Mackerel at Wicklow Town Pier.

Quick facts

Mark type

Pier

Skill

Beginner/Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Primary target

Why fish Mackerel at Wicklow Town Pier

Deep-water working-harbour pier. Pollack, coalfish, winter whiting; rare connection to autumn shore-tope traffic on big distance baits.

A substantial working harbour pier with deep-water access close in.

The outer pier wall drops into a channel that holds pollack, coalfish, whiting and the occasional bass.

Codling move in during winter nights.

Whiting are reliable through the colder months, confirmed across the regional guides.

Open water around harbour mouths and headlands when baitfish shoals are pushed close in; often mid-water rather than tight to the surface.

Deep water working pier. Year-round species.

Deep harbour pier, winter whiting and pollack, occasional autumn tope traffic on big baits at range.

Whiting is a documented winter pier target here.

The wrasse fishing attributed to this pier in some guides is actually on the rocks below the castle ruins on Wicklow Head proper, not the East Pier itself; treat wrasse here as occasional.

The non-obvious tactical edge is the connection to offshore tope traffic: when Wicklow Boat Charters is catching tope close in during October and early winter, distance casts of whole mackerel from the pier head can intercept stragglers, shore-caught tope to over 40 lb has been reported in this stretch.

Season and tide

At Wicklow Town Pier, Mackerel is worth targeting in June to September. Coast-wide, Mackerel runs June to October (peaks July to August off piers and open beaches once the shoals arrive).

Wider mark season: Pollack: year-round (fishes best from the pier April to November), Coalfish: October to February, Whiting: October to February (night), Codling: October to January (night), Flounder: October to March, Mackerel: June to September, Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Tope: October to early winter (shore-cast distance baits, low frequency)

Tide guidance here: Last two hours of ebb and first of flood concentrate fish in the channel. Pollack and coalfish present at most states of tide. Mackerel feathering most productive on the morning rising tide in summer. Night sessions on the outer wall in autumn and winter produce codling, whiting and bass.

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

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.

Running ledger; Float rig; Mackerel feathers; Sidewinder/shad jigs; Distance pulley with whole mackerel (autumn tope chance)

Gear: pier wall. Facing E.

• 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
• Running ledger
• Float rig
• Mackerel feathers
• Sidewinder/shad jigs
• Distance pulley with whole mackerel (autumn tope chance)

Baits and lures

Mackerel baits and lures: Feather rigs; Sabiki rigs; Metal slices; Small soft plastics.

What this mark typically holds: Mackerel strip; Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Whole mackerel (tope baits).

Mackerel strip; Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Whole mackerel (tope baits)

Access and ground

Follow signs for Wicklow harbour from the town centre. Short drive from the main street.

Parking: Free parking on the pier and in the adjacent harbour area. Wicklow town has additional parking nearby.

Safety: Active fishing harbour, vehicle, forklift and trawler movement is the real safety issue, not slips. Stay alert for boat movements especially in the morning. Outer wall can be slippery, wear non-slip footwear. Keep away from boat launching activity.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town centre has fishing tackle shops within easy walking distance of the pier.

Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Beginner/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 Pollack, Coalfish, Whiting, Codling, Bass, Dogfish. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Wicklow Town Pier 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 Wicklow Town Pier

• Pollack
• Coalfish
• Whiting
• Cod
• Bass
• Dogfish
• Rockling
• Flounder

Full mark guide lists all 18 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

Related article: Mackerel Fishing Ireland 2026: Season, Marks and Rigs

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