Summary
Kilve Steps is a rugged, wave‑cut limestone platform on Somerset’s Quantock coast, sitting on the edge of the Bristol Channel’s powerful tides. It’s a classic rough‑ground mark with gullies, kelp beds and boulder fields that hold bass, smoothhounds, conger and rays. Worth the walk and the care it demands, Kilve rewards thoughtful tide timing, strong tackle and precise placement into the right runnels.
Location and Access
Getting there is straightforward, but the last stretch is slow and the foreshore is uneven. Plan your approach around the tides and allow extra time for a careful walk over rock and shingle.
- From the A39, follow signs for Kilve and then "Kilve Beach" down the narrow lane to the main car park.
- Parking: Pay‑and‑display at Kilve Beach car park (postcode TA5 1EG is commonly used for sat‑nav).
- Walk-in: About 5–10 minutes on a good path past the old oil‑retort ruins, then onto pebbles and flat rock ledges; expect a short scramble in places.
- Terrain: Wave‑cut limestone "steps" with fissures, weeded gullies and boulders; very slippery when wet or with algae.
- Access notes: Best fished light‑on‑your‑feet with minimal gear; barrow/trolley access is impractical on the ledges.
- Night access is feasible, but only for those who know the exits and have powerful head torches.
Seasons
Kilve fishes as a classic Bristol Channel rough‑ground mark. Expect dogfish almost year‑round, with quality fish showing when conditions line up.
- Spring (Mar–May): Bass (increasing into late spring), smoothhound (first runs in May), thornback ray on sandy patches, wrasse in the gullies, dogfish.
- Summer (Jun–Aug): Smoothhound (prime), bass, conger eel after dark, bull huss in rougher holes, ballan wrasse (daylight), occasional ray, thick‑lipped mullet in calmer water.
- Autumn (Sep–Nov): Bass (often the peak months), huss and conger at night, rays on settled seas, whiting appearing later, dogfish in numbers.
- Winter (Dec–Feb): Whiting, dogfish, conger on bigger baits after dark; the odd codling after a proper blow and colour, plus pout/poor cod as by‑catch.
- Occasional/bonus: Sole and flounder from adjacent sand runs on neaps; garfish on rare clear summer days; school bass to lures in windows of clarity.
Methods
Tackle for tough ground and fast tides is essential. Think strong rigs, rotten‑bottoms, and accurate casting into gullies rather than pure distance.
- Bottom fishing: 5–7 oz grip leads; pulley or pulley‑pennel rigs with 60–80 lb rubbing leaders; add a weak/rotten‑bottom link to save leads in snags.
- Hook sizes: 3/0–5/0 for hounds, bass and conger; 1/0–2/0 for rays/whiting mixes; smaller snoods attract dogfish—scale up if plagued.
- Mainline: 20–30 lb mono or 30–50 lb braid with appropriate shockleader; keep lines high on a tall tripod to clear ledges.
- Baits: Peeler crab (prime for smoothhound and bass), ragworm and lugworm, squid or squid/crab cocktails, mackerel or bluey strips for huss/conger, sandeel for rays when you can source it.
- Lures: Weedless soft plastics and metal vibes worked along the flooding edge for bass/wrasse during clearer neap windows; keep it low and slow in the gullies.
- Float fishing: Productive for wrasse on calm summer days using big rag or crab, fished tight to weed beds and rock faces.
- Timing approach: Target defined gullies at lower states; on the flood, set baits just uptide of sand runnels so scent washes back through the holding ground.
Tides and Conditions
This is big‑tide country. The Bristol Channel can exceed 10 m on springs, with a fierce lateral run and fast flooding water. Choose your tide height and sea state carefully.
- Tide size: Neaps and mid‑range tides are friendliest for exploring the ledges and gullies; big springs can become unfishable and hazardous.
- Best states: 2 hours down to low and the first 2–3 up let you reach and work the gullies safely; some higher ledges fish into high water if you have a safe retreat.
- Sea conditions: A light swell and coloured water suit rays, hounds and conger; a proper westerly blow and dropping sea can draw in a few codling in winter.
- Water clarity: Usually coloured—great for bait; lures need neaps, small swell, and decent vis.
- Time of day: After dark is consistently better for bass, huss and conger; daylight excels for wrasse and smoothhound when the crabs are peeling.
- Wind: Strong W–SW winds stack swell onto the platforms and make footing treacherous; easterlies flatten it but can suppress bite activity.
Safety
Kilve Steps demands respect. The ledges are slippery, the gullies deep, and the tide races in faster than most first‑timers expect.
- The flood can cut you off—always keep an exit behind you and time a retreat; never hop onto isolated platforms with a rising tide.
- Wear studded boots or cleats; many slips happen on algae‑coated limestone and clay smear.
- Use a PFD (inflatable lifejacket) and carry a head torch plus spare light for any session near dusk or after dark.
- Avoid fishing directly under the soft cliff faces—rock and mud slumps occur, especially after rain.
- Weed and line drag on springs can topple tripods—sandbag or secure your stand and keep the rod high.
- Wading is strongly discouraged: hidden holes and sudden drop‑offs in kelp‑filled gullies.
- Accessibility: Not suitable for wheelchairs or limited mobility; the final approach involves uneven stones and step‑like rock.
- In poor visibility or heavy swell, pick safer, higher perches or postpone.
Facilities
Facilities are modest but useful, with essentials at the car park and seasonal refreshments nearby.
- Parking: Pay‑and‑display at Kilve Beach car park (typically open year‑round).
- Toilets: Public toilets at or adjacent to the car park (check seasonal opening hours).
- Food & drink: Seasonal tea garden/café near the car park; otherwise bring provisions.
- Tackle & bait: No shop on site; nearest options are in Minehead, Watchet, Bridgwater or Taunton—phone ahead for fresh crab and worm.
- Bins: Take litter home; bins are limited and can fill quickly in summer.
- Mobile signal: Generally fair on higher ground; can be patchy down by the cliffs—don’t rely on data for tide checks.
Tips
Success at Kilve is about reading the ground and hitting the right lanes at the right time. Mark the features at low water and fish them methodically.
- Walk out at low and note the direction of the main runnels and sand tongues; these become your casting lines on the flood.
- Keep baits streamlined and clipped—tide drag is fierce; a bait clip and neat presentation catch more fish than bigger baits here.
- Crab is king for smoothhounds and bass from late spring; if dogfish are relentless, switch to tougher crab or big squid wraps to deter the pests.
- Use a short, strong snood (18–24 inches) in heavy tide to reduce twist and lift; longer snoods can work in neaps for rays.
- A weak link saves leads: 10–15 lb mono as a rotten‑bottom to a wire grip lead is standard practice on the ledges.
- Night sessions transform the mark for conger and huss—bring heavy trace wire or 100 lb mono for abrasion resistance.
- Keep an eye out for mullet nosing along the weed line on calm summer floods; stealthy bread or fish‑strip tactics can be surprisingly effective.
- Leave in good time—many anglers aim to be packing 2 hours before high on springs to avoid being penned in.
Regulations
Kilve’s foreshore lies within protected geology sites and the wider Devon & Severn IFCA district. Anglers are welcome, but a few rules and norms apply.
- Fishing is allowed; observe any local signage at the car park or beach access.
- Site protections: The coast here is designated for its geology—do not hammer bedrock or cliffs for fossils and only pick up loose material where permitted.
- Bass rules: Recreational European seabass regulations (bag limits, seasons, 42 cm minimum size) change from time to time—check the latest government notice before your trip.
- IFCA byelaws: Devon & Severn IFCA has byelaws on minimum sizes, netting and bait collection in intertidal areas—review their current guidance, especially if gathering bait.
- Conservation practice: Return large female rays and big wrasse; handle conger and huss carefully with long‑nose pliers and a gloved hand.
- General: No fires on the foreshore, keep dogs under control in busy periods, and take all line and litter home to protect wildlife.
