Sea Fishing on the Norfolk Coast

By Alex Clayton · Updated 28 October 2026

You can sea fish the Norfolk coast all year. Cod and whiting are the usual winter targets, with bass, mackerel and flatfish taking over in summer, and the marks range from open beach and shingle spit to harbour wall and one well-known pier.

That pier is Cromer. Cromer pier fishing is the best-known sea angling in Norfolk, and the pier, owned by North Norfolk District Council, has its own voluntary code for anglers.

Great Yarmouth and Gorleston sit at the southern end of the coast. Between them and Cromer lie quieter north Norfolk beaches such as Sheringham, Mundesley and Blakeney Point.

This guide covers the main marks, what the Cromer code says, the 2026 bass rules and the tide risks on its long, flat beaches.

Norfolk Sea Fishing Marks at a Glance

Eight marks cover most of the Norfolk shore. The table runs west to east, from the shallow, sheltered Wash to the sand and shingle of the north coast and the harbour wall at Gorleston.

Mark	Type	Main species	Season notes
Hunstanton and The Wash	Shallow beach and estuary	Flounder, silver eels, chance of a bass	Check locally
Wells and Holkham	Wide, sandy, shallow beach	Flounder, possible bass; long casts needed	Tide goes out a long way
Blakeney Point	Sand and shingle spit	Whiting (winter); flounder, dab, bass (summer)	Tide cut-off risk
Sheringham	Sand and shingle with rocky outcrops	Bass on lures, dab, flounder; whiting in winter, mackerel in summer	Year round
Cromer Pier	Pier	Cod, whiting, flatfish (winter); mackerel, pouting, Dover sole, bass (summer)	Year round
Mundesley to Walcott	Sandy beach	Cod, whiting, dab, flounder, sole, school bass, occasional ray and smooth-hound	Cod and whiting winter to spring
Gorleston Harbour	Harbour wall	Cod and whiting (winter); bass and mullet (summer)	Year round, snaggy
Caister-on-Sea	Open beach	Cod, whiting, dab (winter); bass, chance of smooth-hound (summer)	Mostly snag-free

The species and seasons are what anglers commonly report at each mark, not a guarantee. Norfolk beach fishing changes week to week, so ask in a local tackle shop before you go.

Parking and access change too, so check them locally rather than trusting an old forum post.

New to fishing open sand? The beach fishing guide covers rods, leads and casting.

Cromer Pier Fishing: The Angling Code, Species and Best Times

Cromer Pier has a written code for anglers, and it exists because of bass. After a number of comments about bass fishing off the pier, Eastern IFCA, Cromer Pier, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), North Norfolk District Council and local anglers agreed a voluntary code of conduct.

What the Cromer Pier angling code says

The 2016 code sets out a short list of rules:

No more than 2 rods per angler.
No more than 2 hooks per rod, so 4 hooks in total.
Cast responsibly.
Keep the pier clean.
Failure to comply may lead to exclusion from the pier.

The code also states that you fish at your own risk and that North Norfolk District Council accepts no liability.

One point needs care. The code sets a bass bag limit of 2 per visit, lower than the 2026 national limit of 3 per day. Check with the pier which figure it now applies, and follow the stricter rule until you know. The code’s minimum sizes are out of date as well, so use the figures in the rules section below.

What you can catch and when

Winter brings cod, whiting and flatfish. In summer the catch turns to pouting, mackerel, Dover sole and bass. Two to three hours either side of high water is commonly reported as the best window, and a drop net lands a decent fish that the line would not lift.

In summer the deck fills with walkers and families crabbing, so cast overhead only when the area behind you is clear. The pier fishing guide covers drop nets and pier etiquette.

Before you go

The pier’s website does not publish fishing hours or fees. Phone the Cromer Pier box office on 01263 512495 before you travel. If the children come along, the pier gift shop sells crabbing supplies, so they can fish for crabs while you fish for cod.

Great Yarmouth Fishing: Gorleston Harbour and Caister Beach

Turn up at Gorleston expecting to park beside the pier and you may be disappointed. A local press report said the pier car park, owned by EastPort, was closed as unsafe, and anglers said far fewer people fish there now because gear has to be carried in from the harbour side. Check the current position with EastPort before you travel.

Gorleston Harbour

The harbour is snaggy, so tie a rotten bottom: a weak link to the lead that breaks first when the weight snags, so you lose a lead rather than the whole rig. The sea fishing rigs guide shows how to set one up. Cod and whiting are the winter fish, with bass and mullet in summer.

Caister-on-Sea

North of Yarmouth, Caister is an open beach with mostly snag-free ground. It suits beginners and families, with cod, whiting and dab in winter and bass in summer. Vary your casting distance, because some decent fish come close in.

Britannia and Wellington piers

These are Great Yarmouth’s leisure piers. Neither publishes an angling policy or fishing fee, so check with the pier operator or Great Yarmouth Borough Council before you take rods along. For a pier with a published angling code, Cromer is the one. For another east coast pier, see Southend Pier.

For Great Yarmouth fishing, pick Gorleston for winter cod and whiting off the harbour, and Caister for a snag-free beach session.

North Norfolk Beach Fishing: Sheringham, Mundesley and Blakeney Point

Lure anglers head for Sheringham while bait anglers drive a few miles east to Mundesley. The reason is the ground under the water.

Sheringham

Sheringham mixes sand and shingle with rocky outcrops, and the rockier marks suit lure fishing for bass. The rocky areas generally fish best at high water and the sandier sections at low water. Those rocks also eat leads, so bait anglers should carry spares. The bass lure fishing guide covers lure choice and retrieves.

Mundesley, Trimingham and Walcott

East of Cromer the ground turns to sand. These beaches produce cod and whiting from winter into spring, plus dab, flounder, sole and school bass, with the occasional ray or smooth-hound. A standard beach rig baited with worm or peeler crab suits most of it.

Wells and Holkham

These are wide, shallow sandy beaches. The tide runs out a long way, so you need long casts to reach feeding fish.

Blakeney Point

Blakeney Point is a long walk out along a spit of sand and shingle, and parts of it are cut off by the incoming tide. Go with someone who has local knowledge. The safety section below explains why.

Sea fishing Norfolk’s north coast suits anglers who want space away from the Cromer crowds. Skip Blakeney Point if you do not know its tides. For another coast of long beaches and mixed ground, see the Yorkshire coast.

Bass Rules and Licences for Norfolk Sea Anglers in 2026

You can now keep 3 bass a day, up from 2. The change came in under the Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2026, and the MMO bass guidance was updated on 27 February 2026.

Rule	2026 position	Source
Bag limit	Not more than 3 bass per person per day, 1 to 31 January and 1 April to 31 December	Eastern IFCA
Catch and release	Catch and release only, 1 February to 31 March	MMO
Minimum size	42cm	MMO
Who it covers	Recreational anglers, including from the shore; rod and line or handline only	MMO

The Cromer code still says 2 bass per visit, so check with the pier and follow the stricter figure. The full detail is in the bass fishing regulations guide.

For other species, check current minimum sizes with Eastern IFCA, the inshore fisheries authority for this coast, before you keep anything.

Do you need a licence?

In England, the GOV.UK rod licence page lists freshwater fish, salmon, trout, smelt and eel. Sea fishing from the shore is not on that list. If you target any of those species, you need an Environment Agency licence. See the fishing licence guide.

Rules change, so check the MMO and Eastern IFCA before you keep fish.

Tides and Safety on the Norfolk Coast

On a long beach or a shingle spit, your way back can disappear behind you while you watch the rod tip. The RNLI’s advice for anyone at risk of being cut off:

Check tide times and heights before you go.
Expect the tide to come in higher or faster than predicted in storms or on spring tides.
Do not wade out to reach a sandbar or to cast further.
Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.
In an emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

Blakeney Point and the flat beaches at Wells and Holkham carry the most risk, because the tide covers a lot of ground quickly there. Rough seas make Cromer Pier and the Gorleston harbour wall dangerous too. The guide to tides for sea fishing explains how to read a tide table.

On this coast, the tide table is the most important piece of kit you own.

For more marks around the country, browse our UK sea fishing marks, including the Kent coast and Brighton.

Frequently asked questions

Can you fish off Cromer Pier?

Yes. Anglers fish Cromer Pier under a voluntary code of conduct that allows 2 rods per angler and 2 hooks per rod. Fishing hours and fees are not published online, so phone the Cromer Pier box office on 01263 512495 before you go.

Do you need a licence to sea fish in Norfolk?

Not for sea fish from the shore. In England, GOV.UK lists freshwater fish, salmon, trout, smelt and eel as needing a rod licence, and shore sea fishing is not on that list. Bass rules still apply, and our fishing licence guide has the detail.

How many bass can I keep in 2026?

You can keep 3 bass per person per day, with a minimum size of 42cm. From 1 February to 31 March it is catch and release only. On Cromer Pier, check whether the code's lower limit of 2 still applies.

What is the best time to fish Cromer Pier?

Two to three hours either side of high water is commonly reported as the best window. Fish winter for cod and whiting, and summer for mackerel, Dover sole and bass.