Where’s The Fish? Logo for Where's The Fish?
Somerset

Greenaleigh Bay

6.8 · Rocks · Somerset

A remote, rocky bay just west of Minehead with boulder fields, kelp gullies and ledges dropping into fast tidal water. It’s a long, steep walk via the coast path and best fished around mid-to-high water on a flooding tide. Expect turbulent Bristol Channel currents, huge tidal range and snaggy ground—use rotten-bottom rigs. Fishable in moderate easterlies; avoid big westerly swells and springs if unfamiliar. Excellent rough-ground sport in summer for wrasse and pollack; after dark can produce dogfish, rocklings and occasional conger. Take care with slippery weed, rising tide and cut-off risk.

Should you fish Greenaleigh Bay?

65 Good

Today · Best window

Best window: 03:00-06:00 around the rising tide

Most likely species: Lesser Spotted Dogfish and Bass

Good conditions. Best around 03:00-06:00 around the rising tide. Good chance of Lesser Spotted Dogfish and Bass.

W 4 mph Rain 0% High tide 07:39

Worth fishing if you can hit the best window.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Greenaleigh Bay — 7-day forecast

Scores and best windows are weighted for .

Met Office Met Office · Open-Meteo

Where the data comes from. Weather and sea-state readings come from the Met Office and Open-Meteo forecast models, refreshed several times a day. High and low water are taken from tide-station predictions for this stretch of coast.

How the score works. Each window is scored 0–100 from the signals that most reliably move fish inshore: tide movement (a running tide carries food, so the last of the flood and first of the ebb are usually the prime spells), wind speed and direction (onshore wind stirs food into the surf — up to the point it makes fishing hard), sea state (a little wave and swell movement helps, heavy swell hurts), and weather — rain, temperature and light. Behind the headline number we score bite opportunity and comfort separately, and run a separate safety check on wind and swell. The size of the tide counts too: spring tides move more water than neaps, so the tidal range for this stretch of coast is weighed alongside the tide's direction, your target species and this mark — and unusually big springs strengthen the safety check, because the water rises faster and covers more ground.

Your target species counts. Pick a species below and the score also weights what we know about it — its season, preferred sea temperature, tide stage and sea state, and whether it feeds by day or night.

The rating is guidance, not a guarantee — conditions change fast on the coast, so always judge the sea in front of you before you fish.

Monday looks better than today. Unlock the week to see its score and exact window.

· windows & tide

Spring vs neap tides. Spring tides have a larger difference between high and low water, so more water moves on each tide — usually stronger flow that stirs up food and gets fish feeding. Neap tides have a smaller range and generally gentler movement. The range here is compared with what is normal for this stretch of coast, and the cycle swings between springs and neaps roughly every week, following the moon.

Big spring tides: the water rises faster and covers more ground than usual — double-check access routes and cut-off points before you fish.

Now

Tide curve will appear once tide data is available.

All windows will appear once the forecast is loaded.

Premium forecast

Unlock exact best windows, tactics and backup options for this mark.

Trip planner

Find the best time to fish Greenaleigh Bay

Choose when you're free and what you want to catch. We'll show the best tide, weather window and method for this mark.

Premium unlocks exact windows, tactics and alerts.

Premium Mark Insight

Locked

Greenaleigh Bay is a remote, rough-ground Bristol Channel rock mark where timing and mobility matter more than distance casting. The bay fishes around kelp gullies, boulder edges and ledges dropping into fast tidal water, with the flood and the high-water period usually the key windows. Expect snaggy ground, strong tide and rapid changes in depth: fish simple, strong gear, use rotten-bottom links, and avoid the mark when swell, spring tide or access conditions are beyond your comfort level.

  • Know when the flood actually helps — and when it becomes a problem.
  • Pick the right rough-ground line for bass, wrasse, huss or conger.
  • Use the tide window that suits Greenaleigh’s fast water, not a generic HW rule.
  • Avoid wasting gear: start with the right rotten-bottom approach.
  • Have a backup plan before the long climb out.

Included with Premium

Cancel anytime · Stripe

Unlock this mark's plan

Jump to towns around this mark for more marks and guides.

Blue Anchor 5.6 mi West Aberthaw 12.0 mi St Donat's 12.4 mi Llantwit Major 12.8 mi Boverton 12.8 mi

Explore nearby towns: Blue Anchor · West Aberthaw · St Donat's · Llantwit Major · Boverton

Zoom and pan to explore access points and nearby marks.

Jump to guide

Fish forecast key

Excellent (80+) Good (65-79) Fair (50-64) Poor (0-49)

Overall rating

6.8 /10

Blend of catch potential, access, safety, and overall experience.

Category scores

Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 8/10
Safety 4/10
Accessibility 4/10

Lesser Spotted Dogfish 8/10
Tip: Evening into the flood on mixed ground; fish baits (mackerel/squid) on 2-hook flappers at 30–60m. Strong tide—fish neaps or slack on springs.
Bass 7/10
Tip: Flooding tide along surf and boulder edges; peeler crab or sandeel, or surface/paddle lures in calmer water. Best at dawn/dusk or after a blow—stay mobile.
Bull Huss 7/10
Tip: After dark around kelp/rough ground; big fish baits or crab on strong traces. Short lob into gullies on the flood. Use rotten-bottoms to beat snags.
Pouting 6/10
Tip: Low to mid-flood over rough ground; small strips of mackerel/squid on size 2s close in. Build a scent trail; expect rockling by-catch.
Ballan Wrasse 6/10
Tip: Summer daylight in kelp gullies; float fish hardback crab or rag tight to rocks on a mid-to-flood tide. Snaggy—use strong gear and short casts.
Conger Eel 6/10
Tip: Night in rough gullies around HW on springs; big mackerel/squid baits on 100lb trace, short casts. Hold the rod to steer fish clear of snags.
Pollack 5/10
Tip: Dusk on the flood; work small metals/soft plastics tight to kelp or float-fish sandeel. Clearer neap tides fish best.
Three-bearded Rockling 5/10
Tip: Winter and dusk; tiny worm/mackerel bits under the rod tip among boulders. Best on neaps or slack water to avoid heavy tide/weed.
Whiting 4/10
Tip: Late autumn–winter after dark on neaps; 2–3 hook flappers with worm/squid cocktails to any cleaner patches between boulders.
Mullet (Thick-lipped) 4/10
Tip: Calm summer evenings near stream outflows/eddies; stealthy approach, bread flake under a float on size 8–10. Chum lightly.

Local knowledge

Greenaleigh Bay fishing guide

Practical access, seasons, methods, tides, safety and facilities for this mark.

Greenaleigh Bay sits just west of Minehead on the North Somerset coast, a rugged pocket of rock, shingle and kelp under Exmoor’s cliffs. It’s a classic upper–Bristol Channel mark: big tides, snaggy ground, and the chance of quality rays, huss, conger and bass. Anglers who don’t mind a walk and rough terrain are rewarded with varied fishing through the seasons.

This is a walk-in mark reached via the South West Coast Path around North Hill. The approaches are scenic but steep and rough underfoot, so allow time and travel light.

  • From Minehead: Follow signs up to North Hill (National Trust car parks above the town). Pick up the Coast Path towards Greenaleigh Farm and descend to the bay; 20–30 minutes down, longer back up.
  • Alternative: Start at Minehead seafront/harbour and follow the Coast Path west; allow 45–60 minutes with steps and uneven sections.
  • Parking: Use the North Hill/Exmoor National Trust car parks or Minehead town car parks. Check on-site boards for any seasonal charges or opening times.
  • Terrain at the mark: Mixed boulder, shingle and rough reef with kelp gullies; very uneven and slippery, especially after rain or swell. Not suitable for trolleys or heavy gear.
  • Access at low water opens more ledges and gullies, but plan your exit—this coastline floods very quickly on the flood.

Greenaleigh produces a good mix typical of the upper Channel. Expect rough-ground residents year-round, summer wrasse and pollack on the edges, and winter predators in the dark.

  • Spring (Mar–May):
    • Bass, especially on the first push of flood over the kelp
    • Smoothhound on crab during May neaps and early springs
    • Thornback ray, dogfish, occasional small-eyed ray
    • Pollack on lures in clearer spells
  • Summer (Jun–Aug):
    • Ballan wrasse (best on settled, clear neaps)
    • Pollack and occasional mackerel shoals close on flooding tides
    • Bass in the surf lines and gullies, especially at dusk
    • Smoothhound, bull huss after dark
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov):
    • Thornback and small-eyed ray, huss, conger after dark
    • Bass through to the first big autumn blows
    • Whiting numbers increase into late autumn
  • Winter (Dec–Feb):
    • Conger, bull huss, dogfish after dark
    • Whiting, pout; codling are only occasional these days but still possible in a hard blow with coloured water

Rough ground tactics rule here. Fish strong, simple rigs with rotten-bottom links, and switch to lures only when the water is reasonably clear.

  • Bottom fishing:
    • Rigs: 5–7 oz grip lead on pulley pennel or pulley dropper; up-and-over for rays; use rotten-bottom links to save gear.
    • Hooks: 3/0–5/0 strong patterns for huss/conger; 1/0–2/0 for rays and mixed fish.
    • Baits: Peeler/soft crab for smoothhound and bass; whole or strip sandeel for rays; squid/mackerel cocktail for huss/conger; rag/lug cocktails for general bites.
    • Times: Dusk into dark is prime for rays, huss and conger. First two hours of flood often switches the mark on.
  • Lures (when clarity allows):
    • Weedless soft plastics (10–20 g) for wrasse and bass worked tight to kelp lines; 20–40 g metals for pollack on the flood.
    • Float-fished ragworm or prawn for wrasse in summer over the rougher tongues.
  • Tackle:
    • 12–15 ft beach rod with a strong reel and 0.35–0.40 mm mainline plus 60–80 lb leader; or a sturdy LRF/HRF outfit only for very specific wrasse/pollack work in calm water.
    • Carry spare leads, clips and rig bodies—snags are inevitable.

This is a big-tide, fast-water venue. The mark changes character across the tide, opening gullies at low and drowning them fast on the flood.

  • Tide state:
    • Often best 2 hours before to 2 hours after high water for rays and huss; first of the flood is a key feeding window for bass.
    • Neaps favour wrasse and lure fishing in clearer water; springs punch hard—fish the slacks and eddies.
  • Sea conditions:
    • A slight to moderate west/south-westerly with some colour suits rays and huss.
    • After prolonged calm, clarity improves for lures; avoid heavy swell which makes the reefs treacherous.
  • Time of day/season:
    • Dusk and night markedly improve conger, huss and ray chances.
    • Late spring to early autumn is most consistent overall; winter needs a coloured sea and patience.

Treat Greenaleigh as an exposed, rough-ground cliff bay with rapid tides. It is not an easy-access venue and is unsuitable for those with limited mobility.

  • Slips and trips: Weed-covered boulders and clay ledges are extremely slippery; wear studded/cleated boots.
  • Tide: Huge Bristol Channel range—lower ledges flood rapidly. Identify a safe retreat and don’t get pushed into the cliff.
  • Swell and wash: Long-period swell wraps in; rogue waves possible. Keep well back and wear a PFD.
  • Rockfall: Steep friable cliffs—avoid fishing directly under crumbly faces in wet or windy weather.
  • Night navigation: The paths are steep and uneven; carry a headtorch, spare light and a whistle/first aid kit.
  • Comms: Mobile signal can be patchy in the bay; tell someone your plan and timings.
  • Livestock and land: Keep to the signed Coast Path and shut gates—this is National Trust/working farmland.

There are no facilities at the mark—plan as a self-contained session. Minehead provides everything you’ll need before and after.

  • Toilets: Public toilets on Minehead seafront/harbour area (check seasonal opening times).
  • Tackle/bait: Tackle shops in Minehead for worm, squid, sandeel and hardware; ring ahead for peeler crab availability in season.
  • Food/drink: Cafés, pubs and takeaways in Minehead; none on the path or at the bay.
  • Parking: National Trust car parks on North Hill or town car parks in Minehead; observe posted terms.
  • Signal: Generally OK on the hill; variable down in the bay and gullies.

This venue rewards timing and tidy presentation. Travel light, think about your exit, and fish the small windows hard.

  • Use a short (6–10 lb) rotten-bottom link on every grip lead to beat the snags.
  • Clip-down, aerodynamic rigs help punch into the tide and reduce tangles.
  • Prime windows: first push of flood for bass; dusk into the first two hours of ebb for huss and conger.
  • Bait order: Crab out-fishes everything for smoothhound and bass; sandeel/squid combo for rays; keep mackerel/squid for conger/huss.
  • Lure cue: If you can see your boots through knee-deep water, try weedless SPs tight to the kelp for wrasse/bass.
  • After heavy rain, expect chocolate-coloured water—switch to strong scent baits and big silhouettes.
  • Carry a long-handled disgorger and heavy mono trace for conger; release at the water if possible to minimise handling.
  • Watch for seals working the bay—great to see, but they can shut the bites down temporarily.

Rod-and-line sea angling from the shore is generally permitted here, but you are within the Devon & Severn IFCA district and near protected coastal habitats—check current notices before you go.

  • Bass rules: Recreational bass retention is seasonally restricted with a minimum size requirement. These measures change—check the latest MMO/IFCA guidance before keeping any bass.
  • Minimum sizes/bag limits: Observe UK national minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS) where applicable; release undersized fish promptly.
  • Protected areas: Parts of the Exmoor coast are designated (e.g., SSSI/Heritage Coast). Keep to paths; bait digging and removal of natural materials may be restricted—follow on-site signage and IFCA byelaws.
  • No fires or camping on the cliffs/beach; take all litter and line home.
  • If using a drop net or gaff from higher rocks, use it responsibly; gaffing is not appropriate for fish intended for release.
  • Check local byelaws for netting/collecting restrictions and any seasonal closures before your trip.