Criccieth Esplanade Beach

Criccieth, Esplanade Beach

Description

Esplanade beach with Morranedd beach cafe shown far right.

Mainly sand with patches of boulders, beyond the café at the eastern end of prom, the beach stretches for approximately 1 mile until it meets 'The Black Rock'. Along this whole section of beach it’s mainly clean sand with a gravel bank at the high water mark. From the café looking west is a short promenade with car parking spaces, a section of prom about 80 – 100 yards long directly opposite the public toilets offers a comfortable mark (ideal for disabled anglers) which is fishable for about 1½ hours either side of high water, it needs a spring tide and is best during the hours of darkness.

Best Bait

Mackerel, squid, lugworm, sand eel, crab, feathers and lures.

Summer Species

Bass, dabs, dogfish, mackerel, pollock, wrasse and occasional turbot towards Black Rock.

Winter Species

Whiting, dabs, dogfish

Tackle & Tactics

In the late spring and summer fish crab close to the boulders for bass 2 hours either side of low water or try lures (plugs and toby's) as close as you dare to the snags. From about half tide up and for the first 2 hours of the ebb cast onto the clean sand using conventional beach gear with worm or fish baits. Your reward will be dabs and dogfish with an outside chance of a bull huss. The closer you get to The Black Rock the better chance you'll have of getting something unexpected such as a turbot or a ray.

In the autumn and early winter (Oct - Feb) during darkness fish baits take dogfish and whiting and during the day fish baits plus worm take dabs and dogfish with occasional whiting.

Directions

Just after entering Criccieth from Porthmadog direction there is a left turn sign posted beach turn here and pass over the level crossing you'll see the prom in front of you. If coming into Criccieth from Pwllheli direction take the 1st right turn just after you enter the 30mph limit. Follow this road onto Marine Drive and along the front past the Castle and down Castle Hill the Esplanade begins just beyond the lifeboat station at the bottom of the hill.