Mark × species · Primary target
Flounder at Clogga Strand.
Flounder is a primary target at Clogga Strand near Arklow. Best window on this ground: year round. Car park at the strand; short walk to the beach.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Beginner/Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Primary target
Why fish Flounder at Clogga Strand
Last Wicklow venue. Two-zone beach, deeper water north for flatfish/hounds; rock platforms south for bass on lures.
The last Wicklow shore venue south of Arklow before the Wexford border.
Shallow sandy beach with low rock platforms at the southern end.
Two-zone beach: deeper water to the LEFT (north), low rock platforms to the RIGHT (south).
The south rock platforms deliver bass to both bait and lures, most anglers commit to one zone and miss the other.
Estuaries, sandy beaches, muddy creeks and shallow inshore ground, especially around river mouths and drainage outflows.
Last Wicklow strand, deeper north end for flatfish, south rocks for lure bass when swell allows.
The two halves of this beach fish completely differently and most anglers commit to one side.
Left side (north) = bait and distance for flatfish, hounds, dogs.
Right side (south) = lures off the rock platforms for bass.
Season and tide
At Clogga Strand, Flounder is worth targeting in year round. 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; lures off south rocks), Flounder: year round, Smoothhound: May to October, Dogfish: year round (especially winter), Mackerel: June to September, Pollack: small fish off rocks, Sea trout: occasional
Tide guidance here: Standard surf-beach tide windows. Lure fishing for bass off the south rocks at dawn/dusk in calm clear conditions.
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.
Bait at distance (north zone); Spinners/plugs/surface poppers/soft plastics/leadhead jigs (south rock platforms for bass); Bottom rigs for flatfish
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
- Bait at distance (north zone)
- Spinners/plugs/surface poppers/soft plastics/leadhead jigs (south rock platforms for bass)
- Bottom rigs for flatfish
Baits and lures
Flounder baits and lures: Ragworm; Lugworm; Harbour ragworm; Mussel; Small fish strips.
What this mark typically holds: Lugworm; Ragworm; Crab (hounds); Lures (bass).
Lugworm; Ragworm; Crab (hounds); Lures (bass)
Access and ground
Car park at the strand; short walk to the beach. Two distinct fishing zones, deeper water to the LEFT (north), rock platforms to the RIGHT (south).
Parking: Free car park at the strand.
Safety: Standard beach safety. The south rocks have kelp and rock cover, hooked bass dive into it.
Nearest tackle: Arklow town tackle shops.
Nearest town: Arklow. Skill level: Beginner/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, Mackerel, Pollack, Dab. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.
Live ranked advice for Clogga Strand 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 Clogga Strand
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.