Mark × species · Primary target
Flounder at Silver Strand.
Flounder is a primary target at Silver Strand near Wicklow. Best window on this ground: October to March. Follow the coastal road south from Wicklow town, signed from the R750.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Beginner/Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Primary target
Why fish Flounder at Silver Strand
Sheltered sandy cove. Spring/autumn surf bass and a rare-for-the-east-coast spurdog fishery on summer night tides.
A small, sheltered sandy cove tucked between rocky headlands south of Wicklow Head.
One of the cleaner sand beaches on the Wicklow coast and one of the few accessible east-coast marks for spurdog on summer night tides, under-known feature confirmed across regional sources.
Surf in spring and autumn at night is the classic productive window.
The sheltered position makes it a viable option in northerly or westerly winds when other marks are too rough.
Estuaries, sandy beaches, muddy creeks and shallow inshore ground, especially around river mouths and drainage outflows.
Sheltered cove, spring bass and a rare east-coast spurdog chance on summer night tides.
You may see this beach listed as Furzeditch East, its townland name, but every fishing source calls it Silver Strand.
Spurdog on summer night tides is the species note worth knowing: these are not common at most east-coast beaches and Silver Strand is one of the few accessible marks for them in Wicklow.
Cut-off risk at high tide is the genuine safety story here, more than slippery rocks: the beach physically separates into coves and anglers have been caught out.
Season and tide
At Silver Strand, 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: Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Flounder: October to March, Dab: October to February, Plaice: May to September, Spurdog: summer (night tides), Mackerel: June to September, Thornback ray: occasional summer
Tide guidance here: High water and the two hours either side give the best fishing. The beach is relatively shallow and fish move in closest at the top of the tide. Flooding tide on a summer evening is the best time for bass along the shoreline. Spring/autumn surf at night for the bigger bass.
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: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.
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.
Two-hook flapper; Running ledger; Light spinning (bass); Pulley rig at distance (occasional ray, spurdog)
Gear: general shore. Facing ESE.
- 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
- Two-hook flapper
- Running ledger
- Light spinning (bass)
- Pulley rig at distance (occasional ray, spurdog)
Baits and lures
Flounder baits and lures: Ragworm; Lugworm; Harbour ragworm; Mussel; Small fish strips.
What this mark typically holds: Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Squid for spurdog.
Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Squid for spurdog
Access and ground
Follow the coastal road south from Wicklow town, signed from the R750. Access through caravan parks. Short walk from the car park.
Parking: Small car park at the strand, fills quickly in summer. Seasonal charges may apply. Arrive early in July and August.
Safety: The beach separates into coves at high tide, creating a genuine cut-off risk. Mark your retreat route on arrival. Rocky approaches at low water require care; stick to sandy sections when moving along the beach.
Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops, a short drive north on the coastal road.
Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate.
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 Bass, Dogfish, Plaice, Dab. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.
Live ranked advice for Silver Strand 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 Silver Strand
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.