Plaice at Greystones Harbour & Pier.

Quick facts

Mark type

Pier

Skill

Beginner

Catalogue rank

Occasional

Why fish Plaice 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.

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.

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, Plaice is worth targeting in March to September. 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: 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. 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: low, first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, high.

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.

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 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
• 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

Plaice baits and lures: Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel strip; Ragworm and mussel cocktails.

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: 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 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 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 Greystones Harbour & Pier

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

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.