Yorkshire and Humberside

Whitby Piers © Mike Peel

Whitby – Both of Whitby’s piers offer good fishing with big cod and decent catches of whiting in winter. Can get busy in summer with tourists and many people using spinners and lures to fish for mackerel. Summer months will also see coalfish and flatfish such as flounder and dabs going for baits, with ragworm, lugworm and peeler crab baits proving effective. Nearby Saltwick bay offers decent fishing opportunities for all kinds of flatfish as well as coalfish, plus cod and whiting in winter. View this area on Google Maps here.

Robin Hood’s Bay © Ken Crosby

Robin Hood’s Bay – Large bay which offers great sea fishing. At high tide it is the sea wall mark which offers the best fishing as the tide comes right up to the base of the wall, allowing fishing to take place several hours either side of high water. As with any elevated fishing mark a drop net is needed to safely bring in any caught fish. As the tide goes out marks further out into the bay can be fished such as Stoupe Beck Sands, Boggle Hole and Long Hole. Cod are a possibility all year round, but are obviously bigger and caught more regularly in the winter, along with whiting. Flounder and dab and show and there are some bass in the summer. View this area on Google Maps here.

Cloughton Wyke © Joe Regan

Cloughton – Cloughton Wyke is a rock mark and strong rock fishing gear and rotten bottoms advisable. Can be a bit of a walk to get to fishing and certain sections run the risk of getting cut off by the incoming tide, so be careful. Cod are here in winter and can reach good sizes. There is also pollock from the rocks in summer, along with mackerel and the chance of a wrasse. Many anglers find this mark fishes best over high tide. Deep water close in so no need for long casting. View this area on Google Maps here.

Scarborough © Mr. R. Jordan

Scarborough – West pier casts onto sandy ground while rockier ground found when fishing from East pier. Both offer good cod fishing from autumn to spring, with peeler crab top bait, but squid, lugworm and mussels all catching cod as well. In summer there is plenty of mackerel to lures and floatfished mackerel strip and small sandeels, and flounder and coalfish can also be caught baits fished on the seabed. The pollock and mackerel fishing can be a great introduction to angling for youngsters with light fishing gear. Marine Drive is another good angling mark, but involves climbing over the sea wall and fishing from sea defence blocks, meaning it is slippery and dangerous to fish here in bad weather. Big cod are caught in the winter and mackerel and some very good pollock go for lures in the summer months. View this area on Google Maps here.

Cornelian Bay © J. Thomas

Cornelian Bay and Cayton Bay – Cornelian Bay is a good winter mark for cod with big fish coming close to the shore, especially when the sea is choppy or just after a storm. Use big hooks in pennell rigs with lugworm, frozen peeler crab and squid and mussel cocktails, as well as most other mainstream baits catching fish. Whiting and coalfish will also be caught here, and there is the chance of a summer bass. Ground here is mixed with some areas snaggy. Nearby Cayton Bay also offers winter cod wither from the beach or rocks area, with rough seas again producing the best catches. View this area on Google Maps here.

Filey Brigg © Stanley Howe

Filey Brigg – Filey Brigg is a long, narrow spit of land jutting out into the North Sea which offers a the chance to catch a range of species. The Brigg End at the tip of the peninsula is a rough ground mark that will produce big cod all year round, but especially in winter. Summer will see a range of species such as mackerel, wrasse and pollock with float fishing and spinning offering great light gear opportunities. Casts onto the cleaner ground can produce flatfish with flounder and dab showing for most of the year and plaice and even sole turning up in summer catches. All main sea baits will catch but peeler crab and mussel and razorfish are particularly worth trying. Be very careful when fishing this mark. In bad weather it can become very slippery marks can be difficult to access while other points can be swept over by waves or the tide. It is best to fish this mark for the first time in daylight and in good weather with someone who has been here before and knows what they are doing. View this area on Google Maps here.

Flamborough Head © MissMJ

Flamborough Head and Bridlington – Flamborough head is a peninsula going out into the North Sea. Some anglers fish directly off the cliffs, whereas others find an area nearby where sea level can be accessed. Mostly a rocky and rough ground area strong reels and beachcasters and 30lb straight through line and rotten-bottom rigs are the best choices to use from sea level, while anglers fishing off the cliffs use even stronger gear. Be advised that fishing off cliff edges is very dangerous and not for people new to sea angling. Cod are here at winter and all of the usual summer rock species show such as pollock, wrasse and rough ground bass. There is a small Marine Conservation Zone on the east side of Flamborough Head where all forms of fishing (recreational and commercial) and taking shellfish is banned. Bridlington harbour and wall can produce cod and whiting in winter, plus flatfish, coalfish and occasional dogfish in the summer, as well as mackerel to spinners and daylights. Will be packed with tourists in summer. View this area on Google Maps here.

Spurn Head © RuthAS

Spurn Head – Spurn Head is a spit of land on the edge of the Humber Estuary. Fishes well for cod and big whiting in winter, with flatfish in spring and summer and also chance of bass in the warmer months. Very furthest point along Spurn fishes best at over low water. At some times the tide here can be too strong to hold the bottom, and there is a long walk to get to this mark. An alternative mark here is Spurn Road, with the lamp-posts numbered 20-55 said to be best marks for fishing by locals. Plenty of cod all winter and well into spring. Vary casting distances but good cod can be caught close in. View this area on Google Maps here.

Humber Bridge © David Wright

Humber Estuary – There are a number of good marks moving down the River Humber. East Halton Skitter is a sluice control where a tributary enters the Humber. This mark offers good fishing over high water, mostly for flounder and silver eels although other species such as cod can easily come this far along the river and whiting can be plentiful. The Hessel area near to the Humber Bridge is far inland but is good for flounder and silver eels in summer, mullet also a possibility here in calm weather. View this area on Google Maps here.

Beach at Cleethorpes © Green Lane

Grimsby and Cleethorpes – North Wall in Grimsby Harbour fishes well a few hours either side of high tide. Colder winter weather will see the cod come within range and rockling and whiting will also make up catches and pouting, dab and flounder will also show. The usual peeler crab, worm and shellfish baits all work well here. Beaches around Cleethorpes promenade offers cod in winter, as well as flatfish and school bass in the summer. Reports that smooth-hound are continuing to advance in range around the UK mean that smooth-hound – although far from common – have been caught here occasionally. View this area on Google Maps here.

Mogg’s Eye © Alan Heardman

Mablethorpe and Surrounding Areas – The shallow sandy beaches fish well over low water. Cod and whiting show over winter, summer offers bass from the surf as well as flatfish with Dover sole a possibility. Casting great distances could catch the lucky angler a thornback ray. Chapel Point, Six Marshes and Mogg’s Eye marks give cod, whiting in winter, flatties and coalfish in summer with dogfish also showing. Species which are caught less often, such as turbot and smooth-hounds can also be caught from this area on occasion. Seas get weedy around these marks. View this area on Google Maps here.

Information supplied by British sea fishing