Flounder at Silver Strand.

Quick facts

Mark type

Beach

Skill

Beginner/Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Primary target

Why fish Flounder at Silver Strand

Sheltered sandy cove. Spring/autumn surf bass and a rare-for-the-east-coast spurdog fishery on summer night tides.

A small, sheltered sandy cove tucked between rocky headlands south of Wicklow Head.

One of the cleaner sand beaches on the Wicklow coast and one of the few accessible east-coast marks for spurdog on summer night tides, under-known feature confirmed across regional sources.

Surf in spring and autumn at night is the classic productive window.

The sheltered position makes it a viable option in northerly or westerly winds when other marks are too rough.

Short: Sheltered sandy cove.

Spring/autumn surf bass and a rare-for-the-east-coast spurdog fishery on summer night tides.

Estuaries, sandy beaches, muddy creeks and shallow inshore ground, especially around river mouths and drainage outflows.

Sheltered cove, spring bass and a rare east-coast spurdog chance on summer night tides.

You may see this beach listed as Furzeditch East, its townland name, but every fishing source calls it Silver Strand.

Spurdog on summer night tides is the species note worth knowing: these are not common at most east-coast beaches and Silver Strand is one of the few accessible marks for them in Wicklow.

Cut-off risk at high tide is the genuine safety story here, more than slippery rocks: the beach physically separates into coves and anglers have been caught out.

Beach is shared with Brittas Bay Surf School and picks up southerly swell, surfing presence affects daytime access.

Season and tide

On Silver Strand the catalogue season for Flounder is October to March. Coast-wide, Flounder runs Year round (Best October to March on Wicklow beaches and estuaries).

Wider mark season notes: Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Flounder: October to March, Dab: October to February, Plaice: May to September, Spurdog: summer (night tides), Mackerel: June to September, Thornback ray: occasional summer

Tide guidance for this mark: High water and the two hours either side give the best fishing. The beach is relatively shallow and fish move in closest at the top of the tide. Flooding tide on a summer evening is the best time for bass along the shoreline. Spring/autumn surf at night for the bigger bass.

Species tide and time pattern: Two hours either side of high water. The flooding tide pushes flounder onto feeding grounds. Slack water periods produce most bites. Night fishing in autumn and winter is particularly reliable.

Catalogue fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak phases: mid-flood, first-ebb.

Tactics on this mark

Fish short with running ledger or two-hook flapper rigs, slowly dragging baits across the bottom on flooding and high water to trigger takes in troughs and around estuary mouths.

Two-hook flapper; Running ledger; Light spinning (bass); Pulley rig at distance (occasional ray, spurdog)

Gear class for this mark: general shore. Facing ESE. Confidence HIGH.

• Running ledger with a short 6 to 8 inch hooklink
• Two-hook flapper for covering ground
• Small size 2 to 4 Aberdeen hooks, flounder have small mouths
• Slow retrieve to cover ground after casting
• Two-hook flapper
• Running ledger
• Light spinning (bass)
• Pulley rig at distance (occasional ray, spurdog)

Baits and lures

Flounder baits and lures: Ragworm; Lugworm; Harbour ragworm; Mussel; Small fish strips.

What this mark typically holds: Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Squid for spurdog.

Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Squid for spurdog

Access and ground

Follow the coastal road south from Wicklow town, signed from the R750. Access through caravan parks. Short walk from the car park.

Parking: Small car park at the strand, fills quickly in summer. Seasonal charges may apply. Arrive early in July and August.

Safety: CRITICAL, the beach separates into coves at high tide; genuine cut-off risk. Mark your retreat route on arrival. Rocky approaches at low water require care, stick to the sandy sections when moving along the beach. Limited parking means the area gets congested in summer.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops, a short drive north on the coastal road.

Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate.

Size and identification

Typical shore size around 200 to 400 g from Wicklow beaches and estuaries; specimen class from about Fish over 700 g are notable shore flounder.

Brown or grey-brown upper surface with orange-tipped spines along the lateral line. Eyes on the right side. Can develop reddish blotches, easily confused with plaice but lacks the vivid orange spots. The rough, prickly lateral line is the key identification feature.

Tip: Flounder are suckers for movement. Slowly dragging your bait across the bottom and pausing it triggers far more bites than static fishing. In estuaries, cast uptide and allow the bait to trundle downtide, the disturbance in the sand draws flounder in.

Irish shore context: record class around 2.71 kg.

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Bass, Dogfish, Plaice, Dab. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Silver Strand updates on Today's plan. Pair this page with the Flounder species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

No current restrictions but handle with wet hands and return small fish.

Guide conservation label: No Restrictions.

Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Flounder species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.

Next steps

Live ranked session advice for this mark sits on today's plan. Rules and bag limits: learn / rules.