◀ Locations

Roches Point

Cork Harbour · shore

Fish you'll catch here

BassPollackMackerelBallan WrasseConger Eel

How to fish it

SpinningFloat FishingBottom FishingLure Fishing

Gear & bait

Beginner spinning setup Metal luresMackerel StripRagwormPeeler Crab

When to go

May–October · Two hours either side of high water

Roches Point sits at the very mouth of Cork Harbour, where the sheltered inner harbour gives way to the open sea. It is one of the more challenging shore marks in the area, but it rewards those who fish it in the right conditions with some excellent sport.

Spinning for Bass and Mackerel

Through the summer months — particularly from June to September — the headland produces well for bass and mackerel on spinning gear. Work metal lures and soft plastics along the tide race where the harbour current meets the open water. Early morning and evening sessions tend to be the most productive, especially on a flooding tide. Pollack also show regularly here, particularly over the deeper water on the western side of the point.

Float Fishing for Wrasse

The kelp-covered rocks around Roches Point hold a good stock of ballan wrasse throughout the summer. Float fishing with ragworm or peeler crab, worked just above the weed line, is the most effective approach. Allow the float to drift naturally with the current and expect takes close to structure. Wrasse fishing here is best from May through to October.

Bottom Fishing After Dark

After dark, the rock ledges at Roches Point become productive for conger eel. A simple running ledger with a whole mackerel flap or a large mackerel strip, fished tight to the kelp, will draw conger from the crevices. Sessions starting around two hours before high water and fishing through slack tend to be most rewarding. Patience and sturdy gear are essential — a large conger in snaggy ground will test both angler and tackle.

Fair-Weather Fishing Only

This mark must only be fished in calm, settled conditions. Atlantic groundswell, wet rock surfaces, and the uneven terrain around the point make it genuinely dangerous in poor weather. There is no margin for error on exposed rock marks — if conditions deteriorate, leave early. Appropriate footwear with good grip is essential, and never fish alone here.

Where it is