Turbot and Brill
By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026
Turbot and brill are closely related, left-eyed flatfish of clean sand and gravel, and UK sea anglers catch them on the same fish baits from the same banks. Both are prized catches, and both are hunters of small fish, which shapes how you fish for them compared with other UK flatfish.
Some angling sites quote a 41 cm minimum size for turbot. None of the byelaws checked for this page use that figure: in every district we could verify, it is 30 cm for both species.
Below: turbot vs brill identification, size and records, where and when to fish, how to catch them, the rules and handling.
Turbot vs Brill: How to Tell Them Apart
Two checks settle it in seconds: the outline of the fish and the feel of its skin.
Both species are left-eyed. Lay the fish flat with the dark side up and the head pointing away from you, and the eyes sit on the left. That alone separates them from plaice, flounder and dab, which are right-eyed.
A turbot is almost round, only about one and a half times as long as it is wide. It has no scales, but the upper side is studded with hard, bony knobs called tubercles, and the mouth is huge for the size of the fish.
A brill is a longer oval. The skin is smooth and covered in small scales, with no tubercles, and the front edge of the dorsal fin is frilly and branched. Its spots stop short of the tail fin.
Ignore colour. Both species change shade to match the ground they lie on.
| Feature | Turbot | Brill |
|---|---|---|
| Body shape | Nearly round | Longer oval |
| Skin | Scaleless, bony tubercles on upper side | Smooth, small scales, no tubercles |
| Front of dorsal fin | Plain | Frilly, branched |
| Typical adult length | Usually 50 to 80 cm, occasionally 1 m | Up to about 75 cm |
| Eyes | Left side | Left side |
If it feels like sandpaper with knobs on, it is a turbot. If it is smooth and longer than it is round, it is a brill. For other species, see our UK fish identification guide.
How Big Turbot and Brill Grow, and the British Records
The British shore record turbot has stood since 1973. Most turbot caught from UK beaches are far smaller, typically 2 to 6lb (0.9 to 2.7kg).
These figures come from the British Record (rod caught) Fish Committee list of June 2026. Some angling sites still show older, conflicting weights, so use this list as the reference.
| Species | Shore record | Boat record | Qualifying length (shore / boat) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbot | 28lb 8oz (12.9kg), J D Dorling, Dunwich Beach, Suffolk, 1973 | 35lb (15.9kg), Alan Evans, Muckle Flugga, Shetland, 2022 | 50 cm / 100 cm |
| Brill | 8lb 3oz (3.7kg), R Edwards, Chesil Beach, Dorset, 2018 | 16lb (7.3kg), Derby Haven, Isle of Man, 1950 | 45 cm / 60 cm |
The BRFC froze its boat weight records in June 2024, and new boat claims are made on length, which is why the qualifying lengths matter. Check the current list through the Angling Trust before you submit a claim.
With most shore fish at 2 to 6lb, a double-figure turbot from the beach is a fish of a lifetime.
Where and When to Find Turbot and Brill
Turbot and brill are fish of clean sand, so the ground you cast onto matters more than how far you cast.
Turbot live on sand, gravel and shell-gravel, mostly in about 20 to 80 m of water, with the odd fish on mud or mixed ground. Young turbot come right inshore into the breaker zone. Brill range from the shoreline to about 70 m, mainly over sand, and the larger fish sit on offshore sandbanks.
Both hunt small fish. Turbot take sandeels, sprats and small mackerel, plus whiting, rockling, crabs and prawns in winter. Brill eat sandeels, crustaceans and squid, which is why fish baits work for both.
Spring and early summer are the shore window, when turbot move shallower.
From the shore, look for large open beaches with gullies, patches of rough ground and rocky outcrops showing at low tide. If you have a beach like that nearby, walk it at low tide in spring and note the features before you fish it.
How to Catch Turbot and Brill: Baits and Shore Tactics
Your shortest cast may be your best one. Turbot often feed close in after dark, just behind the surf.
The core shore approach is a slim fish bait, fished close, on a lead that lets it move:
- Timing. Fish from late evening into darkness, from spring into early summer. The bigger fish feed at night.
- Distance. Put at least one bait just behind the breakers rather than fishing every rod at maximum range.
- Lead choice. A plain lead, without grip wires, lets the bait roll and search the sand. Give the reel handle three or four turns every few minutes to shift it along. Switch to a grip lead in a strong tide or next to rough, broken ground.
- Bait. Long, thin fillets of mackerel or launce, or large sandeels, live or dead, are the first choice. Worms, crab, prawn and squid strips also catch. Cut strips slim so they flutter in the tide.
- Bites. Watch for a steady pull on the rod tip, and also for the line falling slack, which can mean a fish has picked up the bait and moved towards you.
- From a boat. The bigger fish live on offshore sandbanks, and drifting a fish strip or sandeel over the banks is a common approach. Skippers who fish the banks will know the local marks.
If turbot are your target, put your hours into evenings and nights rather than daytime sessions.
Minimum Size for Turbot and Brill in UK Waters
The minimum size depends on where you fish. In every area we could verify, it is 30 cm for turbot and 30 cm for brill, set by local byelaws or, in the English Channel, by government regulation.
| Area | Turbot | Brill | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| North West IFCA district | 30 cm | 30 cm | NWIFCA minimum sizes |
| Cornwall IFCA (recreational) | 30 cm | 30 cm | Cornwall IFCA recreational fishing |
| English Channel, English waters (ICES 7d and 7e) | 30 cm | 30 cm | GOV.UK sea fisheries regulations |
| All other areas | Check locally | Check locally | Your local authority |
In the North West, the size applies to everyone fishing in the district, anglers included. In Cornwall, the sizes come from inherited byelaws that do not cover some rivers and estuaries, and EU minimum sizes have not applied to recreational anglers there since 2019.
The Channel figure is a minimum conservation reference size, in force since December 2024, for English waters of ICES areas 7d and 7e (the eastern and western English Channel). Your local IFCA can confirm how it applies to rod anglers.
For the other English IFCA districts (Devon and Severn, Eastern, Southern, Sussex, Kent and Essex, and North Eastern), we could not confirm a figure, so check your IFCA’s byelaws before you take a fish. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, check with the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate, the Welsh Government or Natural Resources Wales, or DAERA.
The 41 cm figure seen online does not appear in any byelaw checked for this page. Measure from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail, with the fish lying flat. If in doubt, return it.
Handling and Returning Turbot and Brill
Wet your hands, keep the fish flat and support its whole body, never holding it by the head or gill area. Unhook quickly with forceps or a disgorger and measure it on a wet surface.
Return it head first, close to the water’s edge, and let it swim off under its own power. Take only what you will eat, and only fish above the local minimum size.
Frequently asked questions
Can you catch turbot from the shore in the UK?
Yes. Fish open sandy beaches from late evening into darkness in spring and early summer, with a thin fish strip or sandeel close behind the breakers. Most shore turbot are 2 to 6lb, and the British shore record is 28lb 8oz, from Dunwich Beach in 1973.
Is a turbot the same as a brill?
No. They are closely related left-eyed flatfish, but a turbot is nearly round with bony tubercles on its upper side, while a brill is a longer oval with smooth, scaly skin. See the comparison table in the identification section above.
How do you tell a turbot from a plaice or flounder?
Check which side the eyes are on. With the dark side up and the head facing away from you, turbot and brill have their eyes on the left, while plaice and flounder have them on the right. Plaice also carry bright orange spots, which turbot lack.
Is there a minimum size for turbot in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?
This page has not verified a figure for these nations. Before you keep a fish, check with the Scottish Government's Marine Directorate, the Welsh Government or Natural Resources Wales, or DAERA in Northern Ireland, as sizes set for English waters may not apply.