The common skate is a very big skate. Our sources do not record it off the Sussex coast. British boat record: confirmed.
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About the common skate
The common skate is a very big skate. It is diamond-shaped, with a long pointed snout and a long tail. The back is brown or greenish with lighter spots, and the underside is pale. It can reach about 9 ft across and over 250 lb.
It lives in deep water of several hundred metres, and moves shallower in warm weather. Today the UK populations are mostly in deep Scottish sea lochs and off west Ireland, so it is not a realistic catch off Sussex.
The name covers a complex of closely related fish, also known as the blue skate or flapper skate. The IUCN lists the species as Critically Endangered. In most UK waters the blue skate and flapper skate complex is on the prohibited-species list, which means it must be returned unharmed, and anglers who fish for them now fish catch and release only.
It is a fish to read about and admire rather than one to plan a Sussex trip around. The British boat record stands at 227 lb, caught off Tobermory in 1986.
On the boat
This is almost all boat fishing, with whole or flapper mackerel, bluey, large sandeels or herring on heavy tackle. Anglers now fish catch and release only. The record gives no months for Britain or Sussex. Its habitat is deep water, with fish moving shallower in warm weather. It is not a realistic Sussex catch, and no Sussex grounds are noted.
British boat-caught record
Confirmed record
- Weight
- 227 lb
- Where
- Off Tobermory, Inner Hebrides
- When
- 1986
- Angler
- R Banks
Confirmed British boat-caught record: R Banks, 227 lb, off Tobermory, Inner Hebrides, 1986. The official list gives the year only and lists it as Skate (Common). The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer boat claims must be measured (qualifying wingspan 250 cm, length also required). The Notable Fish List also has a released boat fish estimated at 229 lb, Rackwick, Orkney, 2012.
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
PROTECTED, RELEASE. The common skate is Critically Endangered (IUCN). The blue skate and flapper skate complex is on the UK prohibited-species list in most UK waters, and must be returned unharmed. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
The British Record Fish Committee's Notable Fish List includes a released boat-caught fish, estimated at 229 lb, from Rackwick, Orkney, in 2012. That is 2 lb above the 227 lb record from 1986.
Questions about the common skate
What is the British boat-caught record for common skate?
Confirmed British boat-caught record: R Banks, 227 lb, off Tobermory, Inner Hebrides, 1986. The official list gives the year only and lists it as Skate (Common). The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer boat claims must be measured (qualifying wingspan 250 cm, length also required). The Notable Fish List also has a released boat fish estimated at 229 lb, Rackwick, Orkney, 2012.
Is common skate caught off the Sussex coast?
Not according to the sources behind this guide.
When is the best time to catch common skate?
Our sources do not give months for the common skate, for Sussex or for the rest of Britain.
How big does a common skate get?
Up to about 9 ft across and over 250 lb.
Sources
- British Sea Fishing: Common Skate: britishseafishing.co.uk
- BRFC Sea Fish Records, June 2026: anglingtrust.net
- BRFC Notable Fish List, Nov 2025: anglingtrust.net
- Wikipedia: Flapper skate: en.wikipedia.org
Picture: William Yarrell (1839 historic illustration of the flapper skate, not a photograph), file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
