Last updated: 2 weeks ago
A secluded red-sand cove between Babbacombe and Maidencombe on the Torbay coast. The small beach fronts mixed ground with patches of clean sand, while the rocky points on either side give better depth and tide run. Expect kelp, boulders and snags—use rotten-bottom rigs. Best in settled weather and clear water;...
Remote, boulder-and-reef cove on the North Devon/Cornwall border. Steep walk to jagged rock platforms with kelp-filled gullies and small sand patches; very exposed to Atlantic swell. Best around dusk or after dark on a flooding tide in moderate seas; excellent rough-ground and summer lure venue but slippery and committing at...
Wembury Beach is a south-facing, mixed-ground shoreline of sand patches interlaced with rocky reefs and kelp gullies opposite the Mewstone. It fishes best on a flooding tide into dusk through summer and early autumn, when pelagics and wrasse work the reef edges. Lure fishing (metals, soft plastics) along the gullies...
A prominent rocky headland on the west side of Wembury Bay overlooking the Mewstone. The mark offers mixed to rough ground with kelp, gullies and ledges, producing depth close in and strong tidal run on bigger tides. Best in settled or light onshore conditions for wrasse and pollack, and at...
A secluded, south-facing cove of sand with rocky ledges at both ends, Westcombe Beach offers classic mixed-ground fishing. The surf line and sand gullies hold bass, while the boulder fringes and kelp beds produce wrasse and pollack. Best results are typically 2–3 hours either side of high water, with summer...
A remote shingle/pebble beach beneath high cliffs on the Jurassic Coast between Sidmouth and Branscombe. The central stretch offers cleaner shingle with sand patches, while both ends run into rougher, snaggy ground and boulders. Best results typically come on a flooding tide into dusk and after dark. Summer sees mackerel,...
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 |