Today
65
S 29
0.7m
-
TIDES & WEATHER
Verdict first. Then tides, water, and official resources. Jump to any section from the nav.
LOOKING FOR TODAY'S FORECAST?
Swell, wind, and today's shore call live on the plan. Ranked marks and species targets, not here.
TIDES
Gauge data and tide context for the Wicklow coast. Wicklow station times, not Dublin Port.
WIND & SEA
Live wind and swell from coastal forecasts, plus what each sector means on east-facing Wicklow marks.
Live wind and swell, plus what today's sector means on the east-facing Wicklow shore.
Today on the Wicklow shore
Onshore wind · Excellent
The classic Wicklow fishing wind. Pushes colour and surf onto the beaches, activates bass and brings bait close in. After 24+ hours of easterly, open beaches like Kilcoole, Greystones South and Brittas Bay are at their best. Long casting is rarely needed.
Wind vs shore
Pushing onto the beach. Brings bait and surf in.
Right now
SSE at 24 km/h
All wind sectors (today's row highlighted)
Easterly
The classic Wicklow fishing wind. Pushes colour and surf onto the beaches, activates bass and brings bait close in. After 24+ hours of easterly, open beaches like Kilcoole, Greystones South and Brittas Bay are at their best. Long casting is rarely needed.
Southeasterly
Similar to easterly but with more southerly push, good surf on south-facing beaches. Brittas Bay and Ennereilly fish particularly well. Pier marks can be awkward but beach fishing is excellent.
Southerly
Decent beach fishing conditions, especially on more southerly Wicklow marks. Pier fishing at Greystones is comfortable on the south wall. Less colour and surf than an easterly but fish are still catchable.
Northeasterly
Creates an uncomfortable onshore swell from the northeast. Bray Head and northerly rock marks are difficult and often dangerous. Open beaches fish OK but casting into the wind is challenging.
Northerly
Cold, uncomfortable north winds push flat grey water. Bass are less active. Whiting and dogfish are less affected, autumn night sessions can still produce. Not ideal for most species.
Westerly
Offshore wind produces flat, clear water. Beach bait fishing is generally poor. Calm clear conditions are excellent for surface lure fishing for bass at dawn and dusk, and outstanding for lure fishing from piers and rock marks. Also the best conditions for squid eging at Greystones Harbour.
Swell height from coastal forecasts. The highlighted band matches today. Expand for full notes on every band.
How to use this guide
Swell scale (highlighted = today)
under 0.3 m
Flat
Good0.3 to 0.8 m
Light Surf
Excellent0.8 to 1.5 m
Moderate Surf
Excellent1.5 to 2.5 m
Heavy Surf
Fairover 2.5 m
Rough
AvoidToday's band
Moderate Surf · 0.8 m swell
Excellent beach fishing: the sweet spot for most Wicklow marks. Good colour in the water, bass feeding confidently. Use breakaway grip leads 4 to 5 oz.
RESOURCES
Cross-check these before you travel. Conditions change through the day.
One email Sunday morning. Wicklow plan for the week. Unsubscribe anytime.
Prime windows line up the flood tide with daylight.
Flooding now, high water in 6h 27m
Wind, swell and tide for the week ahead. Scored for Wicklow shore marks.
Today
S 29
0.7m
Sat
SSE 37
1.4m
Sun
SSW 30
1.2m
Mon
WSW 17
0.5m
Tue
WSW 26
0.5m
Wed
SW 22
0.3m
Thu
S 13
1.1m
National Tide Gauge Network. Wicklow is the primary reference for this coast.
Open the Marine Institute gauges below for current height and recent readings. Wicklow times run about 21 minutes ahead of Dublin Port.
A few concepts that change how often you're on the beach at the right moment.
Spring Tides
Occur around new and full moon, twice a month. Highest high water, lowest low water, strongest currents. Excellent for smoothhound and bass as the big tide moves more bait.
Neap Tides
Around the quarter moons. Tidal range at minimum, currents weaker. Generally better for rock and pier fishing, safer access and easier to hold bottom with lighter leads.
Flood Tide
The flooding tide rises from low toward high water. The first two hours of the flood are most productive, bass and flatfish move up onto feeding grounds as the water rises.
Ebb Tide
Falls from high toward low water. On steep shingle beaches like Greystones South, the south-running ebb creates the challenging conditions that define match fishing there.
Slack Water
Brief period of minimal current around high and low water. Flatfish (flounder, dab) often bite better at slack. Rock and pier fishing is physically easier. Most other species prefer moving water.
Wicklow Times
Wicklow is approximately 21 minutes ahead of Dublin Port. Always use the Wicklow station as your reference, applying Dublin times directly will put you on the beach at the wrong state of tide.