Species profile
Herring
Herring from Wicklow piers on winter nights. Catchable September to March, peak November to December. Feather sizes, depth control and how to spot a shoal under the lights.
Eric, Greystones · Reviewed August 2026 · IFI-aligned
Is it good today?
Quick answer
Herring from Wicklow piers on winter nights. Catchable September to March, peak November to December. Feather sizes, depth control and how to spot a shoal under the lights.
In season
Typical size
Conservation
Season on the coast
Peak and catchable months on the Wicklow shore.
Peak Nov to Dec · catchable Sep to Mar
- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- This month
Where they live
Deep water off piers and harbour walls, where winter shoals push inshore after plankton and small bait.
What to use
Small silver sabiki feathers · Luminous mini feathers · Tiny metal jigs · Bare hooks tipped with fish skin
How to fish them
Fish small feathers through the middle depths off deep-water piers after dark in late autumn and winter, lifting and dropping slowly rather than working the bottom.
Suggested gear
Starter searches matched to tactics above
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12ft beachcaster rod
A solid all-rounder for surf, casting and tide runs.
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Size 40 fixed spool sea reel
Balanced line capacity for beach and mixed ground.
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Pulley rig ready-made pack
Fast setup for clean ground and snag avoidance.
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Crab fishing lure
Realistic crab lure for bass, works from piers, beaches and rock marks.
Wicklow marks
Dargle-mouth working harbour. LRF-style mixed-species pier; codling, dab, flounder and plaice with summer bass and mullet.
Sheltered marina pier, ideal for families and beginners. Good wrasse, pollack, mackerel and an established autumn squid fishery.
Deep-water working-harbour pier. Pollack, coalfish, winter whiting; rare connection to autumn shore-tope traffic on big distance baits.
Related guides and tools
Marks, tactics, bait, gear, and today's plan for this species
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Winter flounder on Irish beaches, October to March. Estuary mouths, short casts, ragworm ledger rigs and the flood tides that put flatfish at your feet.
Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Target herring on today's plan
Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.