Species profile
Mackerel
Are the mackerel in yet? Wicklow piers and headlands. Catchable June to October, peak July to August. Feather rigs, metal lures and tide windows for fast summer sport.
Eric, Greystones · Reviewed Apr 2026 · IFI-aligned
Is it good tomorrow?Quick answer
Mackerel shoal around Wicklow piers and headlands from June to October, peaking July to August. Feather rigs and small metals retrieved mid-water on a flooding tide catch fast when the shoals are in.
Mackerel · Running now · July to August peak on the Wicklow coast
In season
June to OctoberIn season now
Typical size
200 to 400 g from piers and headlands
Conservation
Release advised
Season on the coast
Peak and catchable months on the Wicklow shore.
Peak Jul to Aug · catchable Jun to Oct
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- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- This month
Where they live
Open water around harbour mouths and headlands when baitfish shoals are pushed close in; often mid-water rather than tight to the surface.
What to use
Feather rigs · Sabiki rigs · Metal slices · Small soft plastics
How to fish them
Cast 20 to 30 g lures or feather rigs across the flow and retrieve at varying depths, counting down to find the level of the shoal and keeping pressure constant once hooked.
Suggested gear
Starter searches matched to tactics above
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Mackerel feather rig pack
Classic multi-hook rigs for summer shoals.
- View on Amazon →
20g metal slice lures
Fast-sinking metals for distance and depth.
- View on Amazon →
Sabiki rig pack
Deadly on mackerel and baitfish shoals.
Need a full shopping list? Rig and terminal buyer guide with comparison table, prices and Amazon picks.
Wicklow marks
Arklow South Beach & FerrybankBeach
Avoca river-mouth shore complex (Ferrybank + South Beach). Bass, hounds, flatfish; historical specimen sole.
Bray HarbourPier
Dargle-mouth working harbour. LRF-style mixed-species pier; codling, dab, flounder and plaice with summer bass and mullet.
Clogga StrandBeach
Last Wicklow venue. Two-zone beach, deeper water north for flatfish/hounds; rock platforms south for bass on lures.
Five Mile PointBeach
Specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, the single insight justifying this mark. May ray/plaice; nursery beach the rest of the year.
Greystones Harbour & PierPier
Sheltered marina pier, ideal for families and beginners. Good wrasse, pollock, mackerel and an established autumn squid fishery.
Greystones South BeachBeach
Accessible competition-grade town beach with reliable winter codling and close-in plaice in calm weather.
Silver StrandBeach
Sheltered sandy cove. Spring/autumn surf bass and a rare-for-the-east-coast spurdog fishery on summer night tides.
The MurroughBeach
Remote wild beach between sea and lagoon. Bass, mullet, sea trout in the right conditions; specialist mullet fishery on the Vartry side.
Dublin Bay guides
Not live scored. Open a mark guide for access and tactics.
Skerries HarbourPier
North Dublin harbour walls for summer mackerel and pollack, with winter whiting, flounder and dogfish on ledger when boats allow space.
Howth PierPier
Busy Howth harbour piers with summer mackerel feathers, winter whiting and dogfish on ledger, and pollack or coalfish along the walls. Mullet cruise the inner harbour.
Balscadden BayRock
Rocky bay northeast of Howth village (Cat Rock / Split Rock area): pollack, coalfish and wrasse on float or feathers, with winter codling and night conger over rough ground.
Poolbeg South WallPier
South Bull Wall out to Poolbeg Lighthouse: summer mackerel, pollack and conger on the wall, with honest notes on industrial harbour traffic.
Dún Laoghaire PierPier
East and west piers on Dún Laoghaire harbour: easy access summer mackerel, winter whiting nights, and pollack or coalfish on the walls. Inner harbour dab, plaice and mullet.
Coliemore HarbourPier
Small Dalkey harbour wall for codling, pollack and conger, with rock and sound ground toward Dalkey Island. Shore access only in this guide.
Killiney BeachBeach
Steep shingle and sand storm beach in Killiney Bay: bass and flounder after dark, winter codling and coalfish, summer mackerel when shoals push in.
Related guides and tools
Marks, tactics, bait, gear, and tomorrow's plan for this species
Seasonal focus
June is the most consistent month for daylight mackerel sessions from Greystones to Arklow. Marks, tide windows, gear and a responsible take for the local peak.
Mackerel in Wicklow: June peak tactics →Read next
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Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Target mackerel on tomorrow's plan
Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.