Summary
Paignton Sands is a broad, gently shelving beach in the heart of Tor Bay, bordered by the promenade and Paignton Pier. It’s an easy, comfortable mark with urban convenience, offering scratching for flats and summer sport with mackerel, garfish and bass when conditions line up.
Location and Access
Set on the seafront between Preston Sands and Paignton Harbour, access is straightforward with level promenades and ramps onto the sand. Aim for the seafront around Paignton Pier (approx. postcode TQ4 6BW) and choose from several car parks near the Green and along Esplanade Road.
- Pay-and-display parking along the seafront and by Paignton Green; arrive early on summer weekends.
- Level, easy walking from car to mark; trolleys are ideal on the promenade.
- Most anglers set up midway along the beach or nearer the pier/harbour ends to find gutters.
- Trains stop at Paignton Station (short walk to the beach), and frequent buses serve the seafront.
Seasons
A sandy, in-bay beach, Paignton produces a mixed, generally modest bag with seasonal highlights. Night fishing improves results.
- Spring: Plaice, dab, early flounder; chance of bass on peeler crab; garfish from late spring.
- Summer: Mackerel and scad shoals at dusk, garfish, school and better bass on onshore winds, gurnard, sole after dark; dogfish common.
- Autumn: Bass (often best period), sole, plaice, scad, late garfish/mackerel if water stays clear; occasional small-eyed ray inside the bay on settled seas.
- Winter: Whiting runs, dab, flounder; dogfish most nights; the odd pout. Codling are rare in Tor Bay but not impossible in a blow.
Methods
Fish light and tidy: long snoods for flats in daylight, and stealthy presentations for sole and bass after dark.
- Bottom fishing: 1–2 hook flappers with size 2–1 hooks for plaice/dab/sole; upsize to 1/0–2/0 for bass.
- Distance work: 1–2 hook clipped-down rigs with 4–5 oz leads when you need to reach the outer gutter on big ebbs.
- Floats/lures: Float-fish small mackerel strips for garfish; metals/spinners or slim minnows at dawn/dusk along the first bar for bass and mackerel.
- Baits: Fresh ragworm and lugworm for plaice/dabs; peeler crab or crab/sandeel cocktails for bass; small squid strips at night for sole; mackerel/sandeel for dogfish and the chance of a ray.
- Tactics: Add small beads/spoons to one snood for plaice; fish long, fine snoods for garfish; keep rigs streamlined in crosswinds.
Tides and Conditions
Tor Bay is sheltered, so read the bars and gutters and time sessions for movement. Onshore easterlies can be a gift for bass.
- Tide: The last two hours of the flood into high and the first of the ebb are productive; over low water, target the outer gutter if you can reach it.
- Conditions: Light to moderate easterly onshore breeze with a bit of colour favors bass; calm, clear water suits plaice and garfish.
- Time of day: Dusk into dark is consistently best on this busy beach; pre-dawn also fishes well before footfall.
- Seasonality: June–October offers the widest species mix; winter favors whiting and flats on neap tides with small baits.
- Water clarity: If it’s gin-clear under bright sun, scale down hooks and snoods or switch to the edges of daylight.
Safety
This is a family beach first and foremost. Give swimmers wide berth and avoid the flagged bathing zones when lifeguards are on duty.
- Do not fish within red/yellow RNLI bathing flags or near active watercraft zones; move if asked by lifeguards.
- Paignton Pier is popular with visitors and typically does not permit angling—fish the beach, not the pier deck.
- Rips can form along sandbars after an onshore blow—wade cautiously and avoid wading at night unless experienced.
- Firm, level promenade and ramps offer good access for those with reduced mobility; the sand is soft higher up the beach.
- Use a headlamp with a red mode at night; keep tackle tidy to avoid hooks in bare feet.
- Consider a wading belt or PFD if wading into surf, especially in darkness or swell.
Facilities
Paignton Sands is well-served by seafront amenities, making it a comfortable venue for longer sessions.
- Public toilets on/near Paignton Green (seasonal opening hours may apply).
- Cafés, kiosks, arcades and takeaways along the promenade; plenty of food options late in summer.
- Several tackle/bait shops in Paignton/Torquay within a short drive; check hours for fresh worm/crab.
- RNLI lifeguard patrols in peak season during the day; clear signage for bathing zones.
- Good mobile phone signal across the beach.
- Benches and shelter along the promenade in poor weather.
Tips
Treat it like a classic scratch mark with two gears: daylight plaice/garfish and after-dark sole/bass.
- Walk the strand at low water to mark gutters and bars; return on the flood and fish the seams.
- A single snood with a size 4 hook and tiny rag/mackerel sliver will often find sole where heavier rigs blank.
- Add a bright bead or two and a small spinner blade above the lower hook for plaice in clear water.
- After an easterly blow, fish the first coloured push for bass with crab or sandeel—keep casts short into the forming surf line.
- If crabs are stripping baits, rotate to tougher offerings (squid strips, cocktail wraps) and rebait more frequently.
- Night-time dogfish can be relentless—use larger hooks and tougher baits if you’re ray/bass hunting to deter the dogs.
Regulations
Rules are a mix of national, IFCA and local beach management. Always read current seafront signage before setting up.
- Beach management: Expect seasonal lifeguard bathing zones where angling is not permitted during patrol hours; comply with RNLI and council staff.
- Pier: Angling is generally not allowed from Paignton Pier; treat the beach as the legitimate mark.
- Dogs: Torbay Council applies seasonal dog bans on main bathing beaches (typically 1 May–30 Sept); relevant if you bring a dog to a session.
- Bass: As of 2024, recreational anglers in this area may retain up to 2 bass per angler per day at a minimum size of 42 cm from 1 March–30 November; catch-and-release only in January, February and December. Check UK Gov/MMO for any updates before you fish.
- Minimum sizes: Observe national/IFCA minimum conservation reference sizes for species like bass, plaice, dab, whiting, etc. When in doubt, return fish.
- Conservation: Parts of Tor Bay are within Marine Conservation Zones; angling is generally allowed, but avoid disturbing seagrass/reef features and follow any anchoring/collection guidance.
- Litter and bait: No digging on vegetated dunes, fill any bait holes on the lower shore, and take all litter/end tackle home.
