Last updated: 2 weeks ago
A rugged North Devon rock mark beneath the Greencliff/Abbotsham cliffs. You fish from low-tide rock platforms and boulder scars into kelp-filled gullies that drop into mixed rough with clean sand patches. It’s a classic summer–autumn venue for wrasse, pollack, bass, mackerel and garfish; after dark it can throw up conger...
A small, secluded rocky cove between Mortehoe and Morte Point on the North Devon coast. Grunta Beach offers rough-ground fishing from rock ledges and boulder platforms with kelp-filled gullies and occasional sand patches within casting range. Best in calm to moderate swell, it produces reliable summer wrasse and pollack on...
Steep shingle beach below the old Hallsands ruins on the east side of Start Point. Rough, kelpy ground with rock fingers and occasional clean patches; deep water close in. Best on a flooding tide into dusk and after dark in calm to moderate seas. Very snaggy—use strong gear, short casts...
Hartland Point is an exposed Atlantic headland of rugged rock ledges with deep, tidally swept water tight to the shore. It’s a classic rough-ground mark: prolific for summer lure fishing and night bait sessions, but demanding in terms of access and safety. Expect strong tides, heavy kelp and snags, ocean...
Exposed rocky platforms and ledges beneath the Hartland Quay Hotel on North Devon’s Atlantic coast. Deep, kelpy gullies meet fast tides and ocean swell, giving excellent lure and float fishing in summer through autumn. Fish the flood, dusk and dawn, or at night for conger and huss. Small to moderate...
A rough, rocky undercliff mark beneath Haven Cliff at the east end of Seaton (Jurassic Coast). Expect kelp beds, boulder fields and shingle pockets with relatively quick depth close in on the flood. Best in settled seas with a light onshore push; dawn/dusk and after dark are prime. Use strong...
Devon’s coast runs from the high-energy Bristol Channel cliffs and surf beaches of the north to the more sheltered, rocky bays and shingle strands of Lyme Bay and the South Hams. It offers a mix of headlands, reefs, piers, long beaches, and productive estuaries (Taw-Torridge, Exe, Teign, Dart, Salcombe). The variety of ground and conditions makes it one of England’s most versatile sea-angling counties, with year-round opportunities for bass, rays, smoothhound, wrasse, and seasonal mackerel.
| Season | Likely species (shore) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (Mar–May) | Bass, rays (thornback/small-eyed, early blondes), smoothhound (late), plaice (East Devon), wrasse, pollack, mullet | Bass pick up from April. Plaice show on shingle/sand when crabs start peeling. Crab baits excel late spring. |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | Mackerel, garfish, scad, bass, black bream (Torbay/Lyme Bay), gilthead bream (estuaries), wrasse, pollack, smoothhound, rays, sole | Peak variety. Lures shine in clear water; nights for rays/sole/conger. |
| Autumn (Sep–Nov) | Larger bass, rays, smoothhound (early), bream (to Oct), mackerel (to early Oct), whiting, conger, mullet | Great for big bass after blows; mixed bags from shingle beaches. |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | Whiting, conger, rockling, dogfish, dab, flounder (estuaries), occasional codling (north/east coasts) | Estuaries produce flounder; rough ground for conger and huss. Catch-and-release often for bass under seasonal rules. |
| Area | Coast character & access | Best species | Prime season | Go-to methods | Key safety notes | Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Devon (Bristol Channel) | Cliffs, gullies, surf beaches; mixed access via coast path and beaches | Bass, small-eyed/thornback ray, smoothhound, huss, conger; estuary flounder/mullet | May–Oct (summer variety); Oct–Jan (winter mixed) | Pulley pennel with crab/fish baits; surf bassing; estuary running ledgers | Huge tides, fast floods, swell on ledges; cut-off risk | Town car parks (Ilfracombe, Woolacombe), tackle shops Barnstaple/Ilfracombe |
| South Hams & Plymouth | Shingle beaches, rocky headlands, deep water close in; good parking | Bass, blonde/thornback ray, smoothhound, wrasse, pollack, conger, mullet | Apr–Nov (peak Jun–Oct) | Ledgering on shingle; lure/float from rocks; estuary crab tactics | Swell/undertow on Slapton; tide races at Start/Bolt | Multiple shops in Plymouth/Dartmouth; ample car parks |
| Torbay | Sheltered bays, breakwaters, reefs; very accessible | Mackerel, gar, scad, black bream, bass, wrasse, pollack | May–Oct | Feathers/metals; light rigs for bream; lures/float fishing | Busy promenades; watch swell at Berry Head | Piers, breakwater, cafés, toilets, parking |
| East Devon (Lyme Bay) | Steep shingle/pebble beaches, cliffs; Exe/Teign estuaries | Bass, rays, sole/plaice, mackerel/gar, wrasse/pollack, whiting (winter) | Apr–Nov; winter for whiting/flounder | Clipped rigs for distance; crab/sandeel for bass/rays; lures in clear water | Steep shingle backwash; landslip/undercliff hazards | Car parks at Seaton/Budleigh/Exmouth; local tackle shops |