Flatfish · Beach, at night
Dover sole
Calm summer nights on sandy and muddy beaches, close in. Use small hooks (size 4–2).
- Know it
- Oval and brown, with a rounded snout and a black spot on the pectoral fin.
- Bait
- Ragworm, lugworm, small and fresh
- Table
- Excellent eating The best eating fish you'll catch from the shore. Keep it a day in the fridge, then grill on the bone.
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
Dover sole
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 | 24cm |
| North Wales | 24cm |
| Yorkshire to the Tyne | 24cm |
| Northumberland | 24cm |
| Cardigan Bay and the Llyn | 24cm |
| Dorset, Hampshire and the Solent | 24cm (check locally) |
| Kent, the Thames and Essex | 24cm (check locally) |
| Suffolk, Norfolk and the Wash | 24cm |
| Lincolnshire and the Humber | 24cm |
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, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. That may mean none is set, or that the national rules apply: check locally.
and 6 other regionsRules change, usually each spring. Check the regulator for the area before you keep a fish.
A headline fish in
September to November
Severn estuary, Somerset and North Devon
Kingston Seymour and the muddy upper channel on calm night tides. Small hooks with lugworm.
May to September
Suffolk, Norfolk and the Wash
Calm, warm nights over high on the Suffolk beaches. Small size 4 hooks with a scrap of ragworm or lug.
Where to catch it
Regions with marks where Dover sole is one of the main fish, and how many marks.
How to cook it
The best eating fish you'll catch from the shore. Keep it a day in the fridge, then grill on the bone. Simple ways to cook it at home. More on bleeding, gutting, filleting and freezing in From sea to plate.
Method 1
Grilled on the bone
Skin the dark side, brush with melted butter and season. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes a side, depending on thickness. Serve with melted butter, lemon and parsley.
Method 2
Meuniere
Dust the skinned fish in seasoned flour and fry in butter for 3 to 4 minutes a side. Lift out, let the butter foam and turn nut brown, add lemon juice and parsley, and pour over.