Round fish · Shore and boat
Whiting
Night tides from October to January. Small baits on three hooks out-fish big ones.
- Know it
- Silvery, slim, with a small dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin and a pointed snout. No chin barbel on adults (cod and pouting have one).
- Bait
- Mackerel or sandeel strip, lug, squid
- Table
- Good eating Soft flesh that goes off fast: eat within a day or two. Great fried in breadcrumbs.
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
Whiting
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 | 27cm |
| North Wales | 27cm |
| Yorkshire to the Tyne | 27cm |
| Northumberland | 27cm |
| Cardigan Bay and the Llyn | 27cm |
| Pembrokeshire, Gower and South Wales | None set |
| Dorset, Hampshire and the Solent | 27cm (check locally) |
| Kent, the Thames and Essex | 27cm (check locally) |
| Suffolk, Norfolk and the Wash | 27cm |
| Lincolnshire and the Humber | 27cm |
No size for this fish is listed in the regional rules we checked for Severn estuary, Somerset and North Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, South Devon. That may mean none is set, or that the national rules apply: check locally.
and 5 other regionsRules change, usually each spring. Check the regulator for the area before you keep a fish.
A headline fish in
October to February
Pembrokeshire, Gower and South Wales
Vale of Glamorgan beaches and ledges at Llantwit Major and Barry. Lug and squid on a pulley rig on night tides.
October to February
Severn estuary, Somerset and North Devon
Portishead, Clevedon and Minehead on winter night tides. Lug and squid on a pulley rig. Cod are much scarcer up the channel than they were.
October to February
Dorset, Hampshire and the Solent
Chesil after a northerly with a little colour. Lug or squid, and stay on into dark.
October to February
Kent, the Thames and Essex
Everywhere in Kent, best at night. Lug or squid strips on two-hook rigs.
October to March
Suffolk, Norfolk and the Wash
The bread and butter of winter. Two-hook flapper with lug or mackerel strip from any pier or beach after dark.
October to March
Lincolnshire and the Humber
Everywhere in winter, often in numbers. A single worm on a small hook, or strip mackerel.
Where to catch it
Regions with marks where whiting is one of the main fish, and how many marks.
How to cook it
Soft flesh that goes off fast: eat within a day or two. Great fried in breadcrumbs. Simple ways to cook it at home. More on bleeding, gutting, filleting and freezing in From sea to plate.
Method 1
Breadcrumbed and fried
Dip small fillets in seasoned flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs. Shallow fry in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes a side until golden. Eat within a day or two of catching, as whiting softens fast.
Method 2
Fishcakes
Poach fillets in milk for 5 minutes, flake, and mix with mashed potato, chopped parsley and seasoning. Shape into cakes, dust with flour and fry until crisp on both sides.