Species profile
Sand smelt
Sand smelt in Wicklow harbours. Catchable April to November, peak July to September. The simplest way to get a beginner or a child into fish on this coast.
Eric, Greystones · Reviewed August 2026 · IFI-aligned
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Quick answer
Sand smelt in Wicklow harbours. Catchable April to November, peak July to September. The simplest way to get a beginner or a child into fish on this coast.
Sand smelt · Running now · July to September peak on the Wicklow coast
In season
Typical size
Conservation
Season on the coast
Peak and catchable months on the Wicklow shore.
Peak Jul to Sep · catchable Apr to Nov
- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- This month
Where they live
Sheltered harbour corners, slipways and marina walls, in clear shallow water over weed and stonework.
What to use
Single maggot · Tiny worm sections · Isome and micro soft plastics
How to fish them
Fish LRF tackle on bright calm high tides right against harbour walls, with a light float set shallow or a dropshot held a foot under the surface.
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 sand smelt on today's plan
Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.