Overcombe Fishing

Last updated: 6 days ago

Overcombe Fishing Map

Overcombe is the eastern end of Weymouth Bay in Dorset, a gently shelving shingle/sand beach by the River Jordan outflow. Clean ground with occasional sandbars makes it a reliable venue for surf bass and a good mix of flatfish; summer brings mackerel, garfish and scad, while winter nights see whiting and dogfish. Best results are on a flooding tide with a light surf or after dark for sole and rays; in calm, clear water, lures and long, subtle bottom rigs score. Parking, cafes and level access make it easy-going, but watch for swimmers/daytime crowds, weever fish in summer and stronger drift near the outflow after rain.

Ratings

⭐ 7.3/10 Overall
Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 7/10
Scenery & Comfort 8/10
Safety 7/10
Accessibility 9/10

Fish You Can Catch at Overcombe

🐟 Bass 9/10
🎯 Tip: Dawn/dusk on a flooding tide; work the surf line with plugs or fish crab/sandeel in coloured water. Westerly blow then settling sea is ideal.
🐟 Plaice 7/10
🎯 Tip: Mar–May; daylight, long casts 80–120m to clean sand; ragworm tipped with squid, beads/spoons help; neap tides fish steady.
🐟 Whiting 6/10
🎯 Tip: Oct–Jan after dark; 2–3 hook flappers baited with mackerel/squid; 40–80m on the flood; clip-down to hold in any surf.
🐟 Flounder 6/10
🎯 Tip: Oct–Feb; short 20–50m casts into gutters; small rag or lug, slow lift-and-drop; best on the flood and first of the ebb.
🐟 Dover Sole 6/10
🎯 Tip: Warm nights May–Sep; 20–40m on clean sand; lug or rag, or lug/squid cocktail; keep rigs pinned with light grips; slack to first flood.
🐟 Starry Smoothhound 6/10
🎯 Tip: Jun–Sep; peeler crab baits 60–100m over clean ground; fish the flood into dusk; 4–5oz grip leads.
🐟 Mackerel 6/10
🎯 Tip: Jun–Sep; calm clear evenings; small metals or feathers; cover water to find shoals; dusk on the flood.
🐟 Garfish 6/10
🎯 Tip: May–Oct; float fish small mackerel strip/sandeel mid-water; clear water, flood tide; use fine wire hooks.
🐟 Thornback Ray 5/10
🎯 Tip: Mar–Jun and Sep; sandeel or bluey/squid on pulley rigs; 80–120m to clean sand; best after dark on neaps.
🐟 Golden-grey Mullet 5/10
🎯 Tip: Summer; tiny rag/sandeel strips on size 6–8, cast just beyond the surf line; steady retrieve; dusk on a rising tide.

Overcombe Fishing

Summary

Overcombe sits at the eastern end of Weymouth Bay in Dorset, where shingle meets clean sand and the ground gets progressively rougher towards Bowleaze Cove and Furzy Cliff. It’s an accessible, versatile beach mark that produces plaice and flounder in spring, bass in surfy spells, summer mackerel and garfish, and night-time soles and rays. With easy parking and cafés nearby, it’s a cracking option when the rest of the coast is blown out by a south-westerly.

Location and Access

Overcombe is the stretch of beach around Overcombe Corner, east of Weymouth, with a promenade/cycle path behind the shingle bank and sand showing at lower states of tide. Access is straightforward and family-friendly by Dorset standards.

Seasons

Overcombe offers species variety across the seasons, with clean-ground flats and surf bass the headline acts. Occasional surprises come off the rougher ground towards Bowleaze.

Methods

Simple beach tactics catch most Overcombe fish; tailor rigs and baits to the ground you’re casting onto.

Tides and Conditions

Tide state and water colour dictate results at Overcombe. The bay is sheltered from prevailing south-westerlies but comes alive on easterly pushes.

Safety

This is a user-friendly mark, but the shingle face and surf can bite. Treat the bank and swell with respect, and plan exits before dark.

Facilities

Overcombe is well served for short sessions, with food, loos and tackle nearby in Weymouth.

Tips

Think ‘clean sand for flats by day, coloured gutters for bass at low light, and long range for rays on settled nights’. Mobility and timing often trump muscle.

Regulations

Rules change—always check current national and local byelaws before you go. Dorset falls under the Southern IFCA and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).