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Brancaster Bay

Norfolk · Coastal

Free

A sweeping tidal bay on the north Norfolk coast, part of the same protected sand-and-marsh system as Holkham and Wells-next-the-Sea, with the small working harbour at Brancaster Staithe giving a sheltered alternative to the open beach when the wind's up. Flounder, bass, mullet, cod and flatfish are the target list here, and the huge tidal range means the mark you're fishing changes character completely between low and high water.

Access: Free shore access, no rod licence needed for sea fishing

Parking: National Trust car park at Brancaster, additional parking at Brancaster Staithe harbour

Last updated: 25 September 2026

Brancaster Bay

Photo: Hugh Venables, CC BY-SA 2.0

Species you can expect

SpeciesBest season
Flounder Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
Bass Summer, Autumn
Mullet Summer
Cod Autumn, Winter
Flatfish Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter

Time your session around the tide carefully, this is a mark that fishes best a few hours either side of high water when the channels fill and fish push up onto the flats. Ragworm and peeler crab from the harbour edge for flounder and mullet, a bigger bait cast into the deeper channel for bass and cod.

Sea fishing needs no rod licence anywhere in the UK - shore, boat or wreck marks are all licence-free.

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Source: British Sea Fishing

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