-fringed ledges towards Newberry Point for wrasse, pollack, bass and after-dark rough-ground species. It usually rewards mobile, accurate fishing more than static distance casting, especially on the flood into dusk or around lower water when the gullies are exposed enough to work safely.

  • Know when to fish the sand and when to move onto the kelp edges.
  • Pick the tide stage that suits bass, wrasse or after-dark bait fishing.
  • Avoid wasting lure time when swell and colour are against you.
  • Use the right rough-ground setup before the reefs start costing tackle.
  • Have a practical fallback if the eastern rocks are too risky or busy.

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

Combe Martin 1.1 mi Chambercombe 2.9 mi Ilfracombe 3.1 mi Bratton Fleming 7.3 mi Woolacombe 7.5 mi

Explore nearby towns: Combe Martin · Chambercombe · Ilfracombe · Bratton Fleming · Woolacombe

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

Overall rating

6.8 /10

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

Category scores

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

Ballan Wrasse 8/10
Tip: Kelp-fringed rocks at either end; float fish rag/crab or work weedless soft plastics over rough ground on a flooding tide. Best May–Sept.
Bass 7/10
Tip: Work shallow-diving plugs or paddletails through surfy gullies on a flooding tide, especially after a blow; peeler crab at dusk. May–Oct.
Pollack 7/10
Tip: Spin small metals or sandeel imitations along rocky points at dawn/dusk on the flood; or rag/sandeel under a float over kelp. Summer–autumn.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: Small worm or squid baits on 1–2 hook flappers cast to sand patches at dusk/night over the flood. Year-round, best autumn–winter.
Mackerel 6/10
Tip: Summer shoals pass close; cast metals or small feather rigs from the points on the flood at first/last light. Clear water helps.
Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
Tip: Small hooks and rag/krill under a float tight to rock ledges and kelp at mid–high water. Summer.
Tompot Blenny 6/10
Tip: Size 8–12 hooks with tiny rag/prawn baits dropped into holes in the rocks at low to mid tide; release carefully. Year-round.
Garfish 6/10
Tip: Float slivers of mackerel or small spinners just sub-surface from the points on the flood in bright conditions. Late spring–autumn.
Mullet (Thick-lipped) 6/10
Tip: Freeline or light float with bread/harbour rag near the stream mouth and weed lines on calm neap tides. Sight-fish at dawn. Summer–autumn.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 5/10
Tip: Small fish or squid baits on the sand from the beach after dark on a flooding tide. Year-round.
Bull Huss 5/10
Tip: Big mackerel/squid baits into rough ground at night; use strong gear and a rotten-bottom link. Best late spring–autumn on a flooding tide.
Conger Eel 5/10
Tip: After dark, fish large mackerel baits tight to rock edges/ledges; heavy trace and abrasion-resistant leaders. Best on the flood, year-round.

Local knowledge

Newberry Beach fishing guide

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

Overview Newberry Beach sits on the eastern side of Combe Martin in North Devon, a compact, stony cove backed by low cliffs and weed-fringed rock ledges. It is a tidy little mark that rewards mobile, light tactics for wrasse, pollack, bass and summer mackerel, with sheltered options when larger surf beaches are blown out. Expect a classic Bristol Channel tidal range, clean-to-mixed ground, and productive dusk or after-dark sessions when holiday crowds thin out.

Getting there Set at the eastern end of Combe Martin village, access is straightforward with short walks and pay-and-display parking nearby. The terrain is pebbly beach with interspersed rock platforms and kelpy gullies.

  • Parking in village car parks close to the beach and on or near Newberry Road; signposted pay-and-display. Arrive early in summer.
  • A level promenade leads to the main beach, then a short stroll across shingle to the Newberry side. Rock ledges require careful footing.
  • Access is easy to moderate. The final few yards onto weeded rock can be slippery, especially after rain or on big tides.
  • Public rights of way run along the seafront. Do not climb fenced cliff paths or cross private land to short-cut to headlands.

What you can catch Species change with the seasons, with summer diversity and winter convenience species in coloured water.

  • Spring: School and early proper bass, pollack off the rocks, returning ballan wrasse, dogfish, occasional strap conger after dark.
  • Summer: Ballan and corkwing wrasse, pollack, mackerel and scad at dusk, garfish in clear water, thick-lipped mullet around the stream outflow and calm corners, occasional smoothhound on crab, bull huss at night.
  • Autumn: Peak bass, scad and late mackerel, mullet until first frosts, increasing dogfish and huss, strap conger on bigger baits.
  • Winter: Whiting, pouting, dogfish, poor cod, strap conger. An odd codling is possible in a proper northerly blow but is uncommon now.

Best approaches This mark favours light, accurate fishing around features and quick moves to find fish. Scale up after dark for huss or a bonus bass.

  • General scratching: Two-hook flapper or loop rigs size 2 to 4 with ragworm, lugworm, small squid or mackerel strip to pick up wrasse, pouting, poor cod and opportunist bass.
  • Bass: Free-running paternoster or pulley with peeler crab, sandeel or worm baits; or lure fish with surface walkers, shallow divers and 3 to 5 inch paddle tails along the flooding edge and around kelp margins.
  • Wrasse: Float-fish rag or hardback crab tight to rock faces; or weedless soft plastics on 10 to 20 g weedless heads. Use abrasion-resistant leaders 20 to 30 lb.
  • Pollack: Dawn and dusk with metals or soft plastics retrieved just sub-surface along drop-offs and ledges.
  • Mackerel and scad: Small metals, casting jigs or single-hook sabiki style rigs at high water into the deeper pockets; fish last light into dark for scad.
  • Mullet: Groundbait with breadcrumb and a little mashed bread. Small size 8 to 10 hooks, light fluorocarbon, bread flake or tiny harbour rag. Keep low and quiet.

When it fishes best Newberry Beach is governed by the huge Bristol Channel range. Plan around tide heights, water clarity and wind direction.

  • Tide state: Two hours up to high and the first hour or two down are reliable. Springs push bait into the corners but increase weed and flow; neaps give clearer water for lures and mullet.
  • Time of day: Dawn, dusk and into dark are prime for bass, pollack, scad, huss and conger. Daytime suits wrasse and mullet in clear spells.
  • Wind and swell: Light west or southwest winds are kind here. Strong northerly or easterly winds drive swell straight in and colour the water.
  • Water clarity: Lures work best 24 to 48 hours after a blow once the colour drops. Bait fishing will still score in murk, especially after dark.
  • Seasonality: May to October is the most varied; winter is convenient for a few bites on smaller baits in coloured water.

Stay safe This is a generally friendly mark, but weeded rock, cliff edges and a surging flood demand care.

  • Wear grippy boots and consider studs or cleats on kelpy rock. Take a headtorch and spare light if fishing into dark.
  • Bristol Channel range is large. Avoid being cut off around the eastern rocks and always keep an escape route.
  • Do not set up under crumbly cliff faces. Falling debris is a risk after heavy rain or frost.
  • Swimmers, paddlecraft and tourist boat traffic increase in summer. Give wide berth to marked bathing zones and cast only when clear.
  • A compact inflatable lifejacket is sensible on rock ledges. Fish with a friend where possible and tell someone your plan.
  • Mobility: The beach approach is relatively gentle, but the final rocky ground is not wheelchair-friendly.

What is nearby Combe Martin is a holiday village with decent amenities within a short walk of the beach.

  • Toilets by the main beach area in season; opening hours can be seasonal.
  • Cafes, pubs and takeaways along the seafront and high street. The village shop covers snacks and drinks.
  • Bait and tackle: Dedicated sea tackle shops are in Ilfracombe and Barnstaple; check hours outside peak season. Some garages sell frozen bait.
  • Parking: Multiple pay-and-display options in the village; height barriers may apply to some car parks.
  • Mobile signal: Generally fair on the promenade and village side, patchy directly under the cliffs at low water.
  • Waste: Use provided bins or pack out all litter and line. Do not discard bait wrappers or line among rocks.

Insider pointers A few small tweaks noticeably improve results at this compact, pressured venue.

  • Travel light and hop between ledges. A couple of well-placed casts per spot is better than camping in one hole.
  • Crab baits pick out better wrasse and bass and deter whiting and dogfish. Hardbacks scored around kelp are excellent in summer.
  • Long snoods and minimal bling help when the water clears. Fluorocarbon 15 to 20 lb for abrasion but keep presentations simple.
  • For mullet, pre-bait with breadcrumb for 20 minutes and fish tiny hooks. Keep rods low and wear drab clothing.
  • Mackerel can push very close at last light on a flooding tide. Use single-hook presentations to unhook quickly among holidaymakers.
  • After dark, step up to 4 to 5 ft of 60 lb rubbing leader over rough ground for huss and conger to avoid cut-offs.

Rules and byelaws There is no general ban on angling at Newberry Beach, but do observe local signage and common-sense seasonal restrictions near bathing zones.

  • Sea angling licence: Not required for rod-and-line sea fishing in England. No night-fishing curfew is posted at this mark at time of writing.
  • Bass rules: Recreational daily bag limit typically 2 fish per angler at 42 cm minimum size during an open season, with catch and release outside it. These dates can change annually; check MMO and IFCA updates before retaining bass.
  • Minimum sizes: Observe national MLS where applicable for species you intend to keep. When in doubt, release fish.
  • Tope: Protected under the Tope Order 2008 for recreational boat anglers; best practice is catch and release for all tope from shore as well.
  • IFCA area: This shoreline falls within the Devon and Severn IFCA district. Local byelaws may cover bait collection, shellfish MLS and nursery protections. Check the IFCA website for current rules.
  • Bathing zones and access: In peak season, councils sometimes mark swimming areas where fishing is discouraged or time-limited. Always respect on-site notices and keep clear of lifeguarded flags.
  • Conservation: Parts of the North Devon coast sit within marine conservation designations that still allow shore angling. Do not damage reef or kelp habitat and avoid excessive bait collection from rockpools.