Orcombe Point Fishing

Last updated: 6 days ago

Orcombe Point Fishing Map

Rocky headland at the eastern end of Exmouth beach (by the Geoneedle). Mixed rough ground with kelp gullies and sand patches gives varied fishing, especially through late spring to autumn. Productive for lure and float fishing on flooding and high tides, with night sessions picking out scavengers. Access via the South West Coast Path and short scrambles to ledges; do not approach along the beach near high water due to cut-off risk. Slippery weeded rocks and swell reflection make it a place to take care. Little shelter but superb views along the Jurassic Coast.

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 Orcombe Point

🐟 Bass 9/10
🎯 Tip: Lures or surf baits in the tide race around the point; best at dawn/dusk on a flooding tide with some swell. Fish the gullies on the rock-to-sand edge.
🐟 Ballan Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Crab or rag tight to kelp and rock holes on the flood; summer to early autumn. Use strong gear and short casts from the ledges.
🐟 Mackerel 7/10
🎯 Tip: Summer shoals on calm evenings; cast metals/feathers into working birds from the point on the flood.
🐟 Pollack 6/10
🎯 Tip: Soft plastics or metal jigs worked along kelp lines at first/last light; retrieve parallel to the rocks on the flood.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
🎯 Tip: Small hooks with rag/lug or prawn close to weeded rock faces; steady summer sport on the flood.
🐟 Garfish 6/10
🎯 Tip: Float fish small strip of mackerel or sandeel over clean water in summer; best on a rising tide with clear water.
🐟 Pouting 5/10
🎯 Tip: After dark around rough ground; small baits on short snoods dropped into gullies, neap tides fish best.
🐟 Whiting 5/10
🎯 Tip: Winter nights casting from the beach side to clean sand; small fish baits or worm on two-hook rigs over the ebb or first of the flood.
🐟 Scad (Horse Mackerel) 5/10
🎯 Tip: Late summer-autumn nights; small sabikis or mackerel strips under a float around the point on the flood.
🐟 Golden-grey Mullet 5/10
🎯 Tip: Warm months in gentle surf along Sandy Bay; tiny hooks and rag/Isome on light gear; best during flooding tide with clear water.
🐟 Flounder 4/10
🎯 Tip: Late autumn-winter on the beach side; cast worm baits to the channels on neap tides and an incoming tide.
🐟 Spotted Ray 3/10
🎯 Tip: Occasional from rock-to-sand seams at night; long casts with sandeel/squid to clean patches on a flooding tide in summer.

Orcombe Point Fishing

Summary

Orcombe Point is the red-sandstone headland at the eastern end of Exmouth’s beach and the western gateway to the Jurassic Coast. It offers mixed ground with kelp-filled gullies and sand patches that hold bass, wrasse and summer pelagics. Fish it for scenic, close-range sport when conditions and tides line up.

Location and Access

This mark sits just east of Exmouth seafront, reached on foot along the South West Coast Path to the Geoneedle monument. Access to the fishing ground is typically from the beach at low water, working around the point onto the rocky ledges.

Seasons

Orcombe fishes like classic mixed ground: wrasse and bass over the reef, flatfish and the odd ray on the sand, and summer surface action when baitfish move through.

Methods

Lure work and light-to-medium ledgering cover most opportunities here. The ground is snaggy in places, so scale rigs to conditions and use weak links to save gear.

Tides and Conditions

Success hinges on timing the flood over the reef edges and picking safe sea states. The point can fish very well as water pushes over the kelp and sand seams.

Safety

This is an exposed headland with cut-off risks and unstable cliffs. Treat it as a genuine rock mark and plan your exit before you start.

Facilities

Exmouth is a well-served seaside town, so amenities are close at hand; the headland itself is wild with no facilities on the rocks.

Tips

Small tweaks make a big difference here—read the ground and fish the seams where life congregates.

Regulations

This coastline falls under the Devon & Severn IFCA district and the wider Jurassic Coast SSSI/World Heritage protections. Angling is allowed, but there are important rules to note.