Summary
South Sands sits just inside the mouth of the Salcombe–Kingsbridge Estuary in South Devon, offering a sheltered sandy beach with fishy rock ends and fast-moving tidal water close by. It’s a scenic, compact mark that rewards thoughtful, light approaches, especially at dawn, dusk and after the daytime beachgoers have gone.
Location and Access
Access is straightforward by road from Salcombe via Cliff Road, but it narrows to single-track with passing places as you drop into the cove. There’s also a seasonal ferry from Salcombe town that lands on the beach via the famous sea tractor.
- Parking: Small pay-and-display right by the beach; it fills very quickly in summer. Overflow options include limited spaces up the hill near the National Trust site at Overbeck’s. Postcode for the beach/hotel area: TQ8 8LJ (use for sat-nav and then follow local signage).
- Approach: Level onto the sand via slipway; rock platforms at both ends require careful scrambling and sensible footwear.
- Terrain: Clean sand through the middle; weed-fringed rock and kelp at the western and eastern margins; a short, sheltered bay with the estuary channel not far off.
Seasons
A compact estuary-beach mark with mixed ground means a mixed bag. Expect more variety in warm, settled weather and during strong tidal flows.
- Spring: School bass, garfish late spring, pollack off the rocks, wrasse reawakening, thin-lipped and golden grey mullet on calm days, spider crabs moving in.
- Summer: Bass (including better fish at night), mackerel and scad on calm evenings, garfish, wrasse, pollack, pout, occasional black bream off rougher ground, mullet in small shoals tight to the beach; dogfish after dark.
- Autumn: Bass on onshore colour and spring tides, late mackerel/scad, wrasse until first strong chills, whiting start to show, flounder reappear steadily inside the estuary.
- Winter: Flounder on the sand, whiting and poor cod on dark nights, rockling and pout, the odd conger from rough ground; dab occasional.
Methods
Light, stealthy tactics shine here, with rock-to-sand edges offering ambush lines for bass and wrasse. Keep terminal tackle simple and minimise lead to let baits move naturally in the flow.
- Lure fishing (bass, pollack, mackerel, gar): Surface walkers and small soft plastics for bass at dawn/dusk; 10–30 g metals or slim spoons for mackerel/scad; weedless paddle tails along the kelp lines for pollack.
- Float fishing (gar, mackerel, wrasse): Slim wagglers or cigar floats, size 6–10 hooks; strip of mackerel, sandeel, or ragworm; set depth 1–3 m around rock edges.
- Bottom fishing (flounder/flatfish, bass, dogs, whiting): 2-hook flapper with size 2–4 fine-wire hooks and small baits (rag, maddies, strips of mackerel) on the sand; running ledger with crab, squid or sandeel for bass as light as the tide allows.
- Mullet tactics: Bread flake or crust freelined in gentle flow; for thin-lips, tiny spoons or spinners tipped with isome or fish skin, retrieved slowly.
- LRF/UL gear: Isome, small metals and micro-jigs around weed and boulders for blennies, gobies, small wrasse and surprise scad on dusk.
- Timing: Best an hour either side of dawn or dusk and into the first hours of darkness once swimmers have gone. In summer holidays, plan early or late sessions.
Tides and Conditions
This small bay is sheltered yet close enough to the estuary mouth to benefit from moving water. Aim to fish when current and light levels favour ambush predators.
- Tide: Productive from mid-flood to high and into the first of the ebb; springs push bait and bass into the margins. On neaps, target wrasse, mullet and gar in clearer water.
- Sea state: A little colour after a southerly blow is excellent for bass; glassy, clear evenings suit garfish, mackerel and mullet.
- Time of day: Dawn and dusk are prime; night sessions bring bass, dogfish and whiting. Bright, busy middays are usually slow.
- Seasonality: May–October is the most varied; winter rewards patient flatfish and whiting sessions on the sand.
Safety
This is a family beach first and foremost, with a ferry, sea tractor and (often) seasonal lifeguards. Fish the fringes and avoid the flagged bathing zone during busy hours.
- Keep well clear of the ferry landing/slipway and any marked sea tractor lane. Do not cast across traffic or swimmers.
- The rock ends are slippery with weed; some ledges are cut off at high water—plan exit routes and wear grippy footwear.
- Expect a noticeable tidal pull near the outer ends on big tides; avoid wading near the channel in swell or poor visibility.
- Wear a lifejacket when fishing from rocks, carry a headtorch at dusk, and avoid fishing alone in rough conditions.
- Accessibility: Step-free via slipway onto soft sand, but wheelchair access onto firm fishing platforms is limited; shoreline space can be tight at high tide.
Facilities
South Sands is well served for a small cove, but capacity is limited in peak season. Plan parking and bait ahead.
- Toilets: Seasonal/public facilities by the beach area; additional facilities in Salcombe town.
- Food and drink: Beach café and South Sands Hotel/bar right on the front; more options in Salcombe.
- Tackle and bait: Available in Salcombe and Kingsbridge tackle shops; buy bait before heading down as there’s none on the beach.
- Lifeguards: Often present in main summer period; observe flagged bathing zones and local notices.
- Phone signal: Patchy in the valley; generally better on higher ground toward Overbeck’s.
- Public transport: Seasonal ferry from Salcombe lands on the beach; check operating times.
Tips
Treat it like two marks in one: a clean, mobile sand channel and fishy rock corners. Move to find fish rather than waiting them out.
- Work lures tight along the sand–rock edge where bass and pollack patrol; retrieve parallel to the line rather than straight out.
- On springs, fish the last of the flood into slack water for a classic bass window; on neaps, stalk mullet in the calmest, clearest patches.
- Keep end tackle light: 10–15 lb braid with 10–12 lb fluoro leaders is ample for open sand; step up near kelp.
- Small, fresh rag or maddies will out-fish big baits for flounder and dabs; for bass, peeler crab or sandeel after a blow is hard to beat.
- Watch for terns and fry dimples—garfish and mackerel won’t be far behind. Match the hatch with slim metals.
- In peak holiday weeks, fish very early or late; you’ll avoid swimmers and catch the best light anyway.
Regulations
Sea angling from the beach is generally permitted here, but this is a busy bathing beach and part of a protected estuarine system—always follow signage and local notices.
- Bass rules: Recreational bass fishing in England is subject to minimum size (42 cm) and seasonal bag/retention limits. These change periodically—check the current MMO/UK government guidance before your trip.
- Bass Nursery Area: Parts of the Salcombe–Kingsbridge Estuary are designated a Bass Nursery Area with seasonal restrictions, particularly for fishing for bass from boats. Shore angling is typically allowed, but confirm current boundaries and dates on the official Bass Nursery Area Order.
- IFCA byelaws: Devon & Severn IFCA manages local rules on netting, bait collection and shellfish (e.g., minimum sizes, protection of berried lobsters/crabs, and spatial netting restrictions). Check D&S IFCA byelaws for estuary-specific prohibitions before setting nets or gathering bait.
- Beach management: Do not fish within any red/yellow flagged bathing zones when lifeguards are on duty, and keep clear of the ferry slip/sea tractor operations.
- Conservation: The estuary includes designated conservation sites; avoid damaging seagrass or rocky shore habitats and take all litter and line home.
- General: Observe national size/bag limits for all species, and respect any temporary local closures or event restrictions.
