Eels · Rock, harbour and wreck
Conger eel
Harbour walls and wrecks at night. Pump it up hard and give no slack.
- Know it
- Big grey-black eel with a large mouth, strong jaws and no scales.
- Bait
- Mackerel flapper, whole squid
- Rigs
- Conger trace
- Table
- Fair eating Edible, but bony at the tail end; steaks from the head end are best. Most are released, as big eels are old.
Season
Typical months on the North West and North East coasts, with this month ringed. Seasons shift a few weeks with water temperature and run differently around the coast: see each region's headline fish below.
Legal minimum size
Conger eel
Last checked 18 October 2026Measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail (rays: wing tip to wing tip). Each region links to its regulator.
| Area | Minimum |
|---|---|
| North West England | 58cm |
| North Wales | 58cm |
| Yorkshire to the Tyne | No legal minimum |
| Northumberland | No legal minimum |
| Cardigan Bay and the Llyn | 58cm |
| Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | 58cm |
No size for this fish is listed in the regional rules we checked for Pembrokeshire, Gower and South Wales, Severn estuary, Somerset and North Devon, South Devon. That may mean none is set, or that the national rules apply: check locally.
and 9 other regions
Rules change, usually each spring. Check the regulator for the area before you keep a fish.
Tips
Conger from the shore
A mackerel head is the bait: crabs take ages to get through it. Use 100lb or more next to a wall, as the fish heads straight back for its hole. Leave the reel out of gear with the ratchet on, or a fixed spool's drag loose, so a conger can't pull the rod in.
A headline fish in
All year, best June to October
Severn estuary, Somerset and North Devon
Harbour walls, reefs and Brean Down after dark. Big fish baits on a strong hooklength.
All year, best summer and autumn
Ayrshire, Galloway and the Scottish Solway
Balcary ledges and Ardrossan harbour at night. Mackerel or sardine, with strong traces.
Where to catch it
Regions with marks where conger eel is one of the main fish, and how many marks.