Fishing at Looe Harbour & Banjo Pier

Harbour wall / pierCornwall🐾 Seasonal daytime dog ban★★★ family

A reliable, easy-access harbour mark split between East and West Looe either side of the river mouth — mackerel feathers off the quay walls and Banjo Pier for beginners, with better bass and mullet if you work the harbour entrance and White Rock on the outgoing tide.

📍 View on the map

What you can catch

Species	Season	Method
Mackerel	Jun–Sep	Simple feather rig fished off the quay walls or Banjo Pier, often 4 at a time in summer shoals.
Grey mullet	May–Oct	Ledgered bread or float-fished bread flake tight to the harbour wall near the fish market and West Looe Quay.
Bass	Apr–Nov	Spinning or plugging from the rocks at the harbour entrance and White Rock (opposite Banjo Pier) on the outgoing tide, especially 2 hours before sunset.
Pollack / wrasse	Apr–Oct	Float-fished worm or soft plastics worked around harbour wall structure and nearby rock marks.
Dogfish / whiting	Nov–Feb	Bait fished (lugworm) at night from the quay in winter.

Tactics

Start simple with mackerel feathers off the harbour walls for summer sport, then switch to a light ledger or float with bread or lugworm for mullet and flatties tight against the harbour structure; for bass, work spinners/plugs around the harbour mouth and White Rock as the tide starts to ebb.

Best tide: Outgoing tide (ebb), particularly from 2 hours before high water · Best time: Evening/dusk for bass and mackerel in summer; night fishing with bait in winter

Dogs

East Looe main sandy beach has an all-year dog ban (not part of Cornwall Council's official seasonal PSPO list — appears to be a locally enforced/signed permanent rule). Hannafore Beach (West Looe, rockier) allows dogs year-round as an alternative. The harbour walls/quays themselves, where most fishing happens, are not sandy beach and aren't covered by the beach dog ban.

Access & parking

Looe is roughly 25 minutes from Plymouth or Liskeard via A38/A387. Main parking is Millpool car park (West Looe, largest) or Riverbank/Buller Quay car parks (East Looe). Sat-nav: PL13 2AF.Get directions → Family rating: ★★★ — Harbour walls and Banjo Pier are flat, safe, and easy for kids to fish from with supervision; East Looe beach itself is a sheltered, gently-sloping family beach with lifeguard cover in season.

FAQs

Can you fish off Looe harbour wall?

Yes — the harbour walls and Banjo Pier are popular shore marks for mackerel feathering, mullet, bass and wrasse; no permit needed.

Are dogs allowed on Looe beach?

No — East Looe's main sandy beach has an all-year dog ban. Dogs are welcome year-round at nearby Hannafore Beach and on leads along the promenade.

Where is the best parking for fishing at Looe harbour?

Millpool car park (PL13 2AF) in West Looe is the largest and closest for the Banjo Pier/harbour mouth marks.

Nearby marks

Charlestown Harbour · Prince of Wales Pier

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.