Last updated: 2 weeks ago
A sheltered pebble beach in Torbay, flanked by rocky points and clear water. Mixed ground with clean sand patches, kelp and boulders offers float, lure and light ledger options. Best late spring to early autumn for mackerel, gar and wrasse; after dark brings dogfish, pouting and the odd conger. Thick-lipped...
Compact stone pier beneath Plymouth Hoe with quick access to deep, clear water in Plymouth Sound. Mixed ground with kelp, rock and patches of cleaner sand/shingle; minimal casting is often enough. Best two hours either side of high water, with evenings and after dark most productive. Summer brings shoals of...
A long, shallow, sandy beach running along Exmouth’s seafront and the mouth of the River Exe. Mostly clean ground with shifting gutters and bars; easy access from the promenade, car parks, and amenities. Best on a flooding tide into dusk and after dark. Winter brings whiting, dabs and dogfish; spring–autumn...
A small, sheltered, south-facing cove immediately south of Paignton Harbour under Roundham Head. Clean sand with rocky margins and kelp beds at either end provides mixed-ground fishing. Best on a flooding tide into dusk; summer brings surface-feeding shoals and wrasse from the rocks, while winter nights can produce whiting and...
Firestone Bay sits beside Devil’s Point and Royal William Yard in Plymouth Sound. It’s a rocky shoreline with patches of clean sand and kelp-covered reef, offering deep water close in and strong tidal flow, especially on the ebb. The mark is productive year-round: summer and early autumn bring baitfish (mackerel,...
Sheltered pebble cove on the north side of Brixham with kelp-fringed rock ledges and quick access to relatively deep, clear water. A prime light-rock-fishing spot: wrasse, gobies and blennies are abundant, with summer mackerel, scad and garfish passing through and pollack along the weed lines. Best on a flooding tide...
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 |