Whiting at The Murrough.

Quick facts

Mark type

Beach

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Secondary target

Why fish Whiting at The Murrough

Broad Lough / Murrough wild beach. Flounder-focused wetland shore; bass and occasional sea trout.

A wild, unspoiled stretch of steep-to shingle beach along the Murrough and Broad Lough coastal wetland (ERFB Site 28 Broadlough), south of Wicklow town.

Remote and often unfished.

The steep shingle profile means deeper water is reached with shorter casts.

Flounder and bass are the main shore targets; sea trout and occasional grey mullet appear in season.

Open sandy and shingle beaches and harbour channels in winter, following whitebait and sandeel shoals inshore.

Remote wild beach. Bass, mullet, grey mullet.

Wild lagoon beach, specialist mullet and sea trout potential, not a casual first-mark choice.

ERFB Site 28 Broadlough is a flounder-first Murrough shore: flatfish stack along the Broad Lough freshwater edge through winter, with bass on the steep-to surf table in season.

Sea trout and occasional mullet appear but this is not the published specimen-mullet channel: that is Kilcoole Breaches (Site 23) under the rail bridge, 12 km north.

The Greystones-to-Wicklow shingle belt fishes best on a falling tide per regional sources.

Season and tide

At The Murrough, Whiting is worth targeting in October to April. Coast-wide, Whiting runs October to April (peaks February to March and November to December on shingle beaches and pier channels after dark).

Wider mark season: Flounder: October to March (primary), Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Grey mullet: May to October (occasional), Sea trout: July to October, Dab: October to February, Coalfish: October to February

Tide guidance here: Multi-source consensus for the Greystones-to-Wicklow shingle belt is that these venues fish best on a falling tide (Eastern Regional Fisheries Board, Planet Sea Fishing). Flounder concentrate at the Broad Lough freshwater interface; bass along the surf table at dawn/dusk.

Night fishing is most productive from October to February. Tides around high water and for two hours either side are the most reliable period. Cold, clear nights after a settled spell often produce the best bags.

Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.

Tactics on this mark

Fish multi-hook flappers at distance on calm winter nights around high water, using small hooks and modest baits to build bags quickly.

Running ledger; Float-fished bread or flake (mullet, specialist fishery); Surface lures (bass at outlet); Single-handed fly (sea trout)

Gear: general shore. Facing E.

• Two or three hook flapper or paternoster
• Size 1 or 1/0 Aberdeen hooks
• Light mono hooklinks, whiting have good eyesight in clear water
• No large baits, whiting mouths are small
• Running ledger
• Float-fished bread or flake (mullet, specialist fishery)
• Surface lures (bass at outlet)
• Single-handed fly (sea trout)

Baits and lures

Whiting baits and lures: Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Worm and mussel cocktails.

What this mark typically holds: Ragworm; Peeler crab; Bread/flake (mullet); Sandeels; Worm cocktail tipped with mackerel (summer).

Ragworm; Peeler crab; Bread/flake (mullet); Sandeels; Worm cocktail tipped with mackerel (summer)

Access and ground

Access from Wicklow town beach car park or pull-ins along the Murrough coastal road, then a walk of 1 to 4 km depending on where you start. No road on the beach itself. Productive ground is the Broad Lough / Murrough wetland edge (Site 28 Broadlough), not the Kilcoole Breaches rail-bridge outflow 12 km north (separate spot record).

Parking: Parking at The Murrough is limited and can be uncertain, options include small pull-ins along the coastal road but space is not guaranteed. Check conditions before travelling and be prepared to park further away and walk.

Safety: Very exposed to easterly winds, with patchy mobile coverage and a fast lagoon outlet at peak ebb. Never wade the outlet. Tell someone where you are going and your expected return time.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops. Stock up before making the walk in.

Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Intermediate.

Size and identification

Typical shore size: 200 to 500 g from shingle beaches and piers. Specimen class: Fish over 1 kg are good shore whiting.

Silver-white with a dark lateral line and a distinctive dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin. Small mouth, slender body. Often confused with pollack, the dark pectoral spot is the key distinguishing feature. No barbel under the chin (unlike codling).

Tip: Greystones South Beach has hosted European and World Shore Championships partly because of its winter whiting fishing. The key is long casting in calm, clear conditions, whiting stay further out when the sea is flat. After a good blow they come within easy reach. Multiple hook rigs catch multiple fish, three-hook flappers are the match angler standard.

Irish shore context: record class around 2.32 kg (shore).

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Flounder, Bass, Sea trout, Grey mullet, Dab, Coalfish. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for The Murrough updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Whiting species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

Bag and size limits apply; take only what you’ll eat.

Guide conservation label: Bag Limit Applies.

Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Whiting species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.

Other species at The Murrough

• Flounder
• Bass
• Sea trout
• Grey mullet
• Dab
• Coalfish
• Rockling
• Mackerel

Full mark guide lists all 11 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

Related article: What's Biting Now: Wicklow Shore, September and October

Live ranked session advice for this mark sits on Today's plan. Rules and bag limits: learn / rules.