Man O'War Bay Fishing

Summary

Man O'War Bay sits immediately east of Durdle Door on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, a stunning crescent of shingle with rocky shoulders and clear, teal water. It’s a classic mixed-ground mark that rewards mobile, light tactics in calm weather and can produce wrasse, bream, bass, garfish and summer pelagics in truly spectacular surroundings.

Location and Access

This mark lies on the Lulworth Estate between Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. Access is via steep paths and steps, so travel light and wear good footwear.

• Main parking: Durdle Door Holiday Park car park (sat-nav: BH20 5PU), pay-and-display; check seasonal opening times and charges on the Lulworth Estate website.
• Alternative parking: Lulworth Cove village car park (BH20 5RQ), then walk the South West Coast Path westwards (longer, more strenuous).
• Walk-in: 15–25 minutes from Durdle Door car park to the steps; final descent is steep with uneven, often slippery steps.
• Terrain: Shingle/pebble beach with rocky ledges at both ends of the cove; mixed rough-to-clean patches in the middle.
• Busy in peak season/daylight; best fished early morning, evening, or off-peak months for space and calmer water.

Seasons

Man O'War Bay fishes like a sheltered, mixed-ground cove: wrasse and pollack around the rocks, clean-patch species and pelagics in the middle water, and bass on a bit of movement.

• Spring (Mar–May):
  • Ballan and corkwing wrasse (building from April)
  • Pollack from the ledges
  • Early black bream in settled spells
  • Bass on the flood in a light chop
• Summer (Jun–Aug):
  • Wrasse (prime time)
  • Black bream over cleaner patches
  • Mackerel, garfish, scad in clear, calm water
  • Pollack at dawn/dusk
  • Occasional bass and small smoothhound (rare)
• Autumn (Sep–Nov):
  • Bass (often best of the year on onshore breeze)
  • Late bream and wrasse into October (if water stays warm/clear)
  • Mackerel/scad on calm evenings; the odd squid on jigs after dark
  • Pouting and poor cod at night
• Winter (Dec–Feb):
  • Generally quiet; odd pollack, pouting and dogfish on rougher nights
  • Most anglers switch to more productive winter marks nearby

Methods

Think light, mobile and snag-aware. The bay rewards float fishing and lures around the rocks, with small-bait ledgering on the cleaner patches.

• Float fishing (rocks/shoulders):
  • Ragworm, peeled prawn, or soft crab for wrasse; mackerel strip or sandeel for gar and mackerel.
  • Set the float 8–15 ft depending on depth; feed little-and-often for garfish.
• Lure fishing:
  • Small metals and slim spoons for mackerel/scad; 7–12 cm soft-plastics on 5–14 g heads for pollack/wrasse.
  • Surface/slow-sinking minnows and needle lures for bass at first/last light with a slight ripple.
• Ledgering (cleaner patches in the middle of the bay):
  • Two-hook flapper size 4–6 with small baits (squid strip, prawn, rag tips) for black bream.
  • Running ledger or pulley with a weak/rotten-bottom link to beat snags; 3–4 oz leads usually enough.
• Night tactics:
  • Simple running ledger with whole squid/bluey strip for conger/pollack from the rocks; keep tackle strong and use abrasion-resistant leaders.
  • Squid jigs under a light on calm, clear autumn nights.
• Tackle notes:
  • 10–12 ft lure rod (10–35 g) or 11–12 ft light beach/estuary rod works well; 20–30 lb leader to cope with rocks.
  • Use a rotten-bottom clip when casting near rough ground. Barbless or crushed barbs help with quick, safe releases.

Tides and Conditions

The cove is sheltered by offshore reefs, so it shines in settled weather with clear water. Tide movement still matters, but not as dramatically as on open beaches.

• Tide state:
  • Flood to high water often best; fish move tight to the rocks and along the shingle edge.
  • Neaps favour wrasse/bream finesse work; springs can push baitfish in for short, lively windows.
• Wind and swell:
  • Sheltered from prevailing W/SW; exposed to E/SE which can drive a messy swell into the cove.
  • After 24–48 hours of calm, expect superb clarity—ideal for floats and LRF.
• Time of day:
  • Dawn and dusk changeovers are prime for bass, pollack, mackerel and gar.
  • Bright, calm middays can still produce wrasse and bream with small baits.
• Seasonality:
  • Peak fishing is May–October; winter action is limited and weather-dependent.

Safety

This is a steep, committing venue under unstable cliffs. Plan your exit, pack light, and respect the sea.

• Steep approach and long steps: not suitable for those with limited mobility; take your time and use both hands when descending in the dark.
• Shingle slopes shift underfoot; wear grippy boots. Avoid standing too close to the wash line in a swell.
• Cliff and rockfall hazard: do not sit or stash gear under the cliff faces; keep clear after heavy rain or freeze–thaw.
• Rough ground and slippery weeded rocks: use a wading staff or cleats; consider a lifejacket if fishing from ledges.
• Rising tide can pinch off the very ends of the bay against the cliff—don’t get stranded on a point.
• Night fishing: headtorch with spare batteries; the return climb is strenuous. Mobile signal can be patchy on the beach.
• Fish with a partner where possible and let someone know your plan and exit time.

Facilities

Facilities are concentrated at the car parks and holiday park; there is nothing on the beach itself. Stock up and sort kit before descending.

• Toilets: at Durdle Door car park (seasonal opening); additional facilities in Lulworth Cove village.
• Food and drink: seasonal kiosks/cafés around Durdle Door Holiday Park and Lulworth Cove.
• Tackle and bait: available in Weymouth, Dorchester and Wareham; buy bait before arrival, especially for early starts.
• Bins are limited—take all litter and line home. No lighting on paths or beach.
• Mobile signal: generally better on the clifftop; can be weak at beach level.

Tips

Treat it like a finesse rock mark: keep moving, read the water, and work short, quality sessions around bite windows.

• Travel light with a backpack, one rod, and a small lure/terminal selection; you’ll fish better and climb out happier.
• For wrasse, peeled prawn or soft crab often outfishes rag in this clear water; fish tight to the rock faces and ledges.
• For black bream, identify the paler, cleaner patches from the steps and aim your casts there with small, tidy baits.
• Add a trickle of mashed bread or fishy rubby to hold garfish/mackerel under a float in wind lanes.
• Use a long snood and small hooks (size 6–4) for finicky bream; keep leads just heavy enough to hold.
• In tourist season, fish dawn before swimmers arrive, or return at dusk—your catch rate and sanity will both improve.
• If easterlies push swell in, switch to heavier metals for pollack/bass in the white water along the points, or pick another, more sheltered Dorset mark.

Regulations

Man O'War Bay sits within the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and the Lulworth SSSI, with normal recreational sea angling permitted from the shore. Always check on-site estate signage and current fishery rules before you go.

• Southern IFCA area: recreational anglers must follow size limits, gear and seasonal bylaws. Check Southern IFCA and MMO websites for the latest updates.
• European sea bass: subject to seasonal bag limits, minimum size (commonly 42 cm) and closed periods that can change year to year—verify current rules before retaining any bass.
• Marine protected areas: parts of the offshore area fall within MCZ designations; shore angling is generally allowed, but avoid damaging habitats and follow any posted restrictions.
• Lulworth Estate rules: no open fires/BBQs on the beach, no camping, and respect cliff safety cordons and any temporary closures.
• SSSI/Heritage protections: do not hammer or remove fossils/rocks and avoid digging into vegetated or protected foreshore.
• General: use barbless or crushed-barb hooks where possible, return undersized or protected species, and take all litter and line home.