Lake Pier Fishing

Last updated: 6 days ago

Lake Pier Fishing Map

Lake Pier is a small wooden pier at Hamworthy on the western edge of Poole Harbour. It offers sheltered, easy-access fishing over predominantly muddy/silty ground with eelgrass and access to nearby channels. Best results are typically two hours either side of high water; at dead low the water is shallow. Daytime in summer can produce mullet and garfish, with bass on the flood; after dark, worm baits pick up flounder, sole and eels. Use light tackle and modest leads for gentle tidal flow, a drop net for larger fish, and a rotten-bottom link if casting near the pier piles or moorings. Parking is adjacent, but the boards can be slippery with weed and it’s popular with divers—keep clear of water users.

Ratings

⭐ 6.5/10 Overall
Catch Potential 6/10
Species Variety 6/10
Scenery & Comfort 8/10
Safety 7/10
Accessibility 9/10

Fish You Can Catch at Lake Pier

🐟 Bass 8/10
🎯 Tip: Evening flood; cast peeler crab or ragworm along channel edges and eddies; also try weedless soft plastics at dusk in summer/autumn on the top of the tide.
🐟 Flounder 8/10
🎯 Tip: Nov-Mar best on flood and first of ebb; long flowing trace with rag/lug tipped with mackerel; cast to channel run-offs and slowly inch back over mud/sand.
🐟 Starry Smoothhound 7/10
🎯 Tip: Late May-Sep on evening floods; fresh peeler/soft crab on long snoods; cast to the channel seam and hold the rod - fast runs.
🐟 Mullet (Thick-lipped) 7/10
🎯 Tip: Calm, clear water; freeline or float bread flake beside the pier and moorings on slack or first of the flood; steady trickle of mashed bread helps hold fish.
🐟 Gilthead Bream 7/10
🎯 Tip: May-Oct; peeler crab or rag/maddies on size 1-2 hooks; fish sandy patches by tide-run gullies on the flood, bites often close in.
🐟 Corkwing Wrasse 6/10
🎯 Tip: LRF around pier piles and weed at mid-high; size 12-16 hooks with small rag or Gulp; drop straight down, keep tackle tight to avoid snags.
🐟 Rock Goby 6/10
🎯 Tip: LRF at your feet around rocks/weed; size 16 hooks with tiny rag/squid; short drop-shot or split shot; best on the flood.
🐟 Mullet (Thin-lipped) 6/10
🎯 Tip: Summer on first of ebb/flood down the creeks; small spinners with Isome or baited Delta; steady retrieve along outflows; 6-8 lb fluoro leader.
🐟 Dover Sole 5/10
🎯 Tip: June-Sep, dusk into dark; rag or maddies on long snoods; cast 10-30 m onto muddy sand; neap tides fish best.
🐟 Golden-grey Mullet 5/10
🎯 Tip: Warm, clear summer floods over sandy flats; tiny Sabiki or small Mepps with shrimp/prawn slivers; stealth and light leaders.
🐟 European Eel 4/10
🎯 Tip: Warm nights after dark in creeks; worm baits on a simple running ledger; fish mud edges; use circles/barbless and release - protected species.

Lake Pier Fishing

Summary

Lake Pier sits on the Hamworthy side of Poole Harbour, Dorset, and offers easy, sheltered sea angling with a genuine chance of varied species through the seasons. It’s a short, friendly pier with adjacent shoreline and a slipway, ideal for light ledgering, mullet tactics, and family sessions.

Location and Access

Lake Pier is at the end of Lake Drive in Hamworthy (Poole), with a council car park right beside the pier, making it one of the easiest marks to reach in the harbour. The walk is flat and short, over firm ground and wooden decking.

Seasons

Expect classic Poole Harbour species with a few surprises. The mark fishes best from late spring to autumn, with winter flounder a draw.

Methods

Light, sensitive approaches score here. Match the small harbour species with fine end tackle and fresh bait.

Tides and Conditions

Being inside Poole Harbour, Lake Pier is largely sheltered from swell, but tide timing is crucial. Aim to fish when there’s water under you and life moving.

Safety

It’s an accessible, family-friendly mark, but do respect the mixed use of the pier and the soft harbour margins.

Facilities

Facilities are close at hand by harbour standards, adding to the mark’s convenience.

Tips

Local patterns reward a subtle approach and careful baiting.

Regulations

Know the rules before you go—Poole Harbour has specific protections and seasonal measures.