Last updated: 2 weeks ago
A steep red-sandstone headland at Shaldon with deep water close in, kelp-lined gullies and rough ground. It fishes well on the flood through high water in calm to moderate seas, with summer sport on lures and floats and decent night fishing for minis and pout/scad. Avoid easterly swells and big...
A wide, clean-sand bay backed by dunes with rocky points at either end and the offshore Thurlestone Rock. Mixed ground gives options: surf and clean patches for bass, flatfish and rays; rougher edges for wrasse and pollack; summer brings mackerel, scad and garfish. Best on a flooding tide into dusk;...
Rocky ledges and platforms below Plymouth Hoe beside the Art Deco Tinside Lido, giving quick access to relatively deep, mixed-to-clean ground in Plymouth Sound. Best in summer and autumn—wrasse and pollack by day tight to kelp, scad, mackerel and garfish at dusk into night, with pouting and the odd conger...
Torcross is the southern end of Slapton Sands in Start Bay: a steep shingle beach with deep water close in. It fishes well year-round, with summer shoals of mackerel and scad, surf bass after onshore blows, and rays, dogfish and smoothhounds at night in settled weather. Winter brings whiting with...
A wide, gently shelving sandy beach on Torquay’s seafront with clean ground and easy access. Best fished on a flooding tide into dusk or after dark when swimmers have left; summer brings mackerel, garfish and bass to the surf line, while nights produce flatfish, sole and dogfish, with whiting more...
Steep, rugged rock ledges on the headland just west of Lynton. Deep water is close in with strong tide run, kelp beds, and gullies. Productive from late spring through autumn for lure and float fishing; night sessions can produce larger fish. Best at dawn/dusk on a flooding tide with a...
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 |