Last updated: 2 weeks ago
Remote, boulder-strewn cove at the mouth of the River Heddon with deep, kelpy water close to the headlands. Best in settled seas on a flooding tide into dusk. Lure and float fishing excel; bottom fishing after dark produces larger rough-ground species. Access is a scenic walk from Heddon Valley (National...
Compact north-coast bay just east of Ilfracombe with easy parking and short access paths. The best fishing is from the rock platforms on either side of the bay, giving mixed rough ground with kelp, boulders and gullies, and a sandy patch in the centre of the beach. Classic summer rock...
Rocky ledges and gullies below the village and the Eddystone Inn, facing south into open Channel. Kelp-covered rough ground with pockets of sand and quickly shelving water on the flood. Best in settled or moderate seas on a flooding tide around dawn or dusk. Lure fishing for bass and pollack...
Steep shingle-and-sand beach beneath the sea wall and cliffs between Teignmouth and Dawlish at Holcombe. Mixed-to-clean ground in the middle with rougher patches and boulders toward the ends. Best on a flooding tide into dusk and after dark. Summer brings mackerel, garfish and scad close in; bass patrol the surf...
A small red-sand cove in Torbay between Preston Sands and Livermead, with clean sand in the middle and kelpy, boulder-strewn rocks at both ends. It fishes well for LRF and wrasse around the rough ground and for pelagics and small species along the beach in summer. Nights and winter bring...
Hooken Cliffs is a rugged undercliff and boulder field between Beer Head and Branscombe in East Devon. The mark offers kelp-filled gullies, broken ground and patches of deeper water close in, fishing best in settled to moderate seas from late spring through autumn. It’s primarily a rough-ground, lure-and-bait rock mark...
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 |