Last updated: 2 weeks ago
Wide west-facing surf beach backed by the Northam Burrows pebble ridge on Bideford Bay. Shallow, shifting sandbars create gutters that hold fish on the flood and first of the ebb. Best results at dusk or after dark on a rising tide; target the first and second gutters and any rip...
Widmouth Head is a rugged, north-facing rocky headland between Hele Bay and Watermouth Cove near Ilfracombe. Steep ledges and kelp-filled gullies give quick access to deep water and a strong tidal run; it fishes best on neap to mid tides, around the flood and into dusk, with a gentle swell...
Wildersmouth Beach is a small mixed sand-and-pebble cove in Ilfracombe, North Devon, flanked by reefy ground from Capstone and the Landmark side. It offers short-range rough-ground fishing with kelp gullies and patches of clean sand. Best results are on a flooding tide into dusk and after dark. Summer brings mackerel,...
Exposed rocky headland between Clovelly and Hartland with deep, kelpy gullies and fast-running water close in. Best suited to lure or float fishing for wrasse and pollack in settled seas, with night sessions producing bull huss, conger and pouting. Access is via the coast path with steep sections; only attempt...
Wonwell Beach sits on the eastern side of the River Erme mouth, a tidal sandy beach with clean ground, shifting channels and some rocky margins near the entrance to Bigbury Bay. It fishes best on a flooding tide into dusk or at first light, with bass and flounder working the...
A steep, wooded cove on Exmoor’s north coast with rough, kelpy ground and rock ledges on both sides of a small boulder/shingle beach. Deep water is within easy casting range, but powerful Bristol Channel tides and swell are common. Best fished on the flood into high water or the first...
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 |