Hake looks a little like a pollack, but it has a bigger head and sharp teeth. Our sources do not record it off the Sussex coast. British boat record: confirmed.
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About the hake
Hake looks a little like a pollack, but it has a bigger head and sharp teeth. The back is blue-grey and the lining of the mouth is blackish. It is a long fish, and the teeth tell you it is a predator.
It can grow to about 1.8 m and over 12 kg. It lives mostly near the bottom, in 100 to 550 m of water over various seabeds. At night it feeds higher in the water.
For a Sussex angler, that depth is the main point. The record does not list Sussex as a place to catch hake, so this is a fish to know about rather than one to expect on a day out of Brighton.
Where hake are fished for, oily baits are used. Mackerel and herring are named, and squid also works.
The record fish tells you something too. It came from Loch Etive in Scotland, not from the English Channel.
On the boat
Hake live mostly near the bottom at 100 to 550 m, and feed higher in the water at night. Oily baits such as mackerel and herring are used, and squid also works. The record gives no months for Britain or Sussex, and does not list Sussex as a place to catch hake, so we cannot say when or where they are best locally.
British boat-caught record
Confirmed record
- Weight
- 25 lb 12 oz 14 dr (11.706 kg)
- Where
- Loch Etive, Scotland
- When
- 1997
- Angler
- R Roberts
Confirmed British boat-caught record: R Roberts, 25 lb 12 oz 14 dr (11.706 kg), Loch Etive, Scotland, 1997. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024. The official list gives the year only, not the full date.
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
The minimum size for hake in UK waters is 27 cm. Measure any fish you plan to keep, and return smaller ones. The record has no further notes on release or eating. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
Hake feeds higher in the water at night, though it spends most of its time near the bottom. It has a blackish lining to the mouth and sharp teeth.
Questions about the hake
What is the British boat-caught record for hake?
Confirmed British boat-caught record: R Roberts, 25 lb 12 oz 14 dr (11.706 kg), Loch Etive, Scotland, 1997. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024. The official list gives the year only, not the full date.
Is hake caught off the Sussex coast?
Not according to the sources behind this guide.
When is the best time to catch hake?
Our sources do not give months for the hake, for Sussex or for the rest of Britain.
How big does a hake get?
Up to about 1.8 m and over 12 kg.
Sources
- Planet Sea Fishing - Hake: planetseafishing.com
- Gov.uk - Minimum Conservation Reference Sizes: gov.uk
- BRFC Sea Fish Listings June 2026: anglingtrust.net
Picture: Isabelle Cheret, Capucine Mellon, file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
