Days Out NI
Fishing & angling Donaghadee

Donaghadee Pier sea angling

Free pier sea-angling on the Ards Peninsula — turn up with a rod and cast.

3 photos
Tides & seasonCheck tides before you go
FreeBeginners welcome
DonaghadeeFishing & angling
Get directionsOfficial website
FreeTrip / free
Sea anglingOff the shore/boat
Beginners OKKids welcome
No rod licenceBefore you fish
On siteParking

Donaghadee Pier sea angling — Free pier sea-angling on the Ards Peninsula — turn up with a rod and cast.

  • Licence & permits: No rod licence needed for sea angling in NI, except when fishing for salmon or sea trout. No permit required for the pier.
  • What you can catch: Mackerel, pollack, coalfish, wrasse, codling, dab, flounder, pouting, whiting, rockling, conger eel.
  • Beginners & kids: Well suited to beginners and families. No tuition or tackle hire on site — bring your own gear.
  • Cost: Free.
  • Booking: None — just turn up.
  • Facilities: No tackle hire or bait on the pier. Buy tackle and bait beforehand. Donaghadee town has shops, cafés and parking near the harbour.
Plan your visit

What you can catch

Summer brings plenty of mackerel, taken on feathers and daylights. Pollack come to spinners and float-fished baits, and you can float-fish for wrasse too. Bottom-fished baits pick up coalfish, codling, dab, flounder, pouting, whiting and rockling, while a big mackerel or squid bait can tempt a conger eel from the rougher ground over the back wall.

Free to fish — no licence needed for sea angling Mackerel run through summer on feathers Pollack, coalfish and wrasse on spinners and float Easy pier access in a harbour town Great first-cast spot for beginners and kids
Good to know before you go:

Mackerel are the summer draw, arriving in numbers through the warmer months. Check tide times before you set out, as fishing works best around a moving tide.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🎣Your rod & tackleSome fisheries hire gear — check first if you’re travelling light.
  • 🪪Your rod licence & permitMost NI freshwater fishing needs a DAERA rod licence plus a permit — sort it before you go.
  • 🧥Waterproofs & warm layersYou’re at the water’s edge for hours — dress for it whatever the forecast.
  • 🥪A flask and a pieceThere’s not always a café on the bank, so pack your own.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Type
Free-to-fish pier sea angling
What you can catch
Mackerel, pollack, coalfish, wrasse, codling, dab, flounder, pouting, whiting, rockling, conger eel
Licence & permits
No rod licence needed for sea angling in NI, except when fishing for salmon or sea trout. No permit required for the pier.
Beginners & kids
Well suited to beginners and families. No tuition or tackle hire on site — bring your own gear.
Cost
Free
Booking
None — just turn up
Facilities
No tackle hire or bait on the pier. Buy tackle and bait beforehand. Donaghadee town has shops, cafés and parking near the harbour.
Parking
Parking available around Donaghadee harbour
Address
The Pier, Donaghadee harbour, Co. Down
Questions

Before you go

What licence or permit do I need?
No rod licence needed for sea angling in NI, except when fishing for salmon or sea trout. No permit required for the pier.
Is it OK for beginners and children?
Well suited to beginners and families. No tuition or tackle hire on site — bring your own gear.
How much does it cost?
Free
What can I catch?
Mackerel, pollack, coalfish, wrasse, codling, dab, flounder, pouting, whiting, rockling, conger eel
Do I need to book?
None — just turn up
Getting there

Donaghadee Pier sea angling is at The Pier, Donaghadee harbour, Co. Down. Parking available around Donaghadee harbour. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

About Donaghadee Pier sea angling

Donaghadee's harbour pier is a genuinely accessible spot for a first cast. In summer the mackerel run thick and fast on strings of feathers, which is exactly the kind of quick, busy fishing that keeps children hooked. Set up under the old lighthouse and you can be catching within minutes.