Last updated: 2 weeks ago
A long exposed shingle beach in Start Bay backed by Slapton Ley. Mixed clean sand and shingle with deeper water close in on some tides; fishes year‑round. Best results typically come at night and on a flooding tide, with summer pelagics and mullet around the Torcross outflow and winter whiting...
Small, secluded cove between Bolt Head and Bolt Tail with rocky ledges flanking a pocket of sand. Mixed rough ground, kelp gullies and tide run make it a productive summer mark; best at dawn/dusk on a flooding tide. Expect snags—use rotten-bottoms—and beware swell and slippery weed on the rocks.
An exposed sandy bay with rocky points and reefs at either end, looking out to Thurlestone Rock. The beach offers classic surf tables and gutters for bass, while the boulder-strewn margins and kelp beds hold wrasse and pollack. Summer brings clear water, garfish, mackerel and night-time scad; after dark the...
Sprey Point is a rugged rocky promontory set beneath the red cliffs between Teignmouth and Dawlish. It offers relatively deep, kelpy water close in with patches of sand and strong tide run along the point. It fishes best on a flooding tide, especially at dusk into dark through summer and...
A steep shingle/sand cove just south of Brixham, backed by high cliffs. The centre offers clean to lightly mixed ground, while both ends are rocky and kelpy (towards Sharkham Point and the Berry Head side), giving a good mix of surf and rough-ground fishing. Summer brings prolific mackerel, scad and...
A long, exposed shingle beach stretching between Start Point and the Dartmouth side of the bay (Slapton Sands/Torcross). Clean sand/shingle over a quick-shelving foreshore gives fast access to depth. Bass show after onshore blows; summer brings mackerel, scad and gurnards; nights produce dogfish, rays and the odd smoothhound; winter sees...
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 |