Black Ven Fishing

Last updated: 1 month ago

Black Ven Fishing Map

A sprawling landslip and reef system between Lyme Regis and Charmouth, with boulder fields, clay ledges and interspersed sand gullies. Best fished over low to mid tide when the clean patches are exposed; the first push of the flood is prime for bass and wrasse, while the sand runs hold flatfish and the odd ray. Access is on foot from either Lyme Regis or Charmouth with a 20–35 minute walk over shingle and uneven rocks—plan strictly around tide times as the flood will cut you off against unstable cliffs. Ground is very mixed and snaggy: use rotten-bottom/weak links, tough leaders and abrasion-resistant mainline. Summer and early autumn bring bass, wrasse, mackerel, garfish and scad; spring sees plaice on the sand; winter nights can produce pouting and dabs, with occasional bull huss, conger and rays from the gullies. Swell from southerlies, deep mud patches and frequent cliff falls are real hazards—keep clear of the undercliff and allow plenty of time to exit.

Ratings

⭐ 6.2/10 Overall
Catch Potential 6/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 8/10
Safety 3/10
Accessibility 4/10

Fish You Can Catch at Black Ven

🐟 Bass 9/10
🎯 Tip: Work shallow reef gullies with weedless soft plastics or peeler crab. Best on a flooding tide at dawn/dusk, with some colour in the water after a blow.
🐟 Ballan Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Float or light ledger with crab/rag tight to boulders and kelp. Last 3 hours of flood over rough ground; calm, clear seas late spring–autumn.
🐟 Lesser Spotted Dogfish 7/10
🎯 Tip: Squid or mackerel strips on 2-hook flappers to mixed ground at night. Reliable year-round; aim for sand patches seaward of the boulders.
🐟 Pollack 6/10
🎯 Tip: Lure fish along the reef edge at dawn/dusk on the flood; small metals or soft shads. Retrieve high to avoid kelp.
🐟 Pouting 6/10
🎯 Tip: Small fish baits or rag on 1/0 flappers over rough ground from dusk into dark; concentrate around kelp scars on the flood.
🐟 Mackerel 6/10
🎯 Tip: Summer evenings on calm seas; cast small feathers or a single metal to shoals on the flooding tide.
🐟 Whiting 5/10
🎯 Tip: Winter nights; small fish baits to cleaner ground. Use 2–3 hook flappers and keep baits popping with gentle recasts.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 5/10
🎯 Tip: Tiny hooks with rag or prawn under a float among rocks and weed; mid-tide to high in clear water, summer.
🐟 Conger Eel 5/10
🎯 Tip: After dark into the first of the ebb; big fish baits just beyond the kelp line. Use strong mono traces and rotten-bottoms to beat snags.
🐟 Garfish 5/10
🎯 Tip: Late spring–autumn; drift a sliver of mackerel under a float near the surface over sand tongues on the flood.
🐟 Flounder 4/10
🎯 Tip: Autumn–winter; light ledger with rag or lug to sandy gutters as the tide floods. Slow retrieves and long soaks.
🐟 Starry Smoothhound 4/10
🎯 Tip: Warm months; peeler crab to clean sand beyond the boulders an hour before high. Best on gentle seas and neap tides.

Black Ven Fishing

Summary

Black Ven, Dorset sits between Lyme Regis and Charmouth on the Jurassic Coast and is best known for its dramatic landslips and fossil-rich clays. For sea anglers it offers a wild, mixed-ground beach with genuine chances of bass, smoothhounds and flats, plus the odd ray when conditions line up. It’s a rewarding but committing mark that demands careful tide planning and respect for the terrain.

Location and Access

This mark is only reached along the foreshore from either Lyme Regis (to the west) or Charmouth (to the east), and access is tide-dependent. There are no safe cliff paths down; you must walk the beach and time your trip around low water.

  • Approach from Charmouth: park near the beach on Lower Sea Lane and walk west along the beach towards Lyme Regis; allow 20–35 minutes to reach the main Black Ven ground at a brisk pace.
  • Approach from Lyme Regis: use the seafront/long-stay car parks and walk east beyond the sea defences and Church Cliff; allow 20–30 minutes to the landslip area.
  • Terrain: shingle patches, slippery Blue Lias clay, weeded boulders and soft mud in places; footwear with good grip is essential.
  • Tidal access window: typically 2–3 hours either side of low on neaps, less on springs. Parts of the beach are cut off at mid-to-high water.
  • Parking: pay-and-display in both towns close to the seafront; arrive early in summer. Follow local signage for height limits and closing times.
  • Public transport: seasonal buses serve both Lyme Regis and Charmouth; from stops it’s still a beach walk to the mark.

Seasons

Black Ven fishes as a mixed-ground surf mark with sandy runs between clay and boulders. Expect typical Lyme Bay species with seasonal shifts.

  • Spring: plaice and dabs on sandy tongues; school bass in surf; early smoothhound if crabs are peeling; garfish on calm, bright days.
  • Summer: bass (including better fish at dawn/dusk), smoothhounds, dogfish, occasional thornback or small-eyed ray on suitable sand; mackerel and scad in evening; wrasse and pollack tight to rockier pockets.
  • Autumn: bass peak in onshore blows; soles and flounder after dark on smaller tides; late hounds in warm spells; whiting start to show.
  • Winter: whiting, pouting, dab and poor cod; an occasional codling after big south-westerly storms (now rare) and conger after dark from rougher holes.
  • Year-round visitors: bull huss on big fish baits over rougher patches; eels at night.

Methods

Treat Black Ven as a short-to-medium range mixed-ground venue, fishing into seams of cleaner sand between rougher patches. Night sessions are particularly effective for flats and bass.

  • Rigs: 1–2 hook flappers for close-range flats; clipped-down pulley or pulley pennel (60–120 cm) for bass, hounds and rays; use a weak-link/rotten-bottom on all leads.
  • Baits: peeler crab is top for bass and smoothhound in late spring/summer; lugworm/ragworm for flats and general work; sandeel/squid cocktails for rays; mackerel/squid for huss/conger after dark.
  • Lures: sandeel-pattern metals and soft plastics for bass along the surf line in colour; small metals/floats for gar and mackerel on calm, clear days.
  • Tactics: explore at low water to find sand runs and gutters, then fish the flood as fish move tight in. Don’t overlook 10–30 metres from the rod tip—many bass are taken under the rod.
  • Timing: dawn/dusk for bass and hounds; after-dark on neaps for sole; daylight with slight colour for plaice in spring.

Tides and Conditions

Tides and sea state dictate both access and success here. Plan around low water, and match methods to water colour and swell.

  • Best tide states: flooding tide from LW to HW for bass and hounds; last two hours of ebb for flats on sand runs. Neaps favour sole; mid-sized springs help bass.
  • Sea conditions: a moderate onshore SW breeze with a rolling surf and some colour is ideal for bass. Flat, clear water suits gar/mackerel and sight-feeding plaice.
  • Water colour: the clays colour up quickly after rain or slips. Mildly coloured is good for bass; chocolate-brown often kills the sport for pelagics.
  • Seasonality: May–October is prime for variety; winter is a scratch for whiting/flats with the odd bonus fish after big storms.
  • Wind: SW–W brings surf and food; prolonged E/NE flattens and clears, making bait presentation/finer tackle more important.

Safety

This is a serious landslip coast with very limited escape routes. Treat it as a committing shore mark and plan conservatively.

  • Do not fish beneath unstable cliff faces; rockfalls and mudslides are common, especially after rain. Keep well clear of the cliff toe.
  • Check local tide times and leave ample margin to get back; sections are cut off at mid-to-high water.
  • Footing: Blue Lias clay is extremely slippery; studs/cleats are strongly advised. Avoid soft mud patches that behave like quicksand.
  • Use a weak-link on leads; never attempt to free snags near the waterline in swell. A waist-belt PFD is sensible on surf lines and boulder ground.
  • Night access is for experienced anglers only—reconnoitre in daylight first and carry a headtorch with spare batteries.
  • Mobile signal can be patchy under the cliffs; tell someone your plan and time back. In emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
  • Accessibility: not suitable for wheelchairs or limited mobility; all access is via uneven beach walking.

Facilities

Facilities are concentrated in Lyme Regis and Charmouth; there are none on the Black Ven foreshore itself.

  • Toilets, cafés and seasonal kiosks near both town seafronts; check opening hours outside peak season.
  • Tackle and bait: available in Lyme Regis and in nearby Bridport/West Bay; buy before you walk in.
  • Parking: pay-and-display near both beaches; busy on summer weekends and during school holidays.
  • Water and food: bring your own for the session—no supplies once you leave the promenade.
  • Phone signal: intermittent under the cliffs; better on promenades and higher ground.

Tips

Think like a beachcomber: read the ground at low tide, mark the sand tongues and gullies, then fish them on the flood with the right bait.

  • Peeler crab turns sessions into red-letter days for hounds and bass when crabs are moulting; fish a long trace and keep baits moving.
  • Many bass come within 10 metres in broken surf—try one rod short with a crab or lug bait, even if you’re punching the other longer.
  • Carry a few wired leads for surf hold and some plain bombs to roll over snags when it’s calmer.
  • A simple float rig with small strips of mackerel is deadly for garfish on sunny, calm afternoons.
  • Check your boots regularly—clay builds up like platform shoes and destroys footing.
  • After storms, expect debris and coloured water; give it 24–48 hours for bass-friendly fizz without chocolate soup.
  • Respect fossil hunters and keep casting lanes clear; it’s a shared shoreline.

Regulations

Black Ven lies on the Dorset coast within the Southern IFCA district and the Jurassic Coast SSSI/World Heritage Site. Shore angling is permitted, but there are important rules and codes to follow.

  • No rod licence is required for sea fishing in England (except for migratory salmonids in designated waters).
  • Bass: minimum size 42 cm. Seasonal bag/retention rules change—check current MMO/DEFRA guidance before keeping any bass.
  • Minimum and recommended sizes: observe current Southern IFCA/MMO size limits for species such as rays, plaice, sole and smoothhound (spurdog are protected—handle and release carefully if encountered).
  • Marine protected areas: parts of Lyme Bay are protected from certain commercial gears to safeguard reefs; shore angling is allowed, but avoid damaging intertidal habitats.
  • SSSI/heritage: do not dig into, hammer or remove material from the cliffs or protected features. Keep bait collection to the open foreshore below the high-water mark and follow local codes.
  • Local bylaws: seasonal dog restrictions, BBQ/open fire rules and beach safety signage apply on adjacent beaches—read and comply with posted notices.
  • Leave no trace: take all litter and line home; unhook and release undersized/unwanted fish promptly.