DUBLIN BAY & COAST

Portmarnock fishing.

Portmarnock’s Velvet Strand is the long open north-county beach on this Dublin coast: flounder and bass on flood and night windows, distance casting in calm, and better bass colour after easterly weather. The north rocks need a walk from the promenade car park.

1 mark · Dublin coast · Guide in preparation

Dublin coast hub Dublin today Field Mode · Portmarnock Velvet Strand →Tide times for Portmarnock

Marks

Spots near Portmarnock.

Placeholder marks only. No session advice until guides are verified.

MarkPortmarnock Velvet StrandPortmarnock Velvet Strand is a long north Dublin sand beach with room to move, shallow surf character and a published species pattern that includes flounder, bass, smoothhound, dab, dogfish, plaice, codling and whiting. It is not a deep-water pier mark and it should not be sold as a guaranteed bass beach. The honest appeal is mobile surf fishing on clean sand, especially after easterly wind puts colour and life into the beach. Night summer sessions toward the northern rocks are a recurring public pattern, but local access rules and proposed Fingal beach bye-law changes need checking before any session.

From the shore

Fishing Portmarnock.

Fingal beach bye-laws can change what is allowed. Verify before you travel. Researched mark notes with provisional research ranking from Bay weather and Port tide.

Dublin vs Wicklow

Why Portmarnock instead of Wicklow.

Honest comparison so you pick the right coast for the day.

Portmarnock is long Bay sand with provisional research ranking. Wicklow’s Brittas and South Beach marks are the verified counterparts when you want a proper flood-tide beach session with field notes.

Wicklow plan · Dublin today

Species calendar

What runs near Portmarnock.

Month-by-month shore calendar for species listed on Portmarnock marks. Season bands follow the shared east-coast calendar; on Dublin Bay open sand, half flood to high usually matters more than Wicklow's falling-tide shingle habit.

Portmarnock species by month
Species	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Bass	Jan: Quiet	Feb: Quiet	Mar: Quiet	Apr: Possible	May: Good	Jun: Good	Jul: Good	Aug: Good	Sep: Peak	Oct: Peak	Nov: Peak	Dec: Quiet
Codling	Jan: Quiet	Feb: Quiet	Mar: Quiet	Apr: Quiet	May: Quiet	Jun: Quiet	Jul: Quiet	Aug: Quiet	Sep: Quiet	Oct: Good	Nov: Peak	Dec: Peak
Dab	Jan: Good	Feb: Peak	Mar: Peak	Apr: Good	May: Possible	Jun: Quiet	Jul: Quiet	Aug: Quiet	Sep: Good	Oct: Good	Nov: Peak	Dec: Peak
Dogfish	Jan: Good	Feb: Good	Mar: Good	Apr: Good	May: Possible	Jun: Possible	Jul: Possible	Aug: Possible	Sep: Good	Oct: Good	Nov: Peak	Dec: Peak
Flounder	Jan: Good	Feb: Peak	Mar: Peak	Apr: Good	May: Possible	Jun: Quiet	Jul: Quiet	Aug: Quiet	Sep: Possible	Oct: Good	Nov: Peak	Dec: Peak
Plaice	Jan: Quiet	Feb: Quiet	Mar: Possible	Apr: Good	May: Peak	Jun: Peak	Jul: Peak	Aug: Good	Sep: Possible	Oct: Quiet	Nov: Quiet	Dec: Quiet
Smoothhound	Jan: Quiet	Feb: Quiet	Mar: Quiet	Apr: Quiet	May: Possible	Jun: Good	Jul: Peak	Aug: Peak	Sep: Good	Oct: Possible	Nov: Quiet	Dec: Quiet
Whiting	Jan: Possible	Feb: Peak	Mar: Peak	Apr: Good	May: Quiet	Jun: Quiet	Jul: Quiet	Aug: Quiet	Sep: Quiet	Oct: Good	Nov: Peak	Dec: Peak

Quiet

Catchable

Peak

Current month (Oct)

Access

Getting there.

Parking: Public car park at the promenade; north-end rocks are a walk.
DART / transport: Bus links to Portmarnock; walk to the strand.
By road: Follow Portmarnock / Velvet Strand signs from the R106.

Access note: Open exposed beach with a fast flood over flat sand. Fingal beach/foreshore bye-laws may restrict angling. Verify before travel. Respect Blue Flag / bathing rules in summer.

FAQ

Common questions.

What's the best fishing spot in Portmarnock?

Mark guides for Portmarnock are in preparation. Cards below are placeholders only until access and tactics are verified on the ground.

Do I need a fishing licence to fish from the shore in Portmarnock?

No state licence is required for sea angling in Ireland. The state rod licence covers salmon and sea trout only. If you plan to target sea trout from the shore, a state licence is required.

When is the best time to fish Portmarnock?

Night and flood tides for bass and flounder. May to July for smoothhound on crab when reports support it. Winter nights for whiting and dogfish.

From the shore

Articles about Portmarnock.

6 min readWinter Flounder Ireland: Beach Marks and RigsWinter flounder on Irish beaches, October to March. Estuary mouths, short casts, ragworm ledger rigs and the flood tides that put flatfish at your feet.

7 min readNight Bass Fishing Ireland: Tactics for After DarkThe biggest bass on Irish beaches feed after dark, close in. The night tactics, marks and bait approach that out-fish daytime sessions, plus the safety rules.

7 min readTides for Fishing Ireland: Flood vs Ebb on Wicklow BeachesWhen to fish flood vs ebb on Wicklow beaches and rock marks. Read tide tables, plan spring vs neap sessions and match the tide state to your mark.

NEXT STEP

Ready to fish Portmarnock?

Portmarnock marks cover access, Port tide notes and tactics. Open Dublin today for the Bay session call.