Sea Fishing on the Yorkshire Coast

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

In the summer of 2022, Filey’s lifeboat launched seven times to rescue 15 people cut off or injured on Filey Brigg. The best marks on this coast are tidal rock, and the tide sets the timetable.

Yorkshire coast sea fishing between Whitby and Filey means winter cod and whiting from the piers and rough ground, summer mackerel, pollock and wrasse on lures and float, and flounder and dab from the cleaner bays. You need no permit for recreational sea angling here, but minimum sizes and bass rules apply.

This guide covers the marks, seasons, tackle, rules and tidal safety. For other venues, see sea fishing marks around the UK or fishing in Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Coast Marks Compared: Whitby to Filey

Of the eight marks between Whitby and Filey, only the piers and Robin Hood’s Bay suit a first sea session. Species and tides come from local angling guides, so treat them as a starting point.

Mark	Ground	Best state of tide (as reported)	Main species reported	Suits
Whitby piers	Harbour piers	Not reported	Winter cod and whiting, summer mackerel, coalfish, flounder, dab	Beginners and families in settled weather
Saltwick Bay	Bay mark south of Whitby	Not reported	Cod, flounder, coalfish (September to March)	Anglers wanting a quieter winter mark
Robin Hood’s Bay	Sea wall and beaches	High water on the wall, low water on the beaches	Cod, whiting, flounder, dab, some summer bass	Families and improvers
Cloughton Wyke	Rough rock	Over high tide	Winter cod, summer pollock, mackerel, wrasse	Experienced rock anglers only
Scarborough piers	Sand (West), rockier (East)	Not reported	Cod autumn to spring, summer mackerel, flounder, coalfish	Beginners and convenience
Marine Drive	Sea defence blocks	Not reported	Big winter cod, summer mackerel and pollock	Experienced anglers, calm seas only
Cornelian and Cayton Bays	Snaggy ground, beach and rock	Rough sea or after a storm (Cornelian)	Winter cod	Anglers happy to lose tackle
Filey Brigg	Long rock spit, rough and clean ground	Leave at least 2 hours before high water (RNLI)	Cod all year, summer mackerel, wrasse, pollock, flatfish	Experienced anglers, or first visits with someone who knows it

If you are new to sea fishing, start on a pier, not on the rocks.

Whitby Fishing: The Piers and Saltwick Bay

On an August afternoon, Whitby’s piers are crowded with sightseers. On a winter evening, the same stonework is one of the easiest places on this coast to meet a cod.

Whitby piers

The harbour piers are reported to give big cod and whiting in winter, with mackerel on lures through the summer. Coalfish and flatfish, mainly flounder and dab, take ragworm, lugworm and peeler crab fished on the bottom.

Check access before you set up. A local guide reports that fishing is allowed on the lower tier of the West Pier only, and that the pier may be closed in stormy weather. That guide is undated and unofficial, and the council’s harbour pages list no angling rules, so confirm access with the Whitby Harbour Master.

Pack a drop net or a long-handled landing net, because a decent cod is a heavy lift up a pier wall. Our pier fishing guide covers the method.

Saltwick Bay

About a mile south of town, off the A171, Saltwick Bay is a quieter option for Whitby sea fishing once the summer crowds have gone. SeaAngler’s mark card (2021) reports cod, flounder and coalfish, with crab, lugworm and mussel as the baits and a season of September to March.

The same card reports parking on the grass verge outside the caravan site, then a walk to the mark. Check parking locally and respect any signs.

Best for: a winter cod or flounder session away from the town. Skip if: you want a short walk from the car.

Robin Hood’s Bay and Cloughton Wyke

The same bay can be a high-water wall mark in the morning and a low-water beach mark by the afternoon. At Robin Hood’s Bay, timing matters more than tackle.

The sea wall is reported to fish best at high water, when the tide reaches its base, and for several hours either side. Bring a drop net, as the wall is high. As the tide drops, local anglers move to Stoupe Beck Sands, Boggle Hole and Long Hole. Cod are reported all year, with bigger fish in winter, alongside whiting, flounder, dab and some summer bass.

Cloughton Wyke is rough rock with a long walk in and a real cut-off risk, reported to fish best over high tide. Strong tackle and rotten-bottom rigs are advised for winter cod, summer pollock and mackerel, with a chance of wrasse. Read the safety section below before you go.

Take the family to Robin Hood’s Bay. Save Cloughton Wyke for when you are comfortable on rough rock, in settled seas.

Scarborough Fishing: The Piers, Marine Drive and Cornelian Bay

Scarborough’s two piers sit yards apart and fish differently. The West Pier casts onto sand, while the East Pier looks over rockier ground. Add Marine Drive and Cornelian Bay, and Scarborough fishing covers pier, sea wall and storm-beach marks.

The piers

Cod are reported from autumn to spring, with peeler crab the top bait, then squid, lugworm and mussel. Summer brings mackerel on lures, float-fished strip and small sandeels, plus flounder and coalfish on the bottom.

North Yorkshire Council states that the fish quay beside the West Pier is reserved for landing fishing vessels, so keep clear of it. The council publishes no pier angling access, hours or fees, so check with the Scarborough Harbour Master.

Marine Drive

Marine Drive is reported to produce big winter cod plus summer mackerel and pollock. Fishing it means climbing slippery sea defence blocks, dangerous in bad weather. The road has been closed in the past by waves overtopping it. Check for closures, and never fish it in a big sea.

Cornelian Bay and Cayton Bay

Cornelian Bay is reported at its best for winter cod in a rough sea or just after a storm. Local anglers use big hooks on pennell rigs with lugworm, peeler crab, squid and mussel cocktails. Whiting, coalfish and summer bass are possible, but the ground is snaggy. Further south, Cayton Bay gives winter cod from the beach or the rocks.

The verdict: fish the piers for convenience, and Cornelian Bay for the best chance of a storm cod if you can live with tackle losses.

Filey Brigg Fishing: Brigg End, Tides and Parking

On Filey Brigg, the tide decides when the session ends, not the bite. Filey Brigg fishing starts with the leave time.

Where to fish on the Brigg

Filey Brigg is a long, narrow rock spit. Brigg End is rough ground, reported to produce big cod all year, at their best in winter. In summer, mackerel, wrasse and pollock take float and spinning tackle.

The cleaner ground gives flounder and dab most of the year, with plaice and sole in summer. Peeler crab, mussel and razorfish are reported as the best baits. The rock is very slippery, and waves wash over the points unless the sea is calm.

Tides: the two-hour rule

RNLI Filey’s Water Safety Team advises checking tide times and leaving the area of the Brigg at least two hours before high tide.

Work out your leave time before you walk out. If high water is at 3pm, be off the Brigg by 1pm, whatever the fish are doing. See tides for sea fishing for reading a tide table.

Make your first visit in daylight and good weather, ideally with someone who knows the Brigg, and fish the cleaner ground before you try Brigg End. Tell someone your plan and carry a charged phone.

Parking

North Yorkshire Council lists the Country Park car park on Church Cliff Drive, Filey YO14 9ET. It is open 24 hours, with charges from 9am to 6pm between 1 March and 31 October only.

Stay	Price
1 hour	£3.20
2 hours	£4.90
4 hours	£8.10
6 hours	£10.20
24 hours	£13.10

Blue badge holders park free, and sleeping or camping in vehicles is prohibited. These were the council’s prices when checked in October 2026, so confirm them before you travel.

What to Catch on the Yorkshire Coast, Season by Season

This coast gives a cod and whiting winter, then a light-tackle summer.

Season	Main species reported	Where	Baits and methods
Autumn to spring (roughly September to March)	Cod, whiting, coalfish	Whitby and Scarborough piers, Saltwick Bay, Cornelian Bay in a rough sea, Brigg End, Marine Drive	Peeler crab, lugworm, squid, mussel, pennell rigs
Summer	Mackerel, pollock, wrasse, plaice and sole (Filey), some bass (Robin Hood’s Bay, Cornelian Bay)	Piers, rock marks, Filey Brigg	Lures, feathers, float-fished strip, small sandeels
Most of the year (reported at Filey)	Flounder and dab	Filey Brigg cleaner ground, also Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby piers	Ragworm, lugworm, peeler crab on light bottom rigs

Cod are reported at some marks all year, notably Robin Hood’s Bay and Brigg End, but the bigger fish come in winter. For more on the method, see our cod fishing guide.

Bass are catch and release only in February and March (see the rules below). Bluefin tuna have been spotted off the Yorkshire coast in recent years, and North Eastern IFCA asks for sightings to go through the Cefas Tuna Trace form.

Tackle and Rigs for Yorkshire Rock, Pier and Beach Marks

Lose three rigs in an hour on Cornelian Bay’s snags and the session is over. Match tackle to the ground, not the town.

Rough rock (Cloughton Wyke, Brigg End, Cornelian Bay). Use strong tackle and rotten-bottom rigs. A rotten-bottom hangs the lead on weaker line, so in a snag the lead breaks off and the rig and fish come back. For cod, use big hooks on pennell rigs with crab, lugworm, squid and mussel cocktails. See our rock fishing guide.

Piers and sea walls (Whitby, Scarborough, Robin Hood’s Bay wall). Bring a drop net or long-handled landing net. Use mackerel feathers or lures in summer, and float-fished strip for mackerel and pollock.

Cleaner ground (Scarborough West Pier, the Brigg’s clean ground, Robin Hood’s Bay beaches at low tide). Light bottom rigs with ragworm, lugworm or peeler crab suit flounder, dab and plaice. Our sea fishing rigs page has the set-ups.

Carry spare rigs and a rotten-bottom on any rock mark.

Yorkshire Sea Fishing Rules: Sizes, Bass, Tope and Permits

Minimum sizes are not just for commercial boats: North Eastern IFCA’s Fish, Mollusc and Crustacea Minimum Size Byelaw XXXII applies them to anglers too. North Eastern IFCA (NEIFCA) manages fisheries out to six nautical miles here. Rules below were checked on 23 October 2026.

Permits. NEIFCA states that no permit is needed for recreational sea angling. Taking shellfish needs a Recreational Shellfish Permit (01482 393515).

Minimum sizes. NEIFCA’s minimum conservation reference sizes include:

Species	Minimum size
Cod	35cm
Mackerel	30cm
Plaice	27cm
Whiting	27cm
Sole	24cm

For shellfish, NEIFCA lists lobster 88mm, edible crab 140mm, velvet crab 65mm, mussel 51mm and whelk 45mm. Flounder and dab are not listed, so check NEIFCA for anything else you keep, and see sea fish minimum sizes for how to measure.

Bass. NEIFCA’s bass regulation update (17 March 2026) gives the recreational rule as three bass per day outside February and March, at a 42cm minimum. From 1 February to 31 March it is catch and release only. The rules apply from shore or boat. See bass fishing regulations.

Tope. Under Byelaw XXV, any tope caught must go back immediately.

Flamborough Head No Take Zone. Byelaw XXVII bans all fishing, including hand gathering, in the defined area off Flamborough Head. It lies south of Filey, but matters if you head on towards Bridlington.

Rules change, so check the NEIFCA website before each trip, and see fishing seasons.

Reading the Sea: Conditions, Cut-Offs and What to Do If You Are Trapped

The rough sea that makes Cornelian Bay worth fishing makes Marine Drive and the Brigg points unsafe. Decide whether to fish a rock mark in the car park, not on the rocks.

Choosing a mark for the conditions

A rough sea, or the day after a storm, is reported to bring cod close at Cornelian Bay. Marine Drive is dangerous in bad weather, and waves wash over the Brigg points unless it is calm. Cloughton Wyke fishes best over high tide, when its cut-off risk is greatest, so know your way off before the flood. In a big swell, choose a pier or a sheltered beach over open rock.

Planning for cut-off

Check tide times before every session and know your leave time (the Brigg’s two-hour rule is above).
Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.
Keep a charged phone in a waterproof pouch.

If you are cut off

Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Coastguard teams warn against climbing crumbly cliffs, so stay above the water and wait for help rather than wading back. More in our fishing safety guide.

If in doubt about the sea, fish a pier.

Heading elsewhere? Compare sea fishing on the Norfolk coast, the Kent coast, Southend Pier and Dungeness.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a permit to sea fish on the Yorkshire coast?

No. North Eastern IFCA states that recreational sea anglers do not need a permit. You do need a Recreational Shellfish Permit from NEIFCA to take shellfish, and minimum sizes still apply to everything you keep, including cod at 35cm.

How many bass can you keep in Yorkshire?

You can keep three bass per day at 42cm or over, outside February and March. From 1 February to 31 March bass are catch and release only, under NEIFCA's March 2026 update. The rules apply from shore and boat.

When should you leave Filey Brigg?

Leave the area of the Brigg at least two hours before high tide, as RNLI Filey advises. Check tide times before you walk out, and make your first visit in daylight and calm weather, ideally with someone who knows the rock.