Blonde Ray
The blonde ray is one of the largest rays caught from UK shores and boats, running to over 30lb on good days.
It draws dedicated followers along the Bristol Channel, south Wales coast, and English Channel, where anglers fish specifically for it rather than treating it as a bycatch bonus.
Its size, weight, and the challenge of hauling it off a sandy seabed make it a serious target for shore and boat anglers alike.
Scientific Name: Raja brachyura
Also known as Blonde skate, Smooth ray
- Sandy ochre to pale grey-brown upper surface covered in small dark spots that extend right to the wing edges — the key feature separating it from the spotted ray, whose spots stop short of the margin.
- Larger, paler spots scattered symmetrically across the disc; underside plain white; skin rough to the touch across the whole upper surface.
- Broad, diamond-shaped disc with a short, bluntly angled snout; tail roughly equal in length to the disc, tapering to two small dorsal fins at the tip.
- Typical fish run 40–100 cm; maximum around 120 cm. Females grow larger than males — the British boat record stands at 38lb 8oz.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the northeast Atlantic; around the UK recorded from the southwest and south coasts of England, the Bristol Channel, Wales, and scattered records up to Scotland and the Shetland Isles.
- A bottom-dwelling species of soft ground — sandbanks, gravel beds, shell-grit banks, and muddy seabeds — from the surf zone out to around 100 m, occasionally deeper.
- Inshore coastal shallows serve as nursery grounds for juveniles; adults use deeper offshore banks, particularly the tide-scoured sand and gravel banks that form downtide of major headlands.
- Locally abundant in the Irish Sea, Bristol Channel, and Celtic Sea; also taken in the western English Channel around features like the Shambles and Kidney Banks off Portland Bill and the Skerries near Start Point, Devon.
Key Locations
- Bristol Channel — particularly marks around Minehead such as Greenaliegh, where blondes move inshore in autumn and winter alongside thornback and spotted ray.
- South Wales coast — fish arrive inshore from mid-September, accessible from many shore marks over both low and high water.
- Isle of Wight (St Catherine's Point area) — offshore banks to the south and west hold fish year-round; a noted winter boat-fishing destination.
- Western English Channel — the Shambles and Kidney Banks off Portland Bill, and the Skerries near Start Point, Devon, are well-known boat marks over tide-scoured sandbanks.
- Cornish waters — significant commercial landings recorded from ICES divisions 7f, g, and h; also taken by shore and small-boat anglers along the southwest coast.
Specific Spots
- Tide-scoured sandbanks that form downtide of major headlands — the current slows, sediment settles, and rays patrol these undulating banks to feed. Portland Bill, St Catherine's Point (Isle of Wight), and Start Point are classic examples.
- From shore, rocky marks that give access to clean sandy ground at low water are productive — the fish move onto the sand to hunt, so casting to the sandy patches between reef is the key.
- In the Bristol Channel, marks like Greenaliegh near Minehead fish best over the three hours either side of low water on bigger tides, when the rocks uncover and rays work the adjacent sand.
- Boat anglers anchor uptide of known banks and fish the downtide slope, where rays sit waiting for food carried by the current.
Blonde Ray FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Blonde Ray?
Oily fish baits are the first choice: bluey (Pacific saury), mackerel fillet, anchovy, and sandeel all produce. The scent trail across the seabed does the work of attracting fish from a distance.
When is the best time to fish for Blonde Ray?
South Wales and Bristol Channel shore fishing: fish move inshore from around mid-September and remain catchable through winter into early spring.
How do you catch Blonde Ray?
Shore anglers on the south Wales coast and Bristol Channel fish oily fish or squid baits on pulley-dongle rigs cast to sandy ground, typically working the tide turns. Boat anglers anchor uptide of known sandbanks in the English Channel and Bristol Channel, fishing bait hard on the bottom and waiting out the tide.
What do Blonde Ray eat?
Feeds primarily on bottom-living fish, crustaceans, and worms, sandeel, small flatfish, crabs, and marine worms are all taken. Oily fish baits (bluey, mackerel, anchovy) and squid work well because they release scent across the seabed, which is how rays locate food.
Where do Blonde Ray live?
Native to the northeast Atlantic; around the UK recorded from the southwest and south coasts of England, the Bristol Channel, Wales, and scattered records up to Scotland and the Shetland Isles.
See it in the app
Most maps show you water.
onWater shows you Blonde Ray.
- 01 · Species map filter
Map every Blonde Ray water
Pick Blonde Ray and the map zeroes in on the waters they call home. No more guessing which lake holds them.
- 02 · Waterbody species
Tap any water. See what lives there.
Species, behavior and seasonal patterns for every lake, river and pond, before you leave the driveway.
- 03 · Angler Intelligence
Ask how to catch Blonde Ray
Tactics, gear and timing from onWater's AI fishing guide, tuned to the species and the water you're on.
Stop guessing where Blonde Ray are.
Open the map, filter by Blonde Ray, and head to water that holds them. Download onWater and plan your next trip in minutes.
- Species map filter
- Angler Intelligence
- Fishing journal
Explore other species
Trout, bass, salmon, panfish and everything in between. Each guide unpacks the behavior, seasons, and tactics that put fish in the net.
No species information available.
Smarter Fishing Starts in the App.
onWater Fish gives you everything you need to plan smarter, fish better, and own every trip from first cast to last.