Mark × species · Primary target
Pollack at Greystones Harbour & Pier.
Pollack is a primary target at Greystones Harbour & Pier near Greystones. Best window on this ground: year-round (fishes best from the pier April to November). Directly off the R761 through Greystones town.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Pier
- Skill
- Beginner
- Catalogue rank
- Primary target
Why fish Pollack 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.
Rocky kelp ground, harbour walls and pier pilings where current runs past structure, often tight to the wall or reef edges.
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, Pollack is worth targeting in year-round (fishes best from the pier April to November). Coast-wide, Pollack runs Year round (peaks May to August from piers and rocks).
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.
Moving water is essential, slack water kills pollack fishing. Last two hours of flood and first of ebb around pier and rock marks. Dusk and dawn consistently produce the biggest fish from harbour walls.
Fishable phases: low, first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, high.
Tactics on this mark
Work soft plastics or metals through the water column around structure with sink-and-draw retrieves, or float-fish sandeel just above kelp on moving water.
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.
- Spinning and jigging with 10 to 20g heads
- Float fishing close to the wall with a live or dead sandeel
- Feathers for multiple fish in a shoal
- Light lure rod, pollack are an outstanding sport fish on balanced gear
- 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
Pollack baits and lures: Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Soft plastic shads; Metal jigs; Feathers.
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: 0.5 to 2 kg on Wicklow rock and pier marks. Specimen class: Pollack over 3 kg are realistic from deep rough ground.
Dark green or brown back, silvery-white flanks. Lower jaw protrudes noticeably beyond the upper jaw, the clearest identification feature. Lateral line curves strongly upward above the pectoral fin. Eyes large and golden.
Tip: Pollack almost always take a moving bait. Work your lure or bait at a medium retrieve and be ready for the take, pollack hit hard and immediately dive for the kelp. Keep pressure on at all times or they'll cut you off. From pier walls, drop a float-rigged sandeel straight down the wall face and let the current work it.
Irish shore context: record class around 9.53 kg.
Same-mark companions
Other ranked targets on the same mark include Mackerel, Coalfish, Codling, Wrasse, Dab, Flounder. 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 Pollack species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.
Conservation
There is a statutory minimum conservation reference size of 30 cm for pollack in the Irish EEZ (SFPA MCRS list). Since 1 June 2026, the 2026 pollack bye-law (Pollack Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 1028 of 2026) limits recreational anglers to three pollack per day, then catch and release. Returning larger breeding fish is strongly advised.
Guide conservation label: Bag Limit Applies.
Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Pollack species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.
Other species at Greystones Harbour & Pier
Full mark guide lists all 19 catalogue pair pages.
Next steps
Related article: Coalfish vs Pollack Ireland: How to ID and Catch Both
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.