Tides
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Tides
Fish
Marks
Water quality
Log
Alerts

For planning a fishing trip only, not for navigation. Check an official tide table and local conditions before you go.

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Tides
Fish
Marks
Water quality
Log
Alerts

Tides
Fish
Marks
Water quality
Log
Alerts

Thornback ray at Hooken Beach · Tidefinder

Branscombe

Hooken Beach

Shore
Deep water close in

Beach listed on OpenStreetMap. Species and access haven't been checked yet.

Fish here

BassPeak now
Thornback rayIn season
SmoothhoundMay–Sep
WhitingPeak now

Also caught

Mackerel Jun–Oct
Pollack Sep–Dec
Garfish May–Sep
Dogfish May–Oct

Location is approximate. Check access and safety locally before you go.

Approximate tides. These come from a sea model and can be up to an hour out in estuaries, so check a tide table before you go.

Fish

Any species
Bass, peak season
Whiting, peak season
Thornback ray, good season
Smoothhound, occasional this month

When

Any time

Science says

Other good times

The Thames Estuary's signature spring fish, feeding over mud, sand and gravel channels.

Suggested baits

Sandeel
Peeler crab
Mackerel
Herring
Squid

No other good times this week.

Draft profile, not yet reviewed. Based on FishBase: Raja clavata and Cefas, Catchwise: A Survey of Marine Recreational Fishing Activity in England and Wales (2026) and General UK sea-angling guidance (to be verified).

Next 7 days

Times are the middle of each turn. The small times underneath are slack water, when the level stays close to high or low.

~ times come from a sea model and can be up to an hour out. There's no tide gauge close enough for our own predictions, so heights aren't shown.

TodayWed 14 OctSprings
1. Low~01:5101:09–02:33
2. High~08:4007:49–09:31
3. Low~14:1813:34–15:02

Tide times for SidmouthThe week's highs and lows, 9 km away

Top pick this week
Friday morning
06:00–09:00
71Good
- 3h into the flood
- Dark
- Mid tides
Thornback rayLight NW 7 mph
Why this time?
Tide: 3h into the floodRays follow the flood onto the flats and feed best over high water.
Light: DarkFeed more confidently after dark.
Tide size: Mid tidesModerate tides suit them; big springs make bottom baits hard to hold.
Season: Good season in OctoberCaught all year, with April to June the peak in the Thames.
Wind: Light NW 7 mphLight enough to fish comfortably, so it costs nothing.
Sea: Slight (0.7 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 16.7°CComfortable between 8 and 18°C, best around 12°C.
How we score
2nd best this week
Saturday morning
06:30–09:30
66Good
- 4h into the flood
- Dawn
- Neaps
Thornback rayLight N 9 mph
Why this time?
Tide: 4h into the floodRays follow the flood onto the flats and feed best over high water.
Light: DawnFeed more confidently after dark.
Tide size: NeapsModerate tides suit them; big springs make bottom baits hard to hold.
Season: Good season in OctoberCaught all year, with April to June the peak in the Thames.
Wind: Light N 9 mphLight enough to fish comfortably, so it costs nothing.
Sea: Flat calm (0.3 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 16.5°CComfortable between 8 and 18°C, best around 12°C.
How we score
3rd best this week
This morning
08:00–09:00
64Fair
- 5h into the flood
- Dawn
- Springs
Thornback rayLight SW 7 mph
Why this time?
Tide: 5h into the floodRays follow the flood onto the flats and feed best over high water.
Light: DawnFeed more confidently after dark.
Tide size: SpringsModerate tides suit them; big springs make bottom baits hard to hold.
Season: Good season in OctoberCaught all year, with April to June the peak in the Thames.
Wind: Light SW 7 mphLight enough to fish comfortably, so it costs nothing.
Sea: Slight (0.4 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 16.8°CComfortable between 8 and 18°C, best around 12°C.
How we score
4th best this week
Tomorrow morning
06:30–09:00
64Fair
- 4h into the flood
- Dark
- Mid tides
Thornback rayFresh SSW 15 mph
Why this time?
Tide: 4h into the floodRays follow the flood onto the flats and feed best over high water.
Light: DarkFeed more confidently after dark.
Tide size: Mid tidesModerate tides suit them; big springs make bottom baits hard to hold.
Season: Good season in OctoberCaught all year, with April to June the peak in the Thames.
Wind: Fresh SSW 15 mphStrong wind makes it harder to fish and to spot bites.
Sea: Moderate (0.9 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 16.7°CComfortable between 8 and 18°C, best around 12°C.
How we score
5th best this week
Sunday morning
08:00–09:00
62Fair
- 4h into the flood
- Dawn
- Neaps
Thornback rayLight N 9 mph
Why this time?
Tide: 4h into the floodRays follow the flood onto the flats and feed best over high water.
Light: DawnFeed more confidently after dark.
Tide size: NeapsModerate tides suit them; big springs make bottom baits hard to hold.
Season: Good season in OctoberCaught all year, with April to June the peak in the Thames.
Wind: Light N 9 mphLight enough to fish comfortably, so it costs nothing.
Sea: Slight (0.4 m waves)Not fussy about sea state unless it gets rough.
Water: Sea 16.1°CComfortable between 8 and 18°C, best around 12°C.
How we score

High

~20:48

20:01–21:34

64Best 08:00–09:00~3.6 m range

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:33
Sunset: 18:22
Moon: Waxing crescent, 14%
Wind: SSW 6–16 mph, gusts 29
Waves: Waves 0.7 m
Sea temperature: Sea 16.8°C

TomorrowThu 15 OctMid tides

Low~02:2801:44–03:12
High~09:0508:19–09:50
Low~14:4714:05–15:30
High~21:1820:34–22:03

64Best 06:30–09:00~3.1 m range

Fri 16 OctMid tides

Low~03:1002:25–03:55
High~09:3108:46–10:16
Low~15:3014:44–16:16
High~21:5021:11–22:28

71Best 06:00–09:00~2.5 m range

Sat 17 OctNeaps

Low~03:4302:57–04:29
High~10:0509:24–10:46
Low~16:1215:24–17:00
High~22:2321:39–23:06

66Best 06:30–09:30~2.2 m range

Sun 18 OctNeaps

Low~04:2803:38–05:18
High~10:4009:57–11:22
Low~17:1316:25–18:01
High~23:0222:24–23:40

62Best 08:00–09:00~1.7 m range

Mon 19 OctNeaps

Low~05:2704:40–06:15
High~11:3010:47–12:12
Low~18:2017:38–19:02

No standout fishing times~1.5 m range

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:41
Sunset: 18:12
Moon: First quarter, 58%
Wind: NE 9–12 mph, gusts 23
Waves: Waves 0.7 m
Sea temperature: Sea 15.8°C

Tue 20 OctNeaps

High~00:0523:28–00:42
Low~06:4706:13–07:22
High~12:2911:43–13:16
Low~19:3218:53–20:10

No standout fishing times~1.3 m range

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:43
Sunset: 18:10
Moon: First quarter, 67%
Wind: W 3–12 mph, gusts 22
Waves: Waves 0.5 m
Sea temperature: Sea 15.7°C

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:35
Sunset: 18:20
Moon: Waxing crescent, 22%
Wind: SSW 12–17 mph, gusts 32
Waves: Waves 1.0 m
Sea temperature: Sea 16.8°C

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:36
Sunset: 18:18
Moon: Waxing crescent, 30%
Wind: NNW 7–14 mph, gusts 27
Waves: Waves 0.9 m
Sea temperature: Sea 16.7°C

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:38
Sunset: 18:16
Moon: First quarter, 39%
Wind: NNE 7–12 mph, gusts 24
Waves: Waves 0.3 m
Sea temperature: Sea 16.5°C

Good fishing timeDark

Sunrise: 07:40
Sunset: 18:14
Moon: First quarter, 48%
Wind: NNE 9–14 mph, gusts 27
Waves: Waves 0.4 m
Sea temperature: Sea 16.1°C

Caught one here? Log it

Fish here? Share what works

When do thornback ray bite best at Hooken Beach? Three taps, anonymous.

Which state of tide fishes best?

Flood (rising)Around high waterEbb (falling)Around low waterNot sure

Springs or neaps?

Big springsSmall neapsNo differenceNot sure

What time of day?

Dawn and duskDaytimeAfter darkNot sure

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Tackle & bait nearby

We don't know of a tackle shop within 20 km yet.

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Fished here? How did you get on?

Two taps is all it takes. It builds a picture of Hooken Beach for everyone.

How did it go?

1Blank2Slow3Okay4Good5Cracking

Anonymous unless you're signed in. We only show totals, never who said what.

Friday 16 October from 19:30 to 22:30 is the best window, with light north-north-westerly wind, five hours into the flood on mid tides, dark conditions and slight seas. Saturday 17 October from 20:30 to 23:30 is a close second, with a flat calm sea and neap tides, so it suits anglers who prefer calmer water.

Written by AI from the scores below. Check conditions before you go.