When it fishes well
Falling tide for the shingle-belt pattern. Evening and night sessions for the predator species. Distance casting required for hounds and rays; close-in for codling and flatfish.
BeachIntermediateRailway crossing
Killoughter Beach
Guide last updated 1 June 2026Live score checked today
You can catch Smoothhound, Thornback ray and Homelyn ray here. Bring hardback green crab or squid, and fish a pulley rig at distance.
A shingle beach in the heart of the Greystones-to-Wicklow shingle belt. Documented in the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board guide as the regard of many anglers as the BEST of all the Wicklow beach venues, the beach turns up quality fish with regularity. Specimen-class homelyn ray, thornback ray, smoothhound, bullhuss and occasional spurdog have all been recorded here.
This mark today
GoodLive right now
- WindSW 5 km/hLight
- Swell0.1mSmall
- Sea temp18°CComfortable
- High waterin 12h 28mEbbing
Primary target
Smoothhound
Safety
See hazards belowSpecies and seasons
Target list and season windows
- BassIN SEASONApril to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov)
- BullhussIN SEASONsummer evenings (specimen-class)
- DogfishIN SEASONSeasonal
- Homelyn rayIN SEASONMay to September
- SmoothhoundIN SEASONMay to October (specimen-class possible)
- SpurdogIN SEASONoccasional summer night
- Thornback rayIN SEASONMay to September
Pack for this mark
What to bring, and the rig that matches conditions
Fishing Killoughter Beach today? Bring these.
Big bait and distance on Killoughter Beach, 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 Killoughter Beach 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
- Hardback green crab (hounds, outlasts peeler against lesser species)
- Squid (rays)
- Lugworm (codling/dab)
- Mackerel head (bullhuss)
Methods
- Pulley rig at distance (hounds/rays/huss)
- Standard flatfish rigs close in
- Two-hook flapper
Getting there
Access
Access via the local road from Newcastle/Ashford direction. The road in is poor, described in SAI session reports as 'potholed' with limited improvement over the years. Small car park at the end. Railway crossing required for some access routes.
Parking
Small car park at end of access road; arrive early on quality conditions.
Hazards
Railway crossing required for some access routes, designated points only. Standard shingle-beach safety. Weed can shut the beach down after onshore wind, judge the conditions on arrival.
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Related guides and tools
Species, tactics, tides, and tomorrow's plan for this mark
Field note
Reputed specimen beach for rays and hounds on spring nights, not a beginner mark.
Local insight
From the shore
The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board guide explicitly states 'many anglers regard Killoughter as the best of all the Wicklow beach venues' on the basis that it produces quality fish with regularity. Specimen-class homelyn ray, thornback, smoothhound and bullhuss are all in the catch record, this is a serious species venue, not a casual beach. Two practical local notes: (1) the road in is poor, and (2) weed can shut the beach down after onshore wind, one SAI session was abandoned for that reason and turned out to be the wrong call (the weed cleared shortly after). Pair this mark with Five Mile Point and the Breaches as a Newcastle/Killoughter cluster, the same shingle belt with different micro-features. Bullhuss specifically is undertargeted on the east coast and Killoughter is one of the more reliable east-coast marks for it on summer evenings with mackerel-head baits.
Read before you go
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Nearest tackle
Where to top up
Wicklow town or Greystones tackle shops.
Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Ready to fish Killoughter Beach?
Check tomorrow's plan for tides, conditions, and gear.