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Devon

Start Point

6.9 · Rocks · Devon

An exposed rocky headland beneath Start Point Lighthouse on the South Devon coast. Deep water is close in with strong tidal run along the headland, making it a classic lure and bottom-fishing mark. Best in calmer seas with a light to moderate swell and a flooding tide, especially at dawn or dusk. Access is via the lighthouse car park and a coastal path, then scrambling onto ledges; take care on wet, weeded rocks. Swell, surge and sudden waves are real hazards, and it is very exposed to easterly winds. Offers excellent summer sport for pollack, mackerel and wrasse, with conger and scad after dark.

Should you fish Start Point?

58 Fair

Today · Best window

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

Most likely species: Ballan Wrasse and Pollack

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

W 4 mph Rain 4% High tide 11:40

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Start Point — 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.

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· 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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Start Point is a powerful, exposed rock mark where timing and side choice matter more than simply reaching the water. Deep water, kelp, rough ground and a hard tide race make it strongest for pollack, mackerel, wrasse, bass and night species, but the same features can make it unsafe or unfishable when swell, surge or tidal run build. Fish the lee side, favour the flood into slack, travel light, and be ready to switch from lures to bait if clarity or darkness changes the plan.

  • Know when to fish the outer race and when to hide from it.
  • Pick the Start Bay or Channel side before you waste the tide.
  • Time the flood-to-slack window for pollack, bass and mackerel.
  • Switch cleanly from lures to bait when colour or darkness changes the mark.
  • Avoid the ledges that look fishy but become dangerous in wrap-around swell.

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Stokenham 3.9 mi Chillington 4.3 mi Slapton (South Hams) 4.9 mi West Charleton 5.9 mi Salcombe 6.0 mi

Explore nearby towns: Stokenham · Chillington · Slapton (South Hams) · West Charleton · Salcombe

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

Overall rating

6.9 /10

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

Category scores

Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 8/10
Safety 4/10
Accessibility 5/10

Pollack 9/10
Tip: Lures (metals/soft plastics) or float-fished sandeel along kelp-covered ledges. Best at dawn/dusk on a flooding tide; deep water close in.
Mackerel 8/10
Tip: Summer shoals; cast feathers or spinners into the tide run from the point. Best on the flood at dawn or evening.
Ballan Wrasse 8/10
Tip: Ragworm or crab dropped into kelp and boulders. Mid-flood to slack, summer–autumn. Use strong gear and a rotten-bottom link.
Conger Eel 7/10
Tip: Night over rough ground; large mackerel or squid baits on strong traces. Ebb into slack can fish well. Expect heavy snags.
Garfish 7/10
Tip: Late spring–autumn; float-tackle with thin strip of mackerel or sandeel set shallow in tide rips. Clear water and a flooding tide help.
Bass 6/10
Tip: Rougher seas and a building tide; shallow divers/soft plastics or fresh crab into gullies. Dawn/dusk and after a blow are best.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: Regular at night in deep water; small fish/squid baits on 1/0s. Fish just off the bottom on the flood.
Bull Huss 6/10
Tip: Night over kelpy gullies; big fish or squid baits on pulley rigs. Neaps or slack water reduce weed drag and snags.
Scad (Horse Mackerel) 6/10
Tip: Late summer–autumn nights; small sabikis or float with tiny fish strips. Fish midwater on the flood; lights help draw them in.
Corkwing Wrasse 5/10
Tip: Small ragworm or prawn close to weeded rock faces; summer. Fish mid tide when swell allows, keep gear tight to avoid snags.

Local knowledge

Start Point fishing guide

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

Start Point is a dramatic, tide-scoured headland at the southern end of Start Bay in South Devon, backed by the famous lighthouse. It offers deep water close in, strong tidal movement, and mixed rough ground that consistently turns up wrasse, pollack and bass for mobile, safety-conscious anglers. Choose your side of the point for shelter and you can usually find fishable water even when nearby beaches are unfriendly.

Access is via the signed single-track road for Start Point Lighthouse from the A379 near Stokenham, leading to a pay-and-display car park. From there it’s a 10–20 minute walk on a tarmac path to the lighthouse, with rough paths branching to ledges on both the Start Bay (east) and Channel (west) sides.

  • Nearest useful postcode: TQ7 2ET (for the lighthouse/car park approach; follow local signage near the end rather than relying solely on sat nav)
  • Parking: Pay-and-display car park near the end of the access road; spaces can fill quickly in summer and on calm dawns
  • Approach: Good path to the lighthouse, then steep, uneven tracks and short scrambles to rock platforms; not suitable for those with limited mobility
  • Terrain: Barnacle-covered rock, boulder fields, deep kelp gullies and snaggy ledges; plan for difficult footing and tackle losses
  • Lighting: None after dark; bring a reliable headtorch and spare batteries

Start Point fishes like a classic South Devon headland: wrasse and pollack over the rough stuff, bass around the tide runs, and conger/huss after dark. Mackerel and garfish show through the warmer months, with pout and rocklings filling in winter nights.

  • Spring (March–May): Ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse (from late spring), pollack, early bass on lures in clear water; odd spurdog in a good year offshore and very occasionally to rock anglers
  • Summer (June–August): Mackerel (often thick at dawn/dusk), garfish, scad after dark, bass, pollack, wrasse, conger eel, bull huss; occasional triggerfish in settled warm spells
  • Autumn (September–November): Peak bass and pollack lure fishing, quality wrasse on crab/rag, mackerel and scad tail off by late autumn, conger and huss remain reliable at night
  • Winter (December–February): Conger, bull huss, pouting and rockling on bottom gear; odd pollack on lures in calm, clear spells; whiting more commonly on nearby beaches than the point itself
  • Occasional/bonus: Tope from the rocks is reported but rare and conditions-dependent; treat as a pleasant surprise rather than a target

Mobility and presentation are key here. Travel fairly light, fish the water in front of you thoroughly, and match your method to the run and clarity.

  • Lure fishing (pollack/bass): 20–40 g metals and sandeel profiles for covering tide seams; 20–35 g weedless soft plastics on weighted hooks for working kelp edges; mid-water shads for pollack on the drop
  • Surface/sub-surface (bass): Poppers and walk-the-dog lures at dawn/dusk in calmer windows on either side of slack; switch to diving minnows when there’s a bit more push
  • Float fishing: Ragworm or peeler crab set 10–20 ft for wrasse along rock walls; strips of mackerel for garfish and mackerel
  • Bottom fishing (night): Pulley or pulley-dropper rigs with 4/0–6/0 pennels for conger/huss; use strong abrasion-resistant leaders (60–80 lb), big squid/fish baits, and a rotten-bottom/weak-link for leads
  • Sabikis/feathers: Size 4–1 for mackerel/scad in summer; add a 30–40 g jig below to reach depth in the tide
  • Terminal notes: Grip leads (5–6 oz on springs) to hold on the sand tongues; otherwise expect to fish the flow rather than anchor; always include a rotten-bottom in this terrain

The headland’s power comes from its tide race; too much run makes it unfishable, too little can be lifeless. Plan sessions around softer runs and use the lee side to your advantage.

  • Best states: The last two hours of the flood through to slack, and the first hour of the ebb are prime for lures; neap tides are generally more manageable on the rocks
  • Side selection: In easterlies/SE swell, fish the west (Channel) side for shelter; in strong SW/W swell, try the Start Bay (east) side; always reassess on arrival
  • Water clarity: Lures excel in clear to lightly tinted water; after heavy seas, switch to bait or wait for it to settle
  • Time of day: Dawn and dusk for bass/pollack and surface work; full dark for conger/huss; bright calm afternoons can still produce wrasse tight to structure
  • Sea state: Long-period swell wraps the headland—avoid low, wave-washed ledges; short choppy seas are less predictable than a steady push

This is a serious rock mark with strong currents, wrap-around swell and committing ledges. If conditions or your kit/experience aren’t right, pick a safer venue in Start Bay.

  • Tidal race: Powerful flows on both flood and ebb; rogue surges common—keep high and dry, especially mid-tide
  • Footing: Barnacle/weed-covered rock is slick; wear good boots with studs/cleats and consider a helmet on scrambles
  • Personal safety: Wear an auto-inflating lifejacket, fish with a partner, carry a charged phone/whistle/torch, and tell someone your plan
  • Access limits: Do not enter fenced lighthouse compound or climb barriers; stick to the South West Coast Path spurs to ledges and obey any seasonal nesting-bird diversions
  • Cut-off risk: Some gullies flood/empty quickly—note your retreat route in daylight and avoid committing perches
  • Suitability: Not appropriate for young children, dogs near edges, or anglers with limited mobility
  • Weather: Fog forms quickly on the point; if visibility drops, retreat to the main path

Facilities are minimal at the point; plan to be self-sufficient. Nearby villages have what you’ll need before and after a session.

  • On-site: Pay-and-display car park; no fixed toilets; occasional seasonal refreshment van only
  • Nearest toilets: Public facilities usually at Torcross/Slapton Sands or Beesands (check seasonal opening hours)
  • Bait and tackle: Shops in Kingsbridge, Dartmouth and along the A379 corridor; ring ahead for fresh bait
  • Mobile signal: Patchy to poor around the rocks; better near the car park and on higher ground
  • Other: No lighting, limited bins—pack out all litter and waste line

Think like a roving lure angler with a contingency for bait after dark. Start high, read the water, and work the seams rather than fighting the full race.

  • Travel light: One lure rod, one small bag and a few proven patterns out-fish a heavy load you can’t move with
  • Read the lee: A slight eddy with fizzing bait is worth more than the main race; bass often sit on the soft side of structure
  • Spare metal: The bottom eats lures—carry duplicates and use single inline hooks for safer unhooking and fewer snags
  • Rotten-bottoms: A 10–12 lb weak link to the lead saves rigs when fishing baits into kelp
  • Leaders: 30–40 lb fluoro/mono for lures over rough ground; 60–80 lb mono for conger/huss
  • Wildlife: Grey seals work the point; if one keys in on you, move marks to avoid unwanted attention and lost fish
  • Timing: Arrive early for dawn to pick a safe, elevated platform in daylight; the uphill walk back feels longer—carry water

Rod-and-line fishing is generally permitted from the rocks around Start Point, but the lighthouse compound and any fenced or signed areas are off-limits. The headland sits within/adjacent to designated marine and coastal conservation areas; anglers are welcome but expected to minimise disturbance.

  • Conservation designations: Parts of the area are within/near the Skerries Bank and Surrounds MCZ and the Start Point to Plymouth Sound & Eddystone SAC; recreational angling is allowed, but avoid turning rocks, collecting invertebrates, or damaging intertidal habitats
  • Bass rules: Recreational European seabass retention is tightly regulated and can change annually; check the latest MMO/UK government notice for current season dates, daily bag limit and the 42 cm minimum size before keeping any fish
  • Local byelaws: Devon & Severn IFCA byelaws apply; while aimed largely at commercial gears, they may include spatial/seasonal protections—review the IFCA website before your trip
  • Minimum sizes: Observe national/regional minimum conservation reference sizes where applicable; when in doubt, release
  • Protected species: Do not target or retain any protected species (e.g., shad, seahorses); report accidental captures as advised by authorities
  • Access and conduct: Keep to marked paths, respect any temporary bird nesting diversions, no camping or fires on the headland, and take all litter (including line and hooks) home