The most child friendly fishing spots in Torbay, Devon
By Simon Day
If you are planning on coming to Torbay on holiday and you want to take your child fishing then you have a lot of places to choose from. On this page I'm going to list the top three places to fish with kids and I'll explain why I think they are the best.
These are ranked in order with number one being the best in my humble opinion.
#1 - Princess Pier, Torquay
When I take my children (and my friends children) fishing this is where we go every single time. The journey to the fishing spot is very safe. Once there you have bars running all down the seaward side which is where you have to fish from (You can't fish into the harbour).
It doesn't have bars on ALL of the marina side so you still need to be careful if they are very young. There are steps on both sides on the pier so if you're unsure set-up near a spot with steps on the marina side... just in case.
In the summer this is a great place to catch mackerel and most fish you catch here are less than a pound in weight so they are easy for children to bring up the pier wall if they want too.
It's pretty much all sand so there is little for the lines to snag on. Just be careful to not get the hooks too close to the pier wall as they can snag on the wall.
Here's a video of my youngest daughter Jess casting for one of her first times at Princess pier. You'll see from this (very) short video what it is really like fishing from there.
As you can see the seaward side is nice and safe. There are some parts where the marina also has side rails (you can see this is in the video) so you could choose to fish there if you're worried.
Why I think it's suitable
- Friendly people there
- Suitable for children aged 6+
- Not too far to get to from a car
- Can handle a lot of people fishing
- Rails along the seaward side of the pier
- Steps down to the water on both sides in case of emergency
Overall this is my favourite place to bring my own kids so I would recommend Princess pier to others. Click here for the full guide to Princess Pier.
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#2 - Brixham Breakwater
I have seen people fishing all over the place in and near Brixham Breakwater and I often see parents with kids fishing from here.
The seabed is mostly sandy but if you're fishing off the seaward side of the breakwater you need to be careful reeling in once you get close to the wall... as you can see from the photo above (did you also notice Sammy the seal in the photo above?).
I'm not entirely sure on the legality of some spots but I really have seen people fishing with their children all over the place...
You do need to take care they don't get too close to the edge on the breakwater but it really is a nice place to fish with children.
Why I think it's suitable
- Friendly people there
- Impossible to ever be full
- Suitable for children aged 6+
- Not too far to get to from a car
Click on my full fishing guide to Brixham Breakwater here.
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#3 - Babbacombe pier, Torquay
If you can get here when no-one else is fishing it is a lovely and safe place to fish from with children. I've been here with mine and I never felt worried while I was there with them.
As you can see from the above photo there is a small wall on the seaward side and if your child ever did fall in the sea you'll notice the steps at the end which makes rescuing them very easy.
The main downsides here is that is can get busy and the people here can be rude if you're fishing with children. It's a very short, flat walk from the carpark so getting there and back is easier than the two above.
Why I think it's suitable
- Wall on seaward side
- Very close to car park
- Suitable for children aged 5+
Click on my full fishing guide to Babbacombe Pier here.