If you fish for the catch rather than the postcard, Looe earns its place near the top of any Cornish itinerary. This is a working fishing port that has landed fish for over 600 years, and it still runs to the rhythm of the tide rather than the tourist calendar. The town splits either side of the River Looe, with the active harbour and fish market on the West Looe quay and the sand and Banjo Pier over in East Looe. For an angler, that geography is the whole point: deep-water sport is a short steam offshore, the estuary and harbour walls hold fish within casting range, and the fleet coming and going tells you exactly what is running out in the bay.
Looe sits on Cornwall's warmer south-east coast, sheltered enough to get you out when the north coast is blown out, yet close to the reefs, wrecks and open channel water that hold the serious fish. It is also the historic home of British shark angling, so if a blue shark or porbeagle is on your bucket list, this is where you book it. Below is the technical rundown: what is biting and when, the best shore marks and harbour access, the charter options, and where to sort bait and tackle before you launch.
Reading Looe Bay: species and seasons
Work the calendar and Looe fishes hard for most of the year. Plan your trip around the run you are chasing rather than the weather forecast alone.
- Bass and mackerel (June to October): The prime light-lure and surface window. Mackerel shoals pour into the bay in summer and pull bass in behind them. Spin silver spoons and sandeel imitations, or work soft plastics through the tide runs off the headlands.
- Pollock and wrasse (spring and summer over the reefs): Soft plastic paddle-tails on jig heads for pollock over broken ground; bottom-fished hard crab for ballan wrasse tight to the kelp.
- Flatfish and rays (spring through late autumn): Plaice, dab, turbot and thornback rays over the clean sandy patches out in the bay, taken on ledgered sandeel, squid or fresh mackerel strip.
- Conger and bull huss (year-round, best after dark): Heavy tackle over the rougher ground and around the harbour structure once the light drops.
- Blue shark and porbeagle (July to October): The offshore headline act, run purely on a catch-and-release basis out of the port.
Shore marks and harbour access
You do not need a boat to bend a rod in Looe. The town gives up genuine sport from the rocks and walls if you time the tide.
- The Banjo Pier: At the end of East Looe beach, this is the obvious spot to watch the fleet run out and a solid mark in its own right for mackerel feathering and float-fished baits over high water. It gets busy with crabbers in summer, so a dawn or evening session is your friend.
- Hannafore Point (Marine Drive, West Looe): Follow the road through West Looe out to the headland. The rocky ground and rock pools here fish well for wrasse and pollock on the flood, with clear water and long views across to Looe Island. There is often free on-street parking along the sea wall.
- The harbour and quay walls: The long river wall is famous for crabbing, but the estuary also holds bass and flounder working the tide. Fish light and be mindful of the crowds and the tide, as the lower sections can flood fast.
A word of caution: the granite and rock platforms around the headlands get lethal when wet. Wear a flotation aid on isolated marks, use rotten-bottom rigs to avoid tackle losses in the kelp, and never turn your back on a building swell.
Charter boats out of Looe
Looe has a long-established charter fleet running from the harbour, and the boards on the quay are the best real-time guide to what is booking and what is being caught. Trips broadly fall into three types:
- Reef and wreck sport: Deep-water drifts targeting specimen pollock, ling, cod and conger over the marks offshore. This is the day out for anglers chasing size.
- Shark trips: Catch-and-release drifts for blue shark, with porbeagle also on the cards, using rubby-dubby to draw fish up the chum trail.
- Mackerel and family safaris: Short two-hour feathering trips, ideal if you are travelling with less obsessive company or want fresh bait for a later session. Skippers will usually prepare your catch for the barbecue.
Trips are tide and weather dependent, so book ahead and check the quay boards or call the skipper the night before. Turn up with your own trace collection if you are fussy, but most boats supply rods and terminal tackle if you would rather travel light.
Shark fishing: the Looe legacy
Looe is where British shark angling began, and the town still trades on that reputation. Blue shark are the main quarry from summer into autumn, with the occasional porbeagle, and modern trips run strictly catch, tag and release. Expect a long steam out to the drift, a slick of rubby-dubby to bring the fish up, and a hard-fighting run once you hook up. If you have never had a blue shark on the end of a stand-up outfit, this is the place to tick it off. Book early for the peak August window, as the good skippers fill fast.
Tackle, bait and gearing up
Coming into a working port, your bait options are better than most. West Looe quay sits opposite the fish market, so fresh and frozen mackerel is rarely a problem, and it makes the best all-round bait for the bay. For live worm, squid and terminal tackle, sort your kit before you arrive or ask the charter skippers where they send anglers locally, as stock and opening hours in a small town can be seasonal. Pack a decent selection of pulley and rotten-bottom rigs for the rough ground, plenty of feathers for mackerel, and a spare spool of heavier trace for the after-dark conger and huss sessions.
Tides, timing and logistics
Everything in Looe runs on the tide, so plan your session around it.
- Check the state of the tide first. The estuary and harbour marks fish best over the flood and high water, and the lower quay areas can flood, so know your times.
- Park smart. Aim for the large Millpool car park in West Looe (PL13 2AF) and walk the flat riverside path into town in around ten minutes. Do not attempt to drive into the tight, pedestrianised streets of East Looe. Buller Quay in East Looe gets you closest to the harbour but fills instantly and can flood on big tides.
- Book weather windows loosely. The south-east coast often stays fishable when the north coast is blown out, but charter trips still cancel on swell, so keep a flexible day or two in hand.
- Watch the seagulls. They will take an unattended bait, sandwich or pasty from your hand without hesitation.
Refuelling after a session
Looe does fresh seafood properly, which is fitting for a town that lands its own. For the best cooking in town, The Sardine Factory in West Looe focuses on Looe Bay produce with a menu that changes on the catch; booking is essential. Trawlers on the Quay in East Looe is the spot for classic seafood with a grandstand view of the fishing boats coming and going. If you just want fuel after a long drift, The Coddy Shack does battered scallops and monkfish a cut above the average chippy, and Sarah's Pasty Shop is the local's choice for a steak pasty to eat on the harbour wall.
Where to base yourself
Stay on the West Looe side if you want quiet and views over the water; stay in East Looe if you want to roll out of bed and onto the quay. Hannafore Point Hotel commands the best sea view in town, looking straight out over Looe Island and the open water, which is handy for reading the morning conditions. The Old Bridge House sits at the foot of the bridge in West Looe, putting you two minutes from the harbour on the quieter side of the river. For a longer, gear-heavy stay with parking, Tencreek Holiday Park is the closest park to town with easy access to the coast path.
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