Folkestone Harbour Pier
Day ticketA proper working harbour turned into one of Kent's best all-round marks, the harbour arm and outer wall giving deep, clean water right off the end. Summer sessions here are all about light gear: mackerel come readily to spinners, with garfish and scad mixed in on the same tactics. Switch to bait and it's a different game entirely, ragworm and lugworm tempting Dover sole tight to the harbour wall, while a bigger fish bait laid out after dark can find conger among the wreckage of old harbour structure below. Winter turns it into a cod and whiting mark, fished slower and heavier over the same snaggy ground. Rotunda Beach nearby offers an easier, less snag-prone alternative on the same stretch of coast.
Access: A charge applies to fish from the pier, small change well spent for the range of species on offer; the harbour arm itself is mixed ground with plenty of snags so expect to lose the odd rig
Parking: Pay-and-display parking around Folkestone Harbour and the seafront
Last updated: 11 August 2026
Species you can expect
| Species | Best season |
|---|---|
| Mackerel | Summer |
| Garfish | Summer |
| Scad | Summer |
| Dover sole | Summer, Autumn |
| Dogfish | Spring, Summer, Autumn |
| Bass | Summer, Autumn |
| Smooth-hound | Summer |
| Conger | Summer, Autumn |
| Cod / codling | Winter |
| Whiting | Winter |
Mixed, snaggy ground around the harbour arm means tackle losses are part and parcel of fishing here. Best bait picks: spinners for mackerel, ragworm and lugworm for sole, peeler crab (size 2/0-4/0) for the bigger stuff, mackerel fillet for conger.
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