Chichester Harbour - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, picture of a patrol boat

Angling

Fly fishing January to March is generally the quietest period but given reasonable conditions, flounders will start to show during late March and April and bass can be expected during May. Eels and mullet are also quite plentiful during the warmer months but the latter are not easily caught on rod and line.

Flounders tend to become quite scarce during the period from June to August but sport normally improves during September and October, tailing off again as the year runs its course. The later autumn period will often produce some quite good catches, a dozen or so fish for individual anglers fishing from either a boat or a mark such as Dell Quay; there is also beach casting near the Harbour entrance. Generally speaking, the most popular bait is king ragworm, but lugworm also accounts for a number of flounder.

The various channels and creeks within the Harbour yeild fish, some quite surprising fish, such as the occasional plaice or even sole. Individual fish of these species have been caught in recent years, some of them weighing in excess of two pounds. Mackerel are sometimes caught inside the Harbour but more frequently outside, where bream and a variety of other species give sport in season. Digging for bait in the Harbour is controlled by a byelaw and restricts the areas that are available. Over-digging has depleted the colony of harbour ragworms so please - only take what you intend to use and fill in the holes you have dug.

Bass Nursery Area

Under the Bass (Specified Areas) (Prohibition of Fishing) (Variation) Order 1999 Fishing for bass, or fishing for any fish using sand-eels as bait, by any fishing boat within any part of the Harbour as defined, is prohibited between 30th April and 1st November.

Angling

Bass Nursery Area

Other Links