Fishing at Crooklets Beach

BeachCornwall🐾 Seasonal daytime dog ban★★★ family

Bude's Blue Flag surf beach, a level 5-minute walk from town — fish the flatfish-friendly low water sand in winter and switch to sand eel or peeler crab after dark for bass and rays through summer.

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What you can catch

Species	Season	Method
Bass	Apr–Nov	Sand eel or peeler crab fished hard on the bottom after dark in the surf.
Small-eyed ray	May–Sep	Fish bait cast beyond the breakers on the making tide over clean sand.
Thornback ray	Apr–Oct	Squid or mackerel strip on a pulley rig, fished at range.
Dogfish	All year	A reliable bycatch on any fish bait fished after dark.
Flounder / dab	Oct–Mar	Small strips of worm on a light flapper rig, fished close in around low water on the incoming tide.

Tactics

Fish two hours before low water and through the first of the flood for the flatfish, moving onto sand eel or peeler crab after dark for the bass and ray run through summer and autumn.

Best tide: Two hours before low water into the early flood · Best time: Daylight for flatfish; after dark for bass and rays

Dogs

Cornwall Council PSPO bans dogs from the beach between 10am and 6pm from 15 May to 30 September — Crooklets holds Blue Flag status, so it gets the longer seasonal restriction applied to Cornwall's award beaches. Dogs are welcome off those dates and hours.

Access & parking

Large pay-and-display Cornwall Council car park directly above the beach on Crooklets Road, a 5-minute walk from Bude town centre. Sat-nav: EX23 8NF.Get directions → Family rating: ★★★ — The most family-friendly of the three — level access from a large car park, toilets, café and RNLI lifeguards patrolling the flagged bathing area in season.

FAQs

Are dogs allowed on Crooklets Beach?

Only outside 10am–6pm between 15 May and 30 September — Crooklets' Blue Flag status means it gets Cornwall Council's longer seasonal dog restriction.

Is Crooklets Beach good for fishing?

Yes — it fishes well for bass, small-eyed and thornback rays and dogfish, with flatfish over the low-water sand through autumn and winter.

Where do you park for Crooklets Beach?

The Cornwall Council car park on Crooklets Road (EX23 8NF), right above the beach with toilets and a café.

Nearby marks

Bude Breakwater · Northcott Mouth

Last updated 7 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.