Mark × species · Seasonal
Mackerel at Magheramore Beach.
Mackerel is a seasonal target at Magheramore Beach near Wicklow. Best window on this ground: June to September (off rock shelf). Access via the Bellvue Farm gateway off the coast road between Wicklow and Arklow, gravel driveway with big black gates.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Seasonal
Why fish Mackerel at Magheramore Beach
Surf-shared cove. Honest reality: dogfish-dominated beach. Bass potential off the south rock shelf in calm conditions.
Small surf cove (~1/4 mile across) between Wicklow Head/Silver Strand and Brittas Bay, with a rock shelf and deep-water coves on the south (right) side.
Predominantly a surfing beach (Brittas Bay Surf School operates here), honest catch profile from local SAI reports is 'medium-size dogfish in numbers, not much else'.
The south rock shelf has tactical bass potential on lures in the right conditions but the tide rip makes bait fishing difficult.
Short: Surf-shared cove.
Open water around harbour mouths and headlands when baitfish shoals are pushed close in; often mid-water rather than tight to the surface.
Honest dogfish beach, bass only on the south shelf in calm conditions, do not expect a busy session.
Magheramore is more of a surfing beach than a fishing beach, the honest catch profile from local SAI reports is 'loads of medium-size dogfish and not much else'.
Do not oversell it.
The south rock shelf has tactical potential for bass on lures in the right conditions but the tide rip makes bait fishing difficult, in those conditions, lures are the only practical approach.
Season and tide
At Magheramore Beach, Mackerel is worth targeting in June to September (off rock shelf). Coast-wide, Mackerel runs June to October (peaks July to August off piers and open beaches once the shoals arrive).
Wider mark season: Dogfish: year round (the dominant species in honest local reports), Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; off rock shelf on lures, conditions-dependent), Flounder: October to March, Mackerel: June to September (off rock shelf), Pollack: small fish off rocks
Tide guidance here: Standard surf-beach windows. Tide rip on the south rock shelf is significant, fish around it on lures rather than bait in those conditions.
Early morning and evening are the most reliable windows. Mackerel feed throughout the day when shoals are present but often disappear at midday in bright conditions. Moving water always helps.
Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.
Tactics on this mark
Cast 20 to 30 g lures or feather rigs across the flow and retrieve at varying depths, counting down to find the level of the shoal and keeping pressure constant once hooked.
Standard ledger from the beach (dogfish dominant); Lures off the south rock shelf (bass, conditions-dependent)
Gear: general shore. Facing ESE.
- Multi-hook feather or sabiki rigs, cast and retrieve at medium pace
- Small metal lures for sport fishing
- Float fishing a strip of mackerel for larger specimens
- Standard ledger from the beach (dogfish dominant)
- Lures off the south rock shelf (bass, conditions-dependent)
Baits and lures
Mackerel baits and lures: Feather rigs; Sabiki rigs; Metal slices; Small soft plastics.
What this mark typically holds: Lugworm; Ragworm; Crab (incidental).
Lugworm; Ragworm; Crab (incidental)
Access and ground
Access via the Bellvue Farm gateway off the coast road between Wicklow and Arklow, gravel driveway with big black gates. Documented as one of the worst access roads in the area. Small car park overlooking the cove. Surfers use the same access (Brittas Bay Surf School operates here). Lane is privately owned. Two more small beaches further down the same road per OS Discovery Series Map 62, local-knowledge dependent access.
Parking: Small car park at the end of the lane.
Safety: Very exposed; check forecast carefully. Rock shelf currents. Beach is shared with surfers, surf school activity affects daytime access.
Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops.
Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Intermediate.
Size and identification
Typical shore size: 200 to 400 g from piers and headlands. Specimen class: Heavy “jumbo” mackerel 600 g+ arrive in late summer.
Unmistakable, iridescent blue-green back with dark wavy tiger stripes, silver-white belly. Streamlined torpedo shape built for speed. Bright eyes. One of the most beautiful fish in Irish waters.
Tip: When mackerel are showing at Greystones Harbour in July and August the whole pier can be alive with fish. The key is getting the depth right, mackerel often shoal at mid-water rather than the surface. If you're missing takes, count down further before retrieving. Fresh mackerel is outstanding eating, gut and ice immediately.
Irish shore context: record class around 1.36 kg.
Same-mark companions
Other ranked targets on the same mark include Dogfish, Bass, Flounder, Dab. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.
Live ranked advice for Magheramore Beach updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Mackerel species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.
Conservation
Highly perishable; gut and ice immediately and take only fish you will eat fresh, frozen mackerel is poor bait and eating quality.
Guide conservation label: Bag Limit Applies.
Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Mackerel species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.
Other species at Magheramore Beach
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.