Mark × species · Occasional
Ray at Greystones Harbour & Pier.
Ray is an occasional catch at Greystones Harbour & Pier near Greystones. Best window on this ground: April to October. Directly off the R761 through Greystones town.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Pier
- Skill
- Beginner
- Catalogue rank
- Occasional
Why fish Ray 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 to mixed sand off the Greystones to Wicklow shingle beaches, where thornback, homelyn ray and hounds share the same summer window. Distance casting reaches the rays while close-in worm baits pick up smaller flatfish.
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, Ray is worth targeting in April to October. Coast-wide, Ray runs April to October (peaks June to August may at Killoughter and Five Mile Point, where homelyn ray peak alongside the hounds. Bullhuss show on summer evenings at Killoughter.).
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.
May to October on the shingle belt, where thornback, homelyn ray and hounds stack up together. Match your tide choice to the individual mark rather than a single generic rule.
Fishable phases: low, first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, high.
Tactics on this mark
Match the mark. Brittas Bay runs thornback ray May to September through the gullies on long-range pulley rigs, while Killoughter and Five Mile Point pair homelyn ray with specimen hound tactics on spring nights. Check the safety and tide notes for each beach before copying a single flood-or-ebb rule across them.
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.
- Distance casting for rays on clean sand
- Worm-led close-in tactics for smaller flatfish on the same beaches
- Crab-led approaches when bullhuss appear in secondary lists
- 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
Ray baits and lures: Sandeel; Ragworm and squid cocktails; Peeler or hardback crab for hound sessions; Fish strip pennel rigs.
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: Varies by species, Killoughter ranks thornback ray, homelyn ray and bullhuss together as primary/secondary summer predators on the shingle belt. Specimen class: Specimen-class smoothhound and ray show at Killoughter. See each linked profile for thornback-specific sizes.
Thornback, homelyn and cuckoo ray are the rays you are most likely to meet on the Wicklow shore. Thornback are the commonest, with rows of spiny bucklers along the back and tail. Homelyn, the spotted ray, are smaller with dark spots across the wings, and cuckoo ray carry a distinctive dark, marbled eye-spot on each wing.
Tip: Killoughter and Five Mile Point pair homelyn ray with specimen hound tactics on spring nights. Read those marks carefully before committing gear or wading depth.
Irish shore context: record class around See thornback profile for specimen context.
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 Ray species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.
Conservation
Sharks and rays are easily stressed, support fish in the water, avoid lifting large rays clear of the surf, and release breeding-size fish when possible.
Guide conservation label: Catch & Release Recommended.
Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Ray 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
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.