Last updated: 2 weeks ago
Compact shingle cove with kelp-fringed rock ledges either side and quick depth close in. Access is via a steep woodland path and steps from the Fishcombe/Churston car park, so travel light and use sturdy footwear. The ground is rough with boulders, kelp and ledges; a rotten-bottom/weak-link is advisable. Best in...
Steep, rough-ground rock ledges beneath the National Trust gardens at Coleton Fishacre around Pudcombe Cove and toward Froward Point. Deep water is close in with kelp beds, boulder gullies, and tidal run, making it a classic South Devon rock mark for lures, float-fished baits, and night fishing. Best in settled...
A sheltered, sand-and-shingle cove flanked by kelpy rock ledges, Combe Martin Beach offers mixed-ground fishing with a very large Bristol Channel tidal range. Access is straightforward via the village car park and slipway. Wrasse and pollack dominate around the rocky margins on the flood in clear water; summer also brings...
Rocky headland between Torquay’s Torre Abbey Sands and Livermead, offering mixed rough-to-clean ground with kelp beds, ledges and quick access to 4–10 m of water on the flood. Productive in summer and early autumn for lure and float fishing; night tides can produce larger fish on bottom rigs. Sheltered from...
A small sandy cove at Dawlish beneath red sandstone cliffs with rocky ledges at either side and the railway above. Sheltered from westerlies but exposed to easterly swells. Best fished around dawn/dusk and a flooding tide: summer brings mackerel, garfish and scad close in, while pollack and wrasse patrol the...
Crow Point is a shifting sand spit at the mouth of the Taw–Torridge estuary near Braunton. It offers broad sandy flats cut by deep, fast-flowing channels and gullies that move with the tides. Expect strong currents on the flood and ebb, with productive seams along the channel edges. Best fishing...
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 |