Flounder at Greystones Harbour & Pier.

Quick facts

Mark type

Pier

Skill

Beginner

Catalogue rank

Secondary target

Why fish Flounder at Greystones Harbour & Pier

Sheltered marina pier, ideal for families and beginners. Good wrasse, pollack, mackerel and an established autumn squid fishery.

The modern marina pier at Greystones, replacing the original Victorian harbour after the 2010s redevelopment.

One of the most accessible fishing marks in Co.

Wicklow and the home harbour of Greystones Ridge Angling Club.

The outer pier wall produces wrasse, pollack and mackerel in summer; the inner harbour holds flounder, codling and small coalfish through winter.

Estuaries, sandy beaches, muddy creeks and shallow inshore ground, especially around river mouths and drainage outflows.

Sheltered pier. Ideal for families and beginners.

Sheltered marina pier, family friendly, mackerel in summer and a genuine autumn squid fishery on egi.

Two angler-validated tactical edges from local sources.

First, fish AT the harbour entrance, NOT against the blocks.

Multiple SAI session reports specify the entrance as the productive zone.

Season and tide

At Greystones Harbour & Pier, 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: Wrasse: April to October, Pollack: year-round (fishes best from the pier April to November), Mackerel: June to September, Bass: May to October, Garfish: June to September, Coalfish: October to February, Codling: October to February, Whiting: October to February (night), Flounder: October to March, Squid: September to December (eging at dusk into dark)

Tide guidance here: All states produce fish. Bites cluster in the hour either side of high water and on the tide turn. Eging for squid best at dusk into dark on slack water. High water brings fish right up to the pier wall for wrasse and pollack; low water concentrates flounder in the harbour channel.

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: low, first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, high.

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.

Float rig; Running ledger; 2 to 3 hook paternoster (size 1 to 1/0 Aberdeens); Mackerel feathers; Eging jigs (#3.0 autumn squid)

Gear: pier wall. Facing E.

• 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
• Float rig
• Running ledger
• 2 to 3 hook paternoster (size 1 to 1/0 Aberdeens)
• Mackerel feathers
• Eging jigs (#3.0 autumn squid)

Baits and lures

Flounder baits and lures: Ragworm; Lugworm; Harbour ragworm; Mussel; Small fish strips.

What this mark typically holds: Ragworm; Lugworm; Mackerel strip; Sandeel; Squid; Peeler crab; Mussel (Greystones-specific local rated bait).

Ragworm; Lugworm; Mackerel strip; Sandeel; Squid; Peeler crab; Mussel (Greystones-specific local rated bait)

Access and ground

Directly off the R761 through Greystones town. The harbour is fully accessible on foot and by car. The head of the outer (west) pier has been designated an angling-only zone, almost unique in Ireland and a useful access protection for shore anglers.

Parking: Paid parking is available near the harbour. It is a short walk to the right hand pier from the car park.

Safety: Slippery algae on the lower pier steps and walls, use extra caution. Active boat traffic during summer mornings; stay clear of the slip and fairway. Strong undercurrents inside and outside the harbour mean grip leads are not optional. Keep children away from the outer pier edge. Rocks at the base are extremely dangerous, never turn your back on the sea, avoid the pier entirely in rough or swell conditions.

Nearest tackle: Tackle shop in Greystones town centre, approximately 5 minutes walk from the harbour. Good stock of sea fishing essentials.

Nearest town: Greystones. Skill level: Beginner.

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 Mackerel, Pollack, Coalfish, Codling, Wrasse, Dab. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Greystones Harbour & Pier 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 Greystones Harbour & Pier

• Mackerel
• Pollack
• Coalfish
• Cod
• Wrasse
• Dab
• Pouting
• Rockling

Full mark guide lists all 19 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

Live ranked session advice for this mark sits on Today's plan. Rules and bag limits: learn / rules.