Pollack at Wicklow Head, Lighthouse Rocks.

Quick facts

Mark type

Rock

Skill

Advanced only

Catalogue rank

Primary target

Why fish Pollack at Wicklow Head, Lighthouse Rocks

Lighthouse rocks at Wicklow Head. Deep water and severe tide rip, experienced rock anglers only. Autumn herring brings tope and conger.

Cliff-base rocks beneath the Wicklow Head Lighthouse.

Deep water close in, severe tide rip, very deep holes just off the steps.

Pollack to specimen size on the wrecks offshore (Kit Dunne / Wicklow Boat Charters has multiple Irish Specimen Pollack recorded under 20nm), the shore mark connects to similar water but tide rip and depth holes make this an experienced-only venue.

Tope and conger possible in October as herring shoals push into the bay with the first frosts.

Rocky kelp ground, harbour walls and pier pilings where current runs past structure, often tight to the wall or reef edges.

Local note: Specimen-class

Lighthouse rocks with severe tide rip, expert rock anglers only, autumn herring can bring tope.

This is the Wicklow Head sub-mark that requires the explicit safety overlay.

SAI forum sources describe the tide rip as 'lethal' with multiple posters reinforcing that 'your first accident could well be your last'.

There are very deep holes just off the steps, known locally as a 'tackle graveyard'.

Season and tide

At Wicklow Head, Lighthouse Rocks, Pollack is worth targeting in year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November; biggest fish Sep to Nov on the tide turn). Coast-wide, Pollack runs Year round (peaks May to August from piers and rocks).

Wider mark season: Pollack: year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November; biggest fish Sep to Nov on the tide turn), Wrasse: May to September, Coalfish: October to February, Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Tope/Conger expedition window: October (with the herring run as first frosts arrive)

Tide guidance here: Slack water is the only safe and productive window, the tide runs very fast here. Lighthouse Rocks tide rip is described in SAI threads as 'lethal, your first accident could be your last'. October tide turn for the biggest pollack.

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

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; Heavy ledger with sacrificial weak link to leads (tackle graveyard); Lure fishing (jigs, shads); Tope-rig with whole mackerel or fresh herring (October)

Gear: rough rock. 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
• Heavy ledger with sacrificial weak link to leads (tackle graveyard)
• Lure fishing (jigs, shads)
• Tope-rig with whole mackerel or fresh herring (October)

Baits and lures

Pollack baits and lures: Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Soft plastic shads; Metal jigs; Feathers.

What this mark typically holds: Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Ragworm; Whole mackerel or fresh herring (autumn tope/conger).

Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Ragworm; Whole mackerel or fresh herring (autumn tope/conger)

Access and ground

Approach via the lighthouse road from Wicklow Head; not far from the car. SAI threads note access is 'not too far from the car' but the descent to the rocks themselves is hazardous. Only attempt in calm dry weather; never alone.

Parking: At/near Wicklow Head Lighthouse.

Safety: One of the most dangerous shore marks in the area: severe tide rip, deep holes off the steps, rockfall risk, and no margin in swell. Never fish alone, never in any swell, and only consider calm dry slack-water windows.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops, short drive north.

Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Advanced only.

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 Wrasse, Coalfish, Bass. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Wicklow Head, Lighthouse Rocks 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 Wicklow Head, Lighthouse Rocks

• Wrasse
• Coalfish
• Bass
• Tope
• Conger eel
• Mackerel

Next steps

Related article: Wicklow Head Fishing 2026: Pollack, Wrasse and Mackerel

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