Live score checked today
You can catch Bass, Smoothhound and Dogfish here. Bring crab or lugworm, and fish a standard surf rigs.
A river-mouth shore complex: Ferrybank on the north side of the Avoca estuary, South Beach below the estuary mouth. The biggest accessible south-Wicklow venue for shore anglers. Bass averaging around 3 lb with larger fish annual, plus smoothhound, dogfish, flounder and small whiting through the mix. Sole over the 2 lb specimen size has been recorded historically, an unusual east-coast species note. Roadstone Pier to the south is privately owned (permission required at site office) and held the Irish Record three-bearded rockling at 3 lb 1 oz in 1990.
TodayPOSSIBLE
WicklowModel
Mark · Excellent
Bring
Crab (essential spring/summer) · Standard surf rigs
ModelThe live call prefers Greystones Harbour & Pier (11:00 PM to 12:00 AM). Fish here only if you already know the ground.
Session intelligence
One tap on how it went. Bait and a short note stay on this device; the outcome sharpens the forecast for Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank anonymously.
How did it go?
Bait or method
Stays on this device only. Max 120 characters.
Hourly session fit with the Wicklow tide curve overlaid
| Tue 0123:00 | Wed 0200:00 | Wed 0201:00 | Wed 0202:00 | Wed 0203:00 | Wed 0204:00 | Wed 0205:00 | Wed 0206:00 | Wed 0207:00 | Wed 0208:00 | Wed 0209:00 | Wed 0210:00 | Wed 0211:00 | Wed 0212:00 | Wed 0213:00 | Wed 0214:00 | Wed 0215:00 | Wed 0216:00 | Wed 0217:00 | Wed 0218:00 | Wed 0219:00 | Wed 0220:00 | Wed 0221:00 | Wed 0222:00 | Wed 0223:00 | Thu 0300:00 | Thu 0301:00 | Thu 0302:00 | Thu 0303:00 | Thu 0304:00 | Thu 0305:00 | Thu 0306:00 | Thu 0307:00 | Thu 0308:00 | Thu 0309:00 | Thu 0310:00 | Thu 0311:00 | Thu 0312:00 | Thu 0313:00 | Thu 0314:00 | Thu 0315:00 | Thu 0316:00 | Thu 0317:00 | Thu 0318:00 | Thu 0319:00 | Thu 0320:00 | Thu 0321:00 | Thu 0322:00 |
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| 68 | 66 | 66 | 64 | 59 | 67 | 74 | 54 | 77 | 62 | 31 | 65 | 67 | 67 | 71 | 73 | 73 | 68 | 73 | 68 | 77 | 77 | 46 | 61 | 64 | 65 | 68 | 66 | 68 | 65 | 83 | 76 | 78 | 62 | 64 | 33 | 64 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 68 | 73 | 68 | 80 | 82 | 80 | 35 |
Scroll for all 48 hours
Species running this month on this mark
Also: Flounder, Plaice, Cod, Dover sole, Whiting
Bass is peaking this month.
Peak and catchable months for every species listed at this mark.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | Jan: Off | Feb: Off | Mar: Off | Apr: Catchable | May: Catchable | Jun: Catchable | Jul: Catchable | Aug: Catchable | Sep: Peak | Oct: Peak | Nov: Peak | Dec: Off |
| Coalfish | Jan: Peak | Feb: Peak | Mar: Peak | Apr: Catchable | May: Catchable | Jun: Off | Jul: Off | Aug: Off | Sep: Catchable | Oct: Peak | Nov: Peak | Dec: Peak |
| Dab | Jan: Catchable | Feb: Peak | Mar: Peak | Apr: Catchable | May: Catchable | Jun: Catchable | Jul: Catchable | Aug: Catchable | Sep: Catchable | Oct: Catchable | Nov: Peak | Dec: Peak |
| Dogfish | Jan: Catchable | Feb: Catchable | Mar: Catchable | Apr: Catchable | May: Catchable | Jun: Catchable | Jul: Catchable | Aug: Catchable | Sep: Catchable | Oct: Catchable | Nov: Peak | Dec: Peak |
| Mackerel | Jan: Off | Feb: Off | Mar: Off | Apr: Off | May: Off | Jun: Catchable | Jul: Peak | Aug: Peak | Sep: Catchable | Oct: Catchable | Nov: Off | Dec: Off |
| Smoothhound | Jan: Off | Feb: Off | Mar: Off | Apr: Off | May: Catchable | Jun: Catchable | Jul: Peak | Aug: Peak | Sep: Catchable | Oct: Catchable | Nov: Off | Dec: Off |
| Thornback ray | Jan: Off | Feb: Off | Mar: Off | Apr: Off | May: Catchable | Jun: Peak | Jul: Peak | Aug: Peak | Sep: Catchable | Oct: Catchable | Nov: Off | Dec: Off |
| Flounder | Jan: Catchable | Feb: Peak | Mar: Peak | Apr: Catchable | May: Catchable | Jun: Catchable | Jul: Catchable | Aug: Catchable | Sep: Catchable | Oct: Catchable | Nov: Peak | Dec: Peak |
| Plaice | Jan: Off | Feb: Off | Mar: Catchable | Apr: Catchable | May: Peak | Jun: Peak | Jul: Peak | Aug: Catchable | Sep: Catchable | Oct: Off | Nov: Off | Dec: Off |
| Cod | Jan: Off | Feb: Off | Mar: Off | Apr: Off | May: Off | Jun: Off | Jul: Off | Aug: Off | Sep: Off | Oct: Catchable | Nov: Peak | Dec: Peak |
| Dover sole | Jan: Off | Feb: Off | Mar: Off | Apr: Off | May: Off | Jun: Catchable | Jul: Catchable | Aug: Off | Sep: Off | Oct: Off | Nov: Off | Dec: Off |
| Whiting | Jan: Catchable | Feb: Peak | Mar: Peak | Apr: Catchable | May: Off | Jun: Off | Jul: Off | Aug: Off | Sep: Off | Oct: Catchable | Nov: Peak | Dec: Peak |
Table scrolls horizontally to show all twelve months.
What to bring, and the rig that matches conditions
Big bait and distance on Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank, so the pulley pennel protects the cast and presents cleanly on the drop. A light grip lead still casts clean on calm sand.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we've used or would genuinely buy ourselves.
Strong wire circles for pennel mounting of peeler crab and sandeel. Smoothhound and bass standard on Wicklow marks.
View on AmazonBreakaway grips for surf pulley fishing at distance on open Wicklow beaches.
View on AmazonRecommendations follow the same Wicklow-first editorial standards as the rest of the site.
Pack next
Today's conditions at Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank suit a pulley pennel rig. A heavy-duty distance rig that protects large soft baits during the cast. The hooklink slides through a pulley swivel so bait and hooks lift on splash-down while the lead anchors.
Tide, tactics, and local read
If I were fishing here
If I were fishing Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank, I'd match the tide to bass and change mark before I change the whole kit.
I'd skip when…
I'd skip when wind and swell make footing or casting the problem, not the fish.
When it fishes well
Night tides in autumn most productive across the species mix. Crab essential for the spring/summer bass and hound run.
Avoca river mouth complex, bass and hounds on the beaches, check access around Ferrybank.
Baits
Methods
Access, parking, hazards, and getting back safe
Access
Easy car park access at South Beach. Ferrybank a short walk from the harbour. The Avoca Estuary upstream of the bridge holds specimen mullet (over 5 lb) on float-fished bread in summer and flounder April to December on bottom worm or lures. Arklow Piers in general are 'fishing down the wall with small hooks' venues, same LRF pattern as Bray. Roadstone Pier south of the town is privately owned; permission at site office.
Parking
Free car park at South Beach; harbour parking for Ferrybank.
Hazards
Statutory rules for the regulated species at this mark. Everything else here has no bag limit or closed season.
42 cm
Rules checked 29 June 2026Bass Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 826 of 2007, Council Regulation (EU) 2026/249
Rules change. Check the linked authority before you keep a fish: see all size and bag limits.
Spots · 9 min read
Wicklow Sea Fishing Guide 2026: Marks, Species, Seasons
Every shore mark worth fishing in Co. Wicklow, what swims there and when. Beaches, piers and rock marks from Bray to Arklow with tides and access notes.
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Bass Fishing Wicklow 2026: Best Marks, Baits and Tides
Where to catch bass on the Wicklow coast in 2026: the beaches and rock marks that produce, the baits and lures that work, and the tides to fish them on.
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Smoothhound Fishing Ireland: Beaches, Rigs and Bait
Smoothhound from Irish east coast beaches, May to October (peak July to August). Peeler crab rigs, evening flood tides and Wicklow sand marks that score.
Read guide →Species, tactics, tides, and today's plan for this mark
Where to top up
Arklow town tackle shops.
Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Good day or better. Email when conditions score well
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