Last updated: 2 weeks ago
A secluded sand-and-shingle cove between Brixham and Kingswear with kelp-fringed rocks at both ends. Mixed ground offers float and lure fishing along the rocky margins and ledgering onto sandy patches from the beach. Best on a flooding tide into dusk; summer brings mackerel, scad and garfish, while wrasse and pollack...
A long, steeply shelving shingle beach on Lyme Bay with easy promenade access and parking. Clean-to-mixed ground with sand patches offers flatfish and rays at range, while the western end near the Axe estuary and the surf line produce bass, especially on a flooding tide and in a light surf....
Seaton Hole is the rocky, shingle-backed western end of Seaton beach beneath high cliffs, facing Lyme Bay. It offers mixed-to-rough ground with kelp beds, boulders, and gullies close in, dropping into deeper water on a flooding tide. It’s a classic light–to–medium tackle venue: float fishing and LRF around the rocks...
Sharkham Point is a rugged, kelpy headland of broken rock ledges on the south side of Brixham with relatively deep water close in. It fishes best on a flooding tide at dawn/dusk and into darkness, producing summer lure sport for pelagics and consistent bottom fishing around the kelp and rough...
Rocky ledges and platforms beside Shoalstone sea water pool at Brixham, offering quick access to deep, clear water over kelp and broken ground. Best on the flood through high, especially at dawn/dusk in summer for lure and float fishing. Nights bring scad, pouting and the chance of conger; bass show...
Steep shingle beach backed by a promenade on the Jurassic Coast. The western end (by Jacob’s Ladder/Chit Rocks) has rough, kelpy ground and shallow rock ledges; the central and eastern stretches are cleaner mixed ground with the River Sid entering at the far east. Summer sees mackerel, garfish and bass...
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 |