Guide last updated 1 June 2026Live score checked today
You can catch Bass, Grey mullet and Flounder here. Bring ragworm or peeler crab, and fish a running ledger.
A wild, unspoiled stretch of steep-to shingle beach running north from Wicklow town, hemmed between the Irish Sea and the Broad Lough/Vartry estuary system (15 km coastal wetland complex). Remote and often unfished. The steep shingle profile means deeper water is reached with shorter casts. Bass, grey mullet (specimen-class on the Vartry estuary side, largely un-fished) and the occasional sea trout are the prizes here.
This mark today
GoodLive right now
Primary target
Bass
Safety
See hazards belowTarget list and season windows
What to bring, and the rig that matches conditions
The Murrough is general shore ground, so the running ledger is the safe first choice. Fish take the bait without feeling the lead. A light grip lead still casts clean on calm sand.
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All-round shore hook for worm and crab on a running ledger. The same pack covers bass and flatfish sessions.
Check price on Amazon.ieGrip leads for surf ledgering when the tide runs on Wicklow open beaches.
Check price on Amazon.ieFluorocarbon hooklink for clear water and line-shy bass at Brittas and Kilcoole.
Check price on Amazon.ieRecommendations follow the same Wicklow-first editorial standards as the rest of the site.
Pack next
Tomorrow's conditions at The Murrough suit a running ledger. The first rig every shore angler should tie. A lead slides freely on the mainline above a stop swivel, with a hooklink below. Fish pick up the bait without feeling the weight.
On the ground
Baits
Methods
Access
Park at Wicklow town beach car park or Kilcoole station. Access along the beach, a significant walk of 1 to 4km depending on starting point. No road access to the beach itself. The Broad Lough outlet under the railway bridge ('The Breaches', see separate spot record) is the singular productive feature.
Parking
Parking at The Murrough is limited and can be uncertain, options include small pull-ins along the coastal road but space is not guaranteed. Check conditions before travelling and be prepared to park further away and walk.
Good day or better. Email when conditions score well
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Species, tactics, tides, and tomorrow's plan for this mark
Wild lagoon beach, specialist mullet and sea trout potential, not a casual first-mark choice.
From the shore
The mullet fishery on the Vartry estuary / Broad Lough system is genuinely under-fished despite specimen-class fish being present. The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board guide explicitly notes mullet 'well over the specimen weight of 5 lb' with 'little attempt to catch them', that is a published invitation to a niche worth owning. The same outlet (covered separately as 'The Breaches' spot record) holds flounder concentrating at the freshwater interface and sea trout passing through on their run. The Greystones-to-Wicklow shingle belt fishes best on a falling tide, not the flood that some guides claim, though the outlet itself fishes both ways for mullet movement. The steep-to profile is the reason long casts are not needed, beachcaster setups are wasted; lighter setups out-fish them. SAC/SPA wetland status means quiet behaviour matters and bird sensitivities apply.
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Read guide →Where to top up
Wicklow town tackle shops, or Greystones heading north. Stock up before making the walk in.
Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Check tomorrow's plan for tides, conditions, and gear.