Fishing at Carrickfergus Harbour
A sheltered Belfast Lough harbour beneath the Norman castle, mixing clean sand for rays and dogfish with rocky patches for pollock and wrasse — busy with mackerel and garfish shoals through summer.
📍 View on the mapWhat you can catch → Full fish guide
| Species | Season | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Pollack (Pollock) | Apr–Oct | Lures or float-fished bait over rocky ground and harbour edges |
| MackerelGarfish | Jun–Sep | Feathers, especially around dusk under diving seabirds |
| Codling (Juvenile Cod) | Oct–Feb | Bottom fished worm/bait from the channels and sand flats, often after dark |
| Dogfish (Lesser-Spotted)Ray (Species Unspecified) | Winter | Bottom fished bait over sand |
| WrasseCoalfish (Saithe) | Spring–Autumn | Fished tight to rock ledges |
Tactics
The front of Carrickfergus is mixed sandy ground with rock patches — fish clean sand for dabs, plaice, rays and dogfish, and work the broken/rocky ground for pollock, wrasse and coalfish. Summer evenings bring mackerel and pollock crashing bait balls close to the harbour walls, worth covering with feathers or lures. Winter fishing focuses on codling, whiting, dogfish and rays from the deeper channels, often best after dark on smaller tides.
Best tide: Around high water · Best time: Summer evenings for mackerel/pollock; winter nights for codling and rays
Dogs
No verified source. Check current signage and the relevant authority.
Access & parking
Park at the harbour car parks near Carrickfergus Castle and fish from the harbour walls or nearby rock edges. Sat-nav: BT38 7BG.Get directions → Family rating: ★☆☆ — The harbour walls and promenade beside the castle are safe and easy for families to fish from.
FAQs
What fish can you catch at Carrickfergus Harbour?
Pollock, pouting, dogfish, coalfish and wrasse year-round, with mackerel, garfish, scad and herring pushing into Belfast Lough in summer, plus codling, whiting and rays in winter.
Are dogs allowed at Carrickfergus Harbour?
Yes — it is not among the beaches named in Mid and East Antrim's seasonal Dogs on Leads Order.
Nearby marks
Whitehead Promenade · Bangor Pier (Co. Down) · Groomsport Harbour & Orlock Head
Last updated 16 July 2026 — sources & disclaimer
Compiled from angling guides, forums and the relevant council's dog byelaws, cross-checked where possible.
Rules and conditions change, so always check current signage and tides before you go. We do our best to keep this accurate but can't promise it's error-free.