SPECIES PROFILE
Plaice
Plaice fishing from clean Wicklow beaches, how to combine beads, spoons and worm baits to tempt bright-spotted flatfish in spring and summer.
Eric, Greystones · Reviewed Apr 2026 · IFI-aligned
See if plaice are worth targeting todayIn season
Mar to OctIn season now
Typical size
400 to 800 g from clean sand with shell patches
Conservation
Release advised
Season on the coast
Peak and catchable months from the catalogue season window, parsed for Wicklow shore fishing.
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- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- Now
Where they live
Clean sandy ground with shell and gravel, slightly deeper than typical flounder marks; Brides Head adds worm or crab over sand patches between rocks in July to August for plaice and dab alongside the spinning species.
What to use
Ragworm · Lugworm · Sandeel strip · Ragworm and mussel cocktails
How to fish them
On Kilcoole, Greystones South and Five Mile Point use the shingle-belt falling-tide pattern for much of your fishing, but still exploit the close-in plaice window after easterlies or flat warm spells (spot pages call out ~30-yard plaice and worm/spoon in May). At Silver Strand expect plaice May to September with the beach’s documented high-water-close layout. Wicklow Head, Brides Head needs crab or worm fished onto the sand pockets in mid-summer rather than long-range heave only.
Suggested gear
Starter searches matched to tactics above
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13ft beachcaster rod
A solid all-rounder for surf, casting and tide runs.
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6000 to 8000 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
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.
Brittas Bay (South End)Beach
Premier Wicklow bass beach. Specimen bass in storm conditions; smoothhound and rays in summer.
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.
Kilcoole BeachBeach
Flat shingle beach, great for beginners. Reliable flatfish year-round; codling and coalfish through the colder months.
Silver StrandBeach
Sheltered sandy cove. Spring/autumn surf bass and a rare-for-the-east-coast spurdog fishery on summer night tides.
Read next
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Plaice run close to Wicklow beaches from March to July. Best marks, rigs and baits for shore plaice on the east coast, updated 2026.
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Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.