Last updated: 2 weeks ago
Long, exposed sandy beach at the southern end of Woolacombe Bay with clean sand, surf gutters and rocky fringes toward Baggy Point. Best fished on a flooding tide into dusk or after dark when the surf eases. Target small-eyed rays and dogfish at range over clean ground; bass work the...
A small, sheltered cove on the east side of Ilfracombe Harbour with mixed ground: clean sand in the centre and kelpy, boulder-strewn ledges around the sides. The rocks give excellent LRF opportunities for blennies, gobies and wrasse, while summer brings mackerel, scad and garfish into the cove on the flood....
Exposed rocky headland east of Ilfracombe/Hele Bay with deep water close in over kelp, ledges and mixed rough ground. Strong tidal run around the point; best on neaps or the last couple of hours of the flood and first of the ebb. Summer–autumn suit lures and float fishing for pelagics...
A sheltered rocky cove between Morte Point and Bull Point near Mortehoe. Kelp-lined ledges, boulder ground and sand patches provide classic North Devon rough-ground fishing. Best on a flooding tide through mid to high, with a light westerly or calm seas. Float-fished worm or crab and soft-plastic lures work around...
Rocky headland between Paignton Harbour and Goodrington Sands in Torbay. Ledges and platforms give access to mixed rough/kelp ground with relatively quick depth, fishing best on a flooding tide and around dusk. Summer brings shoals tight to the headland; nights produce mini-species and conger. Float or light lure tactics excel...
A remote shingle cove on the Jurassic Coast below Salcombe Regis (east of Sidmouth). Mixed rough ground with boulders and kelp at both ends produces wrasse and pollack in summer; the open shingle sees mackerel and garfish in calm, clear weather, with pouting, rocklings and the odd whiting after dark....
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 |