Ballycastle
FreeA working fishing harbour and beach resort on the North Antrim coast, with sandy beaches either side of the harbour and rock marks nearby for anglers who want rougher ground. The beaches produce flatfish, and the rock marks add pollock, wrasse, mackerel and conger to the mix, making Ballycastle a good all-round base for a day covering several different types of ground without moving far.
Access: Free shore access from the beaches and harbour, no rod licence needed for sea fishing
Parking: Harbour car park and seafront parking available in the town
Last updated: 18 September 2026
Species you can expect
| Species | Best season |
|---|---|
| Flounder | All |
| Dab | All |
| Turbot | Summer |
| Bass | Summer |
| Dogfish | All |
| Pollock | All |
| Wrasse | Summer |
| Mackerel | Summer |
| Coalfish | All |
| Bull huss | All |
| Conger eel | All |
The beaches fish well on standard bottom-fished worm and fish baits for flatfish and dogfish. On the rock marks, float fished baits and spinners take pollock, wrasse and mackerel, while conger respond to mackerel and squid baits on size 6/0 hooks with a wire trace.
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