Surf Beaches on the Pembrokeshire Coast

Beaches of West Wales are famous for the quality of bass fishing they offer, and Pembrokeshire has a wealth of readily accessible beaches, some of which are many miles long, providinf great surf fishing while others nestle in sheltered bays that provide a refuge for fish and fishers in stormy weather. Tope, turbot, gurnard, whiting, rays, mackerel, codling, pollack, whiting and (quite literally) a hundred other species can be caught from the beaches of Pembrokeshire.

Here are just a few of the many locations that provide great opportunities for surf fishing and longer range beachcasting:

 Tenby North Beach - picture courtesy Pembrokeshire County Council

Dale Beach
A good bass storm beach in summer and autumn with a chance of founders, dabs, whiting, dogfish, mackerel, garfish and the occasional ray depending on time of year. Peeler crab is an ideal bass bait, while lugworm, ragworm and fish baits are more effective for other species. The ability to make long cast is a great advantage here, especially if you want to reach the rays.

Location map for Dale...

Broad Haven
This is a good surf beach with bass a popular quarry. It is a gently shelving, flattish beach of sand and shingle and so provides goog fishing for plaice and dabs. Dogfish, gurnard and a few turbot can also be caught from the beach, where good distance casters sometimes make contact with tope. Mackerel and garfish cwioll take afly or spinner or in the summer months, while in autumn and winter whiting and a few codling can be caught on lugworm, ragworm or razorfish.

Location map for Broad Haven...

 Broad Haven, North Beach. Picture courtesy Pembrokeshire County Council

Lydstep Beach
Like most West Wales beaches a good beachcasting outfit is a great advantage here. After a storm the bass come in fairly close on big spring tides but Lydstep is also good for flatties, dogfish and whiting.

Location map for Lydstep...

Newgale Sands
This popular holiday beach attracts surfers and swimmers during the summer but it gives good night fishing through the summer months, when you can expect to catch bass, whiting, flatfish (plaice, dabs and flounders) and mackerel. The casting is from shingle out onto a sandy seabed; sandeel is therefore a good bait for bass and the occasional ray, while fish baits such as mackerel strip or worm baits are generally better suited to the flatties and for taking coalfish by day during the winter.

Location map for Newgale...

Whitesands Bay
With a beachcaster you can easily reach deep water from this rapidly-shelving beach at the tip of St David's Head, where there is good bass fishing from early spring right through to the end of November. Rays can also be caught here in addition to flatfish such as plaice and flounders and the occasional turbot plus whiting, cod and coalfish in the winter months.

Fish baits, particularly sandeel and crab for bass, do very well here.

Location map for Whitesands Bay...

 Whitesands Beach. Picture courtesy Pembrokeshire County Council

Newport Beach
This is a big beach offering plenty of scope for fishing either with a beachcaster or a smaller rod while wading in the surf. The summer months see bass moving in to the estuary of the River Nevern, especially in stormy weather, but there are also plenty of flatfish to be caught near the river estuary and rays sometimes move in close to the shore too. Bass can be caught on the fly in the river estuary region, but please note that an Environment Agency migratory salmonid rod licence is necessary if you want to try for a sea trout on the incoming tide.

If you take the A487 road from Fishguard, as you approach Newport look out for signs for the Golf Course. From the south, go through the town a look for the Golf Course sign to the left. At the northern end of the beach there is a large car park with toilet facilities.

Location map for Newport, Pembrokeshire...

Marloes Sands
This productive surf beach, near the fishing village of Marloes, is particularly good when there is an onshore wind or after a storm. Bass is the main quarry for most people who fish here, but good catches of flounders are also possible as well as dogfish, mackerel and the occasional ray (if you can cast far enough).

Peeler crab, small fish baits, lugworm and ragworm are all effective in the surf.

Location map for Marloes Sands...

 Marloes Sands. Picture courtesy Pembrokeshire County Council

Poppit Sands
On the south side of the Teifi Estuary, which is the northern limit of Pembrokeshire, winter fishing from Poppit Sands can provide good catches of flounder, cod and whiting, and crab, squid or small fish baits work well there. Mullet can be caught near the rivermouth throughout the year. Please note that large numbers of salmon and sea trout run the river from March through to October, and an Environment Agency migratory salmonid rod licence is necessary if you want to try for a sea trout on the incoming tide.

Location map for Poppit Sands...

 The Teifi Estuary seen from the southern (Pembrokeshire) side

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