Fishing at Eastbourne Seafront

Pier & shingle beachEast Sussex🐾 Seasonal daytime dog ban★★☆ family

Eastbourne's pier and seafront shingle give a classic South Coast mixed bag — light-gear mackerel and garfish off the pier in summer, sole and bass from the beach, and a proper winter cod-and-flounder run.

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What you can catch

Species	Season	Method
Mackerel / Scad / Garfish	May–Sep	Float-fished baits or small feathers off the pier on light gear
Sole	Jun–Sep	Small-hook flapper with ragworm, fished on the bottom
Bass	Apr–Nov	Bait or lures from the beach either side of the pier; 42cm minimum
Cod / Whiting / Flounder	Oct–Feb	Lug/squid cocktail cast from the beach after dark
Dogfish	All year	Any fish bait fished hard on the bottom

Tactics

The pier is the easy summer option for light-gear mackerel and garfish — you'll need angling club membership to fish it. Off the open beach, sole and bass respond to bait fished tight in summer, while cod and flounder take over as the water cools through winter.

Best tide: Rising tide · Best time: Summer evenings off the pier; after dark in winter from the beach

Dogs

Eastbourne's main resort beach, from Wish Tower to the Pier, bans dogs between 1 May and 30 September; east of the pier dogs are welcome on a lead all year, and Pevensey Bay a little further along is dog friendly year-round.

Access & parking

Park at the Trinity Place car park, a short walk to the pier and seafront. Sat-nav: BN21 3BZ.Get directions → Family rating: ★★☆ — Shingle beach with a classic Victorian pier — good for a family day out, but the shingle shelves quite steeply near the tideline so keep an eye on younger kids in the water.

FAQs

Do you need to be a club member to fish Eastbourne Pier?

Yes — angling was reinstated on the pier in 2019 but anglers must now be members of an angling club to fish from it.

Is Eastbourne beach dog friendly?

The main resort beach between Wish Tower and the pier bans dogs from 1 May to 30 September; east of the pier and at Pevensey Bay dogs are welcome year-round (on a lead near the pier).

What can you catch off Eastbourne Pier?

Mackerel, scad and garfish on light gear are the summer highlight, with Dover sole and school bass also coming from bottom-fished baits.

Nearby marks

Hastings Stade · Camber Sands

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.