Mark × species · Primary target
Flounder at Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank.
Flounder is a primary target at Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank near Arklow. Best window on this ground: October to March. Easy car park access at South Beach.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Primary target
Why fish Flounder at Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank
Avoca river-mouth shore complex (Ferrybank + South Beach). Bass, hounds, flatfish; historical specimen sole.
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.
Estuaries, sandy beaches, muddy creeks and shallow inshore ground, especially around river mouths and drainage outflows.
Avoca river mouth complex, bass and hounds on the beaches, check access around Ferrybank.
Sole over specimen size (2 lb+) has been recorded historically, that is an unusual east-coast species note that justifies a niche piece in itself.
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, this is a separate specialist fishery from the surf beach and is undertargeted.
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, night autumn tides most productive.
Season and tide
At Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank, Flounder is worth targeting in October to March. Coast-wide, Flounder runs Year round (peaks February to March and November to December on Wicklow beaches and estuaries).
Wider mark season: Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; averaging ~3 lb, larger fish annual), Smoothhound: May to October (crab baits), Dogfish: year round, Flounder: October to March, Codling: October to February (night), Dab: autumn to winter, Whiting: October to February, Sole: occasional summer (historical specimen-class), Plaice: spring to summer, Mackerel: June to September
Tide guidance here: Night tides in autumn most productive across the species mix. Crab essential for the spring/summer bass and hound run.
Two hours either side of high water. The flooding tide pushes flounder onto feeding grounds. Slack water periods produce most bites. Night fishing in autumn and winter is particularly reliable.
Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.
Tactics on this mark
Fish short with running ledger or two-hook flapper rigs, slowly dragging baits across the bottom on flooding and high water to trigger takes in troughs and around estuary mouths.
Standard surf rigs; Crab for big bass and hounds; Lug for autumn species; Float-fished bread (Avoca estuary mullet)
Gear: general shore. Facing SE.
- Running ledger with a short 6 to 8 inch hooklink
- Two-hook flapper for covering ground
- Small size 2 to 4 Aberdeen hooks, flounder have small mouths
- Slow retrieve to cover ground after casting
- Standard surf rigs
- Crab for big bass and hounds
- Lug for autumn species
- Float-fished bread (Avoca estuary mullet)
Baits and lures
Flounder baits and lures: Ragworm; Lugworm; Harbour ragworm; Mussel; Small fish strips.
What this mark typically holds: Crab (essential spring/summer); Lugworm; Ragworm; Mackerel strip.
Crab (essential spring/summer); Lugworm; Ragworm; Mackerel strip
Access and ground
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.
Safety: River-mouth currents. Mind the channel. Two distinct beaches. Do not confuse access points. Roadstone Pier requires permission at site office before fishing.
Nearest tackle: Arklow town tackle shops.
Nearest town: Arklow. Skill level: Intermediate.
Size and identification
Typical shore size: 200 to 400 g from Wicklow beaches and estuaries. Specimen class: Fish over 700 g are notable shore flounder.
Brown or grey-brown upper surface with orange-tipped spines along the lateral line. Eyes on the right side. Can develop reddish blotches, easily confused with plaice but lacks the vivid orange spots. The rough, prickly lateral line is the key identification feature.
Tip: Flounder are suckers for movement. Slowly dragging your bait across the bottom and pausing it triggers far more bites than static fishing. In estuaries, cast uptide and allow the bait to trundle downtide, the disturbance in the sand draws flounder in.
Irish shore context: record class around 2.71 kg.
Same-mark companions
Other ranked targets on the same mark include Bass, Smoothhound, Dogfish, Whiting, Codling, Dab. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.
Live ranked advice for Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Flounder species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.
Conservation
No current restrictions but handle with wet hands and return small fish.
Guide conservation label: No Restrictions.
Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Flounder species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.
Other species at Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank
Full mark guide lists all 12 catalogue pair pages.
Next steps
Related article: Where to Dig or Buy Lugworm in Wicklow
Live ranked session advice for this mark sits on Today's plan. Rules and bag limits: learn / rules.
NEXT STEP
Open the full mark or species guide.
Pair pages assemble mark and species catalogue facts for this ground. Depth sessions live on today's plan.