Last updated: 2 weeks ago
Expansive sand and shingle fronted by the Pebble Ridge with the Skern estuary on the landward side. Productive in a surf for bass and summer smoothhounds, with small-eyed and spotted rays on settled evenings. The Skern channels hold thin-lipped mullet and flounder. Best on a flooding tide into dusk; target...
Sheltered shingle-and-sand beach in Babbacombe Bay beneath red sandstone cliffs. Clean sand in the middle with rocky ground and kelp at both ends. Access is via a steep path or the Babbacombe Cliff Railway (seasonal). Summer brings mackerel, garfish and scad to lures from the beach, while the rocky margins...
Rocky headland at the eastern end of Exmouth beach (by the Geoneedle). Mixed rough ground with kelp gullies and sand patches gives varied fishing, especially through late spring to autumn. Productive for lure and float fishing on flooding and high tides, with night sessions picking out scavengers. Access via the...
Otter Head is a red-sandstone headland just east of the River Otter mouth at Budleigh Salterton. It’s a classic rough-ground rock mark with kelp-filled gullies, broken reef and occasional sand patches. It fishes best on a flooding tide into dusk and after dark. Summer brings wrasse and pollack close to...
A kelp-covered rock ledge on the red sandstone coast between Budleigh Salterton and Ladram Bay, dropping quickly into mixed rough ground with sand patches. Best in calm to moderate summer conditions on a flooding tide, with depth and tide run bringing fish tight to the ledge. Access is via the...
A long, gently shelving sandy beach in Torbay running between Paignton Harbour and Preston Sands, with Paignton Pier mid-beach. Clean sand with gullies and occasional patches of broken ground near the harbour end. Productive on a flooding tide into dusk and after dark: summer brings mackerel, scad and garfish around...
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 |