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Somerset

Shurton Bars

6.1 · Rocks · Somerset

A broad set of rough-ground bars and scars between Stolford and Hinkley Point that dry on big ebbs and form deep gullies. Powerful Bristol Channel tides rip across mixed boulder, rock and hard clay, with patches of sand. Best fished around low water on springs (roughly 2 hours either side) and into first of the flood; night sessions markedly improve results. Summer brings smoothhounds, bass and thornbacks; winter sees whiting, dogfish and the odd codling, with pouting and rockling year-round. Long casts aren’t essential—placing baits into gutters and along the edges of the bars is key. Access is a long, uneven walk over shingle and slab from Stolford; plan an early retreat to avoid being cut off by the fast flood and heed any local restrictions around the power station frontage.

Should you fish Shurton Bars?

49 Low

Today · Best available

Best available: 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide

Most likely species: Bass and Starry Smoothhound

Poor conditions. Best available around 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide, but no window reaches the strong threshold today. Good chance of Bass and Starry Smoothhound.

NW 6 mph Rain 16% High tide 12:13

Consider a backup mark if conditions do not improve.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Shurton Bars — 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.

Wednesday 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.

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Shurton Bars is a timing mark rather than a distance mark. The best fishing usually comes from reading the drying bars, dropping baits into gutters and staying mobile as the final ebb turns into the first flood. It can produce strong summer sport with smoothhounds, bass and rays, plus winter whiting and dogfish, but the tide, mud and retreat route matter as much as the tackle.

  • Know whether to fish the gutters, seams or sand patches.
  • Time the low-water window before the flood cuts the ground.
  • Pick ray, bass and hound tactics by exact part of the tide.
  • Avoid the common mistake of casting past the feeding water.
  • Have a safer fallback plan before committing to the bars.

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

Bleadon 9.6 mi Weston-super-Mare 11.2 mi Hutton (North Somerset) 11.3 mi Locking 12.2 mi Blue Anchor 12.4 mi

Explore nearby towns: Bleadon · Weston-super-Mare · Hutton (North Somerset) · Locking · Blue Anchor

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Forecast tuning currently supports Bass and Mackerel — more species are on the way.

Overall rating

6.1 /10

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

Category scores

Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 7/10
Scenery & Comfort 4/10
Safety 3/10
Accessibility 3/10

Bass 9/10
Tip: Work surf gutters on the flood, best at dawn/dusk. Peeler crab, lug or sandeel; metals/softs if clarity allows. 4–6oz grip leads; fish last 2 hrs up to HW.
Small-eyed Ray 8/10
Tip: Evening flood to HW over clean sand. Sandeel/launce on a pulley pennel; long cast to bar edges. Big tides produce.
Starry Smoothhound 8/10
Tip: Late spring–autumn on the flood. Fresh peeler/hardback crab on pulley/circle 3–5/0; 4–6oz grips to hold on the bars. After dark best.
Thornback Ray 7/10
Tip: Spring peaks. Squid/sandeel or bluey on pulley rigs; 5–6oz grips. Aim for deeper run-offs and seams on the bars on the flood.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 7/10
Tip: Very common year-round. Small fish or squid baits on 2-hook flappers; keep baits hard on the deck. Neap tides help reduce weed drag.
Whiting 6/10
Tip: Autumn–winter after dark on the flood. Lug/squid cocktails or small fish baits; 2-hook flappers with 4–6oz grips.
Flounder 5/10
Tip: Autumn–spring on neaps. Short lob into close gutters on the flood. Lug or rag tipped with mackerel; keep gear pinned.
Dover Sole 4/10
Tip: Warm nights Jun–Sep on neaps. Rag/lug or crab strips; short cast into shallow gutters; light grip leads to hold.
Spotted Ray 4/10
Tip: Occasional summer fish. Sandeel or razor baits at dusk; target sandy patches between the bars on a steady flood.
Cod 3/10
Tip: Late autumn–winter in rough, coloured seas. Big lug/crab or squid/black lug cocktails; fish 2–3 hrs up to HW. Now scarce.

Local knowledge

Shurton Bars fishing guide

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

Shurton Bars is a classic low-water mark on the Somerset shore of the Bristol Channel, lying east of Hinkley Point between Stolford and the power station. A lattice of clay-and-shingle bars and gutters funnels bait and fish on the ebb and the first push of flood, making it a serious venue for rays, bass, conger and winter whiting. It rewards timing, strong tackle and good local knowledge.

Set on Bridgwater Bay’s intertidal flats, access is most practical from Stolford, approaching the bars on a falling tide so you can identify safe routes and gutters. Expect a modest walk over shingle, cobbles and patches of soft mud; plan your retreat with the tide in mind.

This is a mixed, tide-driven venue where different bars and gutters fish best at different states of tide. Expect classic Bristol Channel species with a few seasonal highlights.

Heavy shore gear and streamlined baits are the norm here because of the fierce lateral run and rough patches around the bar edges. Most fishing is bottom-oriented, targeting the gutters at low water and the bar faces as the flood pushes.

The Bristol Channel’s huge range shapes everything here. The final part of the ebb and the first hours of the flood are the prime windows when fish patrol gutters and the edges of the bars.

This is an exposed, mobile intertidal environment with serious tide and mud hazards. A daylight recce, conservative tide planning and appropriate PPE are essential.

Expect minimal facilities at the mark itself. Come self-sufficient and allow extra time for the walk-in and out.

Shurton Bars rewards anglers who read the ground and move with the water. Travel light, fish efficiently and let the tide bring fish to you.

The shoreline sits within protected estuarine designations and near the Hinkley Point security zone. Anglers should observe local signage and national sea angling rules.