Last updated: 2 weeks ago
A scenic sandy beach at the mouth of the River Erme with rocky fringes on both sides. The estuary channels, surf lines and adjacent rocks offer varied fishing through the seasons. Expect fast tidal movement near the mouth, soft sand underfoot and big sandbars; time sessions around the flooding tide...
A stone breakwater projecting from Mount Batten into the Cattewater, offering mixed rough/clean ground with 4–12 m of water depending on tide. It fishes well year-round with peak summer sport for wrasse, mackerel and scad, and productive winter nights for pouting and whiting. Excellent for LRF down the wall. Best...
Concrete pier and ferry landing on the north side of Mount Batten, projecting into the Cattewater at the mouth of Plymouth Sound. Mixed ground with kelp-fringed rock edges, scoured sand patches and a deep, tide‑scoured channel. Best on the flood up to high water and the first of the ebb;...
Remote boulder-and-pebble beach on the Hartland Heritage Coast beneath Blackchurch Rock. Rough, kelpy ground with gullies and occasional sand patches; fishes best on a flooding tide into dusk through late spring to autumn. Access is via a steep woodland path from the Brownsham National Trust car park (about 20–30 minutes)...
Sheltered shingle cove beneath The Ness headland at Shaldon (often called Ness Cove). Mixed sand, shingle and rocky margins give options for float, spinning and light bottom fishing. Best on a flooding tide, especially at dawn/dusk in summer for pelagics; after dark in winter for bottom species. Access is via...
Newberry Beach sits on the eastern side of Combe Martin Bay, a small shingle-and-sand cove fringed by kelp-covered rock ledges and boulder patches. It’s a mixed-ground mark with clear patches of sand in the centre and snaggy reefs towards Newberry Point, giving options for both beach casting and close-quarters rock...
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 |