Crabbing at Lyme Regis: A Family Guide to the Harbour Wall
A bucket, a length of line and a bit of bacon rind will keep most children busy on the Cobb for an hour. Here is what actually works, and where the crabs are.
Published July 2026Of all the ways to spend a slow afternoon in Lyme Regis, crabbing off the harbour wall is the one that costs almost nothing and rarely disappoints. You do not need a rod, a licence, or any particular skill. A length of string, a weight, some bait and a bucket of seawater is the whole kit, and most of it can be bought from the shops along Bridge Street or Marine Parade for a few pounds if you have not brought your own.
Where to fish from
The inner harbour, on the town side of the Cobb, is the easiest and safest spot for younger children. The water is sheltered, the wall is low in places, and there is usually a cluster of other families doing the same thing, which tends to keep an eye on everyone’s children by default. The outer face of the Cobb, facing the open bay, can hold more and larger crabs but the drop to the water is greater and the wall is more exposed to swell, so it suits older children and closer supervision.
Low tide narrows the amount of water available and can concentrate crabs into the deeper channels near the harbour steps, while a rising tide over the two or three hours either side of high water tends to bring the best results, since more of the harbour floor is covered and crabs move to feed. Check tide times before you go rather than relying on daylight or weather as a guide — a falling tide can leave you crabbing over exposed mud within twenty minutes of arriving.
Bait and tackle
Bacon rind is the traditional bait and it works because the salt and fat leach into the water and travel further than most alternatives. Raw chicken skin, fish heads from the harbourside fishmonger, or squid strips all work as well or better. Whatever you use, tie it firmly to the line rather than hooking it loosely, since crabs tend to pull bait apart with their claws rather than swallow it whole, and a poorly tied bait will simply come free the first time a crab takes an interest.
A simple hand line with a small weight to keep it down against the current is all that is needed. Commercial crab lines sold in the local shops usually come with a small net or cage attached, which holds the bait in place and is easier for young children to manage than a bare hook and string. Drop the line to the harbour floor, wait for a gentle tug, and lift slowly and steadily — crabs let go quickly if they feel the line move too fast, so patience in the retrieve matters more than speed.
What you will catch
The common shore crab is what most people pull up, recognisable by its mottled green-brown shell and five pairs of legs including the front claws. Occasionally a larger edible crab, with its distinctive pie-crust-edged shell, will take the bait, and these are best returned gently rather than kept, since they take years to reach a decent size and the harbour population benefits from being left alone. Velvet swimming crabs, more aggressive and quicker to pinch, also turn up from time to time and are worth handling carefully by the back of the shell rather than near the claws.
Keep your bucket topped up with fresh seawater and in the shade if possible; crabs held in warm, shallow water for long periods become stressed quickly. A good rule followed by most local families is to return everything caught within an hour and to avoid stacking too many crabs together in one bucket, since they will fight and can injure each other. The point of the exercise, in the end, is the looking and the catching, not the keeping.
Combining it with the rest of a visit
Crabbing sits naturally alongside a broader day exploring the harbour. Many families combine an hour on the wall with a walk out along the Cobb itself and a look at the boats moored in the inner harbour, and the rock pools at the base of the cliffs to the east of the town add another dimension for anyone interested in the marine life living along this stretch of coast. Rock pooling and crabbing reward roughly the same conditions — a falling tide, calm weather, and a bit of patience — so it is easy to build a full morning or afternoon around both.
The RNLI publishes general water safety guidance for anyone spending time on harbour walls and slipways, and it is worth a quick read before a first visit, particularly around keeping small children back from unguarded edges on the outer Cobb. It is a piece of practical advice worth following rather than a formality: the stone can be slippery even in dry weather, and the drop on the seaward side is considerably deeper than it looks from above.
For a longer stay, the town rewards slower exploration well beyond the harbour wall itself, and the wider bay has its own set of residents worth learning about if crabbing sparks an interest in what else lives beneath the surface.