Criccieth
Last Updated October 2022
1. Marine Terrance Beach
2. Esplanade Beach and Stone Jetty
Criccieth (Marine Terrance side of Castle)
Shingle beach with easy access. Fishing during hours of darkness is the most productive. Fishes best from September to March when dogfish, whiting, huss and dabs are the main target species. Anything more than a force 3-4 south to south westerly makes for uncomfortable and increases the likely-hood of large amounts of weed being blown and washed ashore.
Summer Species
Dogfish, Dabs, small Pollock and occasional Thornback Rays. Mackerel in late summer.
Winter Species
Dogfish, Whiting, Dabs, and Bullhuss
Dave Smith - Huss
Elliott Petrek - Huss
A Small Conger
Guidance
A quite step shingle beach which gives way to sand at LW mark. Personally I find it fishes best 4hrs up to HW and about 1hr of the ebb. Others will swear it’s best over LW 1hr down and 3 back. The first few hours of the flood are probably the best time for a bass. Access is easy via the ramp to the beach. A line from the foot of the ramp to the Castle rock is clean ground with only one large snag of any note. This is a rocky outcrop which can be seen if you view the satellite image of the beach in Google maps. To the right of the ramp the ground is rougher and you can expect the occasional loss of terminal tackle. However this is the part of the beach that often produces the biggest fish.
Summer.
The beach doesn't fish well in daylight especially bright sunshine. Also the number of holiday makers on the beach makes life a bit tricky. Best fished on a tide where HW is an hour or so after sunset. Fish baits will find the ever present dogfish especially in the period late April to end of May and again from September onwards. At night fish will be encountered with a cast as short as 30-40m. If using smaller hooks and worm baits will find dabs. These can be caught at a very short range. For the flatfish use a plain lead 90-125g the aim being to allow the tide the lead slowly around. The dogfish are quite the opposite and like a bait nailed in place with a grip lead. Late summer from August onwards through into September and even early October some years mackerel will be inshore. The best mackerel fishing is during spells of calm weather and an evening tide with HW just before sunset are usually best.
Winter
From late September through to end of February the place comes alive. During these times especially early October to Christmas hauls of 30 to 40 fish in a 3 to 4hr session and quite possible. The way to maximise you chances is to fish 2 rods, one with a 2 or 3 hook flapper with fish baits aiming for whiting and dogfish and a second rod with a 3.0 pennell rig using a squid and mackerel or squid and sand eel wrap. The larger baits will give you your best chance of bullhuss and occasionally a thornback ray. You'll still get dogfish taking the large baits along with a few ambitious whiting. Bullhuss in the 6lb to 10lb range are taken quite frequently.
Fishing segments of sand eel tipped of with squid or mackerel work really well for the whiting and at time strips of squid on their own will outfish all other baits.
Bait can be bought locally in Criccieth from Criccieth Tackle Box in the High Street.
Directions
As you drop down hill the ramp to the beach is on your left just after the Marine Hotel. Parking is roadside.
Nearest Post Code
LL52 0EF
Criccieth (Esplanade Beach & Jetty)
A shallow sandy beach with a few patches of boulders.
Best fished 3hrs up to HW and about 1 or 2hrs back down for all but the bass. If you're chasing bass then concentrate your efforts towards the café/restaurant end of the beach 2hrs either side of LW or in the gully alongside the groyne right up to HW.
This beach can be fished even when the sea is quite rough and a fairly strong wind blowing from south south westerly direction. In these conditions fish 2hrs before HW and 1hr after from the promenade. A spring tide is best if fishing direct from prom.
View of Esplanade Beach and Prom
Summer Species
Dogfish, Dabs, Turbot, Spotted Rays, Bass and occasional Thornback Rays. Mackerel in late summer.
Winter Species
Dogfish, whiting, dabs. Spotted rays and occasional bass up to early December.
Guidance
A shallow sandy beach with a few patches of boulders. Best fished 3hrs up to HW and about 1 or 2hrs back down for all but the bass. If your chasing bass then concentrate your efforts towards the café/restaurant end of the beach 2hrs either side of LW or in the gully alongside the groyne right up to HW. If fishing right under the Castle of the Stone Jetty be warned; if the end of the jetty was 12 o'clock on an imaginary clock face keep your casts between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions as either side of this zone you'll need a very long cast to clear the boulders! At the western end of the beach below the Castle is a concrete jetty which can accommodate 3 or 4 rods. When fishing the jetty, imagine the end of the jetty is 12 o’clock keep your cast in between the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock postions. Cast of 35 yards will clear any boulders close in.
Summer.
This beach, like Marine Terrace beach doesn't fish well in daylight especially bright sunshine. Also the number of holiday makers on the beach makes life a bit tricky during the daytime. Best fished on tide where HW is an hour or so after sunset. From the beach or the jetty fish baits are best during summer. You'll catch the ever present dogfish especially in the period late April to end of May. Along with dogfish, turbot, dabs, plaice and occasional spotted ray will be the main species you'll encounter. Any bass should be considered a bonus. Late summer from August onwards through into September and even early October some years mackerel will be inshore. The best mackerel fishing is during spells of calm weather and an evening tide with HW just before sunset are usually best conditions and times.
Winter
From late September through to end of February the place comes alive. During these times especially early October to Christmas the fishing is quite prolific at times. Like Marine Terrace beach the way to maximise you chances is to fish 2 rods, one with a 2 or 3 hook flapper with fish baits aiming for whiting and dogfish and a second rod with a 3.0 pennel rig using a squid and mackerel or squid and sand eel wrap. The larger baits will give you your best chance of bullhuss and occasionally a thornback ray. The dogfish will still take the large baits. The first rod should be baited with fish baits, segments of sand eel tipped of with squid or mackerel work really well. Strips of squid at times can out fish all other baits.
If you fish a large spring tides you can fish direct from the promenade itself for approx 2hrs up to HW and about an hour after. This is a great way to fish when the surf is running and weed on the beaches makes fishing nearly impossible.
Getting there
Coming into Criccieth from Portmadog take A497 towards town.
Tide Times Criccieth
Nearest Post Code
Marine Beach Ramp LL52 0EA
Espanade Prom Parking LL52 0HP
Stone Jetty LL52 0DN
Last Updated October 2022
1. Marine Terrance Beach
2. Esplanade Beach and Stone Jetty
Criccieth (Marine Terrance side of Castle)
Shingle beach with easy access. Fishing during hours of darkness is the most productive. Fishes best from September to March when dogfish, whiting, huss and dabs are the main target species. Anything more than a force 3-4 south to south westerly makes for uncomfortable and increases the likely-hood of large amounts of weed being blown and washed ashore.
Summer Species
Dogfish, Dabs, small Pollock and occasional Thornback Rays. Mackerel in late summer.
Winter Species
Dogfish, Whiting, Dabs, and Bullhuss
;)
Dave Smith - Huss;)
Elliott Petrek - Huss;)
A Small CongerGuidance
A quite step shingle beach which gives way to sand at LW mark. Personally I find it fishes best 4hrs up to HW and about 1hr of the ebb. Others will swear it’s best over LW 1hr down and 3 back. The first few hours of the flood are probably the best time for a bass. Access is easy via the ramp to the beach. A line from the foot of the ramp to the Castle rock is clean ground with only one large snag of any note. This is a rocky outcrop which can be seen if you view the satellite image of the beach in Google maps. To the right of the ramp the ground is rougher and you can expect the occasional loss of terminal tackle. However this is the part of the beach that often produces the biggest fish.
Summer.
The beach doesn't fish well in daylight especially bright sunshine. Also the number of holiday makers on the beach makes life a bit tricky. Best fished on a tide where HW is an hour or so after sunset. Fish baits will find the ever present dogfish especially in the period late April to end of May and again from September onwards. At night fish will be encountered with a cast as short as 30-40m. If using smaller hooks and worm baits will find dabs. These can be caught at a very short range. For the flatfish use a plain lead 90-125g the aim being to allow the tide the lead slowly around. The dogfish are quite the opposite and like a bait nailed in place with a grip lead. Late summer from August onwards through into September and even early October some years mackerel will be inshore. The best mackerel fishing is during spells of calm weather and an evening tide with HW just before sunset are usually best.
Winter
From late September through to end of February the place comes alive. During these times especially early October to Christmas hauls of 30 to 40 fish in a 3 to 4hr session and quite possible. The way to maximise you chances is to fish 2 rods, one with a 2 or 3 hook flapper with fish baits aiming for whiting and dogfish and a second rod with a 3.0 pennell rig using a squid and mackerel or squid and sand eel wrap. The larger baits will give you your best chance of bullhuss and occasionally a thornback ray. You'll still get dogfish taking the large baits along with a few ambitious whiting. Bullhuss in the 6lb to 10lb range are taken quite frequently.
Fishing segments of sand eel tipped of with squid or mackerel work really well for the whiting and at time strips of squid on their own will outfish all other baits.
Bait can be bought locally in Criccieth from Criccieth Tackle Box in the High Street.
Directions
- Take A497 towards town and at Corporation Terrace
- Turn left (Crossroads with B4411)
- Turn right onto Tanygrisiau Terrace
- At T junction turn right onto Castle St
- Continue up hill past Castle onto Marine Crescent
As you drop down hill the ramp to the beach is on your left just after the Marine Hotel. Parking is roadside.
Nearest Post Code
LL52 0EF
Criccieth (Esplanade Beach & Jetty)
A shallow sandy beach with a few patches of boulders.
Best fished 3hrs up to HW and about 1 or 2hrs back down for all but the bass. If you're chasing bass then concentrate your efforts towards the café/restaurant end of the beach 2hrs either side of LW or in the gully alongside the groyne right up to HW.
This beach can be fished even when the sea is quite rough and a fairly strong wind blowing from south south westerly direction. In these conditions fish 2hrs before HW and 1hr after from the promenade. A spring tide is best if fishing direct from prom.
View of Esplanade Beach and Prom
Criccieth Stone Jetty - Limited Space
Summer Species
Dogfish, Dabs, Turbot, Spotted Rays, Bass and occasional Thornback Rays. Mackerel in late summer.
Winter Species
Dogfish, whiting, dabs. Spotted rays and occasional bass up to early December.
Guidance
A shallow sandy beach with a few patches of boulders. Best fished 3hrs up to HW and about 1 or 2hrs back down for all but the bass. If your chasing bass then concentrate your efforts towards the café/restaurant end of the beach 2hrs either side of LW or in the gully alongside the groyne right up to HW. If fishing right under the Castle of the Stone Jetty be warned; if the end of the jetty was 12 o'clock on an imaginary clock face keep your casts between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions as either side of this zone you'll need a very long cast to clear the boulders! At the western end of the beach below the Castle is a concrete jetty which can accommodate 3 or 4 rods. When fishing the jetty, imagine the end of the jetty is 12 o’clock keep your cast in between the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock postions. Cast of 35 yards will clear any boulders close in.
Summer.
This beach, like Marine Terrace beach doesn't fish well in daylight especially bright sunshine. Also the number of holiday makers on the beach makes life a bit tricky during the daytime. Best fished on tide where HW is an hour or so after sunset. From the beach or the jetty fish baits are best during summer. You'll catch the ever present dogfish especially in the period late April to end of May. Along with dogfish, turbot, dabs, plaice and occasional spotted ray will be the main species you'll encounter. Any bass should be considered a bonus. Late summer from August onwards through into September and even early October some years mackerel will be inshore. The best mackerel fishing is during spells of calm weather and an evening tide with HW just before sunset are usually best conditions and times.
Winter
From late September through to end of February the place comes alive. During these times especially early October to Christmas the fishing is quite prolific at times. Like Marine Terrace beach the way to maximise you chances is to fish 2 rods, one with a 2 or 3 hook flapper with fish baits aiming for whiting and dogfish and a second rod with a 3.0 pennel rig using a squid and mackerel or squid and sand eel wrap. The larger baits will give you your best chance of bullhuss and occasionally a thornback ray. The dogfish will still take the large baits. The first rod should be baited with fish baits, segments of sand eel tipped of with squid or mackerel work really well. Strips of squid at times can out fish all other baits.
If you fish a large spring tides you can fish direct from the promenade itself for approx 2hrs up to HW and about an hour after. This is a great way to fish when the surf is running and weed on the beaches makes fishing nearly impossible.
Getting there
Coming into Criccieth from Portmadog take A497 towards town.
- Just after entering the outskirts of the town there's a left turn sign posted Traeth Beach.
- Take this turn and follow the road over the level crossing and onto the Promenade.
Tide Times Criccieth
Nearest Post Code
Marine Beach Ramp LL52 0EA
Espanade Prom Parking LL52 0HP
Stone Jetty LL52 0DN
