The best place for crabbing in Cornwall

The best place for crabbing in Cornwall. When we visited Cornwall staying with Trecan Farm Cottages the first thing the boys wanted to do was go crabbing. I scoured the internet for suggestions on where to go crabbing and found very few. So we decided to take a punt and try crabbing in Fowey. There is nothing worse than taking the kids crabbing and not catching anything. So I was a little bit sceptical. Turns out that I had no reason to be and we had an excellent experience crabbing in Cornwall. Little did I know that this particular trio would lead to a love of hunting for shore crab in pretty much every UK holiday we have been on since. Here is our experience and everything you need to know about going crabbing in Fowey.

The best place for crabbing in Cornwall

Parking at Fowey

On our second day, we headed to the little seaside fishing village. It is funny but as we came into the car park I experienced a little bit of dayjarvou! I realised pretty quickly that we had actually been there before when Charlie was ten weeks old, the best part of eight years previously. One of the good things about Fowey is that it has a large carpark at the top of the village. With signs from the main road, it is hard to miss as it is labelled as the main car park. The postcode is PL23 1ET and they have 269 spaces. This stands it apart from other seaside villages in Cornwall. Where parking can be a challenge, especially in peak season. If you are planning on going crabbing in Fowey then this is one of the best places to park.

With narrow roads and beautiful white cottages, you really do not want to be driving around the one-way streets unless you can help it. There are two other car parks at each end of the village if needed. From the main car park, you walk down the hill and through the little streets into the village. It is a beautiful short walk. We headed straight for the Quayside which is really easy to find.

The Quay Side

As you wander down it is easy to be distracted by the cute little shops (there are lots of shops) and eateries. There is even a small aquarium that boasts the largest lobster in Cornwall…. As it turned out when we arrived the heavens opened so we ended up sitting in a little cafe under umbrellas waiting for it to pass. Typical of a Uk holiday. But it is good to know that there is somewhere to shelter if needed.

The quayside or harbour wall has a rail that runs most of the way around which is useful to tie crabbing nets or crab line to it is easy to find a suitable spot. There is an area where you can not crab as it is in use by tourists going on sightseeing and fishing trip. As well as the local fishing boats but this is clearly signposted. We settled on the lefthand side of the quay over in the corner where there are benches. Handily it is also right next to the Galleon Inn which serves soft drinks out of the side window. It was reasonably busy being the height of Summer but over in our corner, we were able to keep out of the way of other people easily.

There is also a small jetty or pontoon which is also a great place to crab. When we visited this was not there because of the virus. But it makes a good spot and I have been reliably informed it now back. Probably not one for very young children though as there’s not much to stop them from falling in since you are right on the water’s edge. I was very grateful that we have the rail with Harry on this particular visit.

When is the best time to go crabbing?

The best time to go crabbing in Cornwall is when the tide is ebbing (on its way out) or when it is rising (on its way in). Generally, low tide means that there is not enough water above the seafloor for happy crabs so they tend to disappear. High tide can mean that they are enjoying the rocky shores too much. The water around the quay gets really shallow when the tide is going out. We definitely had more success when the tide was higher so if you are planning a trip then it is worth thinking about tide times. To make sure it’s not shallow water.

If you can avoid the midday sun during the summer months as the bright sunlight can affect the crabs in the bucket. Make sure that you keep them out of direct sunlight. When releasing your crabs try and find a quiet space. As it is likely that an opportunist scavenger (seagull) will be on the hunt. We tend to direct them away from our catch by throwing the old bacon in one direction and releasing our catch at the same time in the other.

What did we catch – The best place for crabbing in Cornwall

I do think there is a knack for catching the biggest crab. We use raw bacon as bait and started to catch things straight away. If you are planning on doing the same then the smokier and stinkier the better! So much so that we had to buy another crab bucket from the local shop. They also sold bait bags if you forget yours.

As well as catching a number of crabs. The boys were very excited by the fact we were also catching shrimp. And they were really big ones. So much so that if I knew what I was doing we could have taken them home and had them for tea. We got a few comments to that effect. So turns out that Fowey is also the perfect place to catch your dinner! Although we did not find any edible crab on our trip, I think you can catch brown crab stocks there as well.

Charlie was very impressed with the large crab that he caught and it was a very successful trip all around. With public toilets, ice creams and drinks on hand. The ice creams were a great way to motivate them to walk back up the hill. Plus there was a little shop with all the things you could ever need to fulfil your crabbing ambitions in case you forget something. Such as needing an extra crabbing line when you lose a net etc (that’s happened to us before in the Cornish waters.

We had such a lovely family day crabbing in Fowey. The boys had great fun, Which is what it is all about right?

Other Crabbing Locations in Cornwall

You may wish to try other crabbing locations in Cornwall. Since writing this post we also visited East Looe where we caught lots and lots of crabs. The best place here is along the side of the fish market on the inner harbour walls. You can read more about our visit – Where to catch the most crabs in Cornwall. We also visited the Eden Project during our visit last year which was also a great day trip for kids.

You may also think about visiting St Ives. The stunning beaches are a great spot for kids to play. This is the next location on our crabbing wish list. I will let you know how we get on. There is also Padstow Harbour where you can access the outer walls quite easily or try out some tasty crab meat for yourself in a delicious sandwich. You can also catch a boat trip across to Rock Beach which is one of our favourites.

If you are planning on visiting the South Coast then you may also be interested in our post about Littlehampton. Which is another hot spot for crabbing.

Have you visited Cornwall or gone crabbing in Fowey? Perhaps you have tried crabbing elsewhere?  I would love to hear about your favourite places to try in the comments below.

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