When it fishes well
Night tides in autumn most productive across the species mix. Crab essential for the spring/summer bass and hound run.
BeachIntermediate
Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank
Guide last updated 1 June 2026Live score checked today
You can catch Bass, Smoothhound and Dogfish here. Bring crab or lugworm, and fish a standard surf rigs.
A river-mouth shore complex: Ferrybank on the north side of the Avoca estuary, South Beach below the estuary mouth. The biggest accessible south-Wicklow venue for shore anglers. Bass averaging around 3 lb with larger fish annual, plus smoothhound, dogfish, flounder and small whiting through the mix. Sole over the 2 lb specimen size has been recorded historically, an unusual east-coast species note. Roadstone Pier to the south is privately owned (permission required at site office) and held the Irish Record three-bearded rockling at 3 lb 1 oz in 1990.
This mark today
GoodLive right now
- WindSW 4 km/hLight
- Swell0.1mSmall
- Sea temp18°CComfortable
- High waterin 11h 44mEbbing
Primary target
Bass
Safety
See hazards belowSpecies and seasons
Target list and season windows
- BassIN SEASONApril to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; averaging ~3 lb, larger fish annual)
- DogfishIN SEASONyear round
- Dover soleIN SEASONSeasonal
- MackerelIN SEASONJune to September
- PlaiceIN SEASONspring to summer
- SmoothhoundIN SEASONMay to October (crab baits)
Pack for this mark
What to bring, and the rig that matches conditions
Fishing Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank today? Bring these.
Big bait and distance on Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank, so the pulley pennel protects the cast and presents cleanly on the drop. A light grip lead still casts clean on calm sand.
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Hooks · pick
Wide-gape circle hooks 4/0
Strong wire circles for pennel mounting of peeler crab and sandeel. Smoothhound and bass standard on Wicklow marks.
Check price on Amazon.ieLead · pick
FFT Pro breakaway grip leads mixed pack
Breakaway grips for surf pulley fishing at distance on open Wicklow beaches.
Check price on Amazon.ieRecommendations follow the same Wicklow-first editorial standards as the rest of the site.
Pack next
Tomorrow's conditions at Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank suit a pulley pennel rig. A heavy-duty distance rig that protects large soft baits during the cast. The hooklink slides through a pulley swivel so bait and hooks lift on splash-down while the lead anchors.
Practical notes
On the ground
What to bring
Baits
- Crab (essential spring/summer)
- Lugworm
- Ragworm
- Mackerel strip
Methods
- Standard surf rigs
- Crab for big bass and hounds
- Lug for autumn species
- Float-fished bread (Avoca estuary mullet)
Getting there
Access
Easy car park access at South Beach. Ferrybank a short walk from the harbour. The Avoca Estuary upstream of the bridge holds specimen mullet (over 5 lb) on float-fished bread in summer and flounder April to December on bottom worm or lures. Arklow Piers in general are 'fishing down the wall with small hooks' venues, same LRF pattern as Bray. Roadstone Pier south of the town is privately owned; permission at site office.
Parking
Free car park at South Beach; harbour parking for Ferrybank.
Hazards
River-mouth currents. Mind the channel. Two distinct beaches. Do not confuse access points. Roadstone Pier requires permission at site office before fishing.
Get an alert for this mark
Good day or better. Email when conditions score well
Get an email when Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank reaches good conditions or better on our score. We check roughly once per day. While it stays good you get at most one email per 48 hours. Unsubscribe any time in one click.
Related guides and tools
Species, tactics, tides, and tomorrow's plan for this mark
Field note
Avoca river mouth complex, bass and hounds on the beaches, check access around Ferrybank.
Local insight
From the shore
Sole over specimen size (2 lb+) has been recorded historically, that is an unusual east-coast species note that justifies a niche piece in itself. The Avoca Estuary upstream of the bridge holds specimen mullet (over 5 lb) on float-fished bread in summer and flounder April to December on bottom worm or lures, this is a separate specialist fishery from the surf beach and is undertargeted. Roadstone Pier to the south is privately owned (permission required at site office) and held the Irish Record three-bearded rockling at 3 lb 1 oz in 1990, night autumn tides most productive. Arklow Piers in general are 'fishing down the wall with small hooks' LRF venues, same pattern as Bray Harbour. Tides at Arklow are influenced by offshore bank alignment so a Dublin-port tide table is misleading, use a local Arklow time.
Read before you go
Spots · 9 min read
Wicklow Sea Fishing Guide 2026: Marks, Species, Seasons
Every shore mark worth fishing in Co. Wicklow, what swims there and when. Beaches, piers and rock marks from Bray to Arklow with tides and access notes.
Read guide →Species · 8 min read
Bass Fishing Wicklow 2026: Best Marks, Baits and Tides
Where to catch bass on the Wicklow coast in 2026: the beaches and rock marks that produce, the baits and lures that work, and the tides to fish them on.
Read guide →Species · 6 min read
Smoothhound Fishing Ireland: Beaches, Rigs and Bait
Smoothhound from Irish east coast beaches, May to October (peak June to August). Peeler crab rigs, evening flood tides and Wicklow sand marks that produce hard-fighting double-figure fish.
Read guide →
Nearest tackle
Where to top up
Arklow town tackle shops.
Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Ready to fish Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank?
Check tomorrow's plan for tides, conditions, and gear.