Mark × species · Seasonal
Plaice at Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank.
Plaice is a seasonal target at Arklow South Beach & Ferrybank near Arklow. Best window on this ground: spring to summer. Easy car park access at South Beach.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Seasonal
Why fish Plaice 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.
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.
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, Plaice is worth targeting in spring to summer. Coast-wide, Plaice runs March to September (peaks May to July on clean sand and shingle. Five Mile Point fishes best early in the season for plaice on worm or spoon, Kilcoole and Greystones South fish well on calm warm days with plaice inside about 30 yards, and Silver Strand holds fish close in around high water.).
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. Spring tides push plaice onto shallow feeding grounds. Warm calm days in April to June can produce fish at any state of tide over clean sand.
Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.
Tactics on this mark
On Kilcoole, Greystones South and Five Mile Point use the shingle-belt falling-tide pattern for much of your fishing, but still work the close-in plaice window after easterlies or flat warm spells, when fish hold inside about 30 yards and take worm or spoon in May. At Silver Strand expect plaice May to September, with the best of it close in around high water. Wicklow Head and Brides Head want crab or worm fished onto the sand pockets in mid-summer rather than long-range casting alone.
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 12 to 18 inch hooklink
- Two-hook flapper to cover ground
- Size 1 or 2 Aberdeen, light wire hook to present worm naturally
- Attractor beads above the hook, orange and red are plaice favourites
- Standard surf rigs
- Crab for big bass and hounds
- Lug for autumn species
- Float-fished bread (Avoca estuary mullet)
Baits and lures
Plaice baits and lures: Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel strip; Ragworm and mussel cocktails.
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: 400 to 800 g from clean sand with shell patches. Specimen class: Plaice over 1.5 kg are excellent shore fish.
The most distinctive flatfish on the Irish coast, upper surface is brown with vivid orange or red spots, each with a pale border. Eyes on the right side. Smooth skin with a row of bony knobs along the lateral line above the head. The bright orange spots are unmistakable.
Tip: Plaice respond well to a moving bait and to visual attractors. Thread a few orange or red beads above the hook on the hooklink, plaice are visually attracted to colour. On clean sandy ground, casting and slowly retrieving covers more ground and produces more bites than fishing static.
Irish shore context: record class around 3.84 kg.
Same-mark companions
Other ranked targets on the same mark include Bass, Smoothhound, Dogfish, Flounder, Whiting, Codling. 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 Plaice species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.
Conservation
Managed under EU rules with size limits; return undersized fish carefully and minimise handling time.
Guide conservation label: Bag Limit Applies.
Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Plaice 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
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.