Species › Europe, UK & Ireland · Saltwater › Dover Sole

Saltwater

Dover Sole

Solea solea · Common sole, Sole, Black sole

Water temp
50–63°F
Peak season
Jun–Sep
Best light
Night
IGFA record
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Dover Sole (Solea solea 1.jpg)

Photo: Hans Hillewaert · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Dover sole are elongated, oval flatfish with both eyes on the right side, a small curved mouth set below a rounded snout, a dark brown mottled back and a black spot on the pectoral fin. They range from Norway and the North Sea to Senegal and throughout the Mediterranean, favoring sand and mud from the shallows to 500 ft (150 m), and move into shallow inshore water in late spring to feed and spawn. Sole lie buried by day and hunt worms, small crustaceans and bivalves after dark by touch and smell. They are no fighter, but their table value and the challenge of hitting their twitchy bites make them a prized summer catch from Channel and North Sea beaches.

Typical size0.5–1.5 lb (0.25–0.7 kg); 10–15 in
Trophy3 lb+ (1.4 kg+)
Table fareExcellent — the classic restaurant sole; firm, delicate white flesh

Where & when

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Inshore from May to October as water warms past 54°F (12°C), with the best shore fishing on warm, dark summer nights; sole move offshore and go quiet in winter.

Dungeness, United KingdomKent shingle beach; classic night sole venueWestern Scheldt, NetherlandsSandbanks and channels; summer soleBay of the Somme, FrancePicardy sand flats and estuary

How to catch

Light ledger with small baitsFish a two- or three-hook flapper rig with small size 2–4 hooks baited with a single ragworm or lugworm on a 2–4 oz lead, cast 20–60 yards onto clean sand after dark. Sole suck in baits slowly, so leave the rod still and strike at a steady rattle, not a tap.
Fishing the margins on a flood tideOn shallow sandy beaches, sole feed within yards of the shoreline at night on the rising tide. Short casts, light leads and fresh worm beat distance every time.

Gear

Rod12–13' light beachcaster or 11' bass rod
Reel5000–6000 spinning or small multiplier
Line15–18 lb mono or 20 lb braid; 40–50 lb shock leader

Baits

RagwormLugwormSmall harbor ragworm (maddies)

Regulations

Dover sole have a minimum landing size in UK and EU waters and no licence is needed for UK or Irish shore angling; the North Sea and Channel commercial fisheries are quota-managed, and some areas have seasonal closures. Check national rules.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: not listed. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

When is the best time to catch Dover sole from the beach?

Warm, dark, calm nights from June to September, fishing the two hours either side of high water on a flooding tide, are prime. Sole come right into the margins over clean sand, so short casts with small ragworm or lugworm baits outfish long ones. A new moon and a bit of surf help.

Bite forecast — Dover Sole

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Dover Sole.

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