Short answer: Croyde has no harbour. The rock pools at the end of Croyde Beach and at the cliff end of Putsborough are the local option. For crabbing off a quay, Instow and Appledore on the Torridge estuary are about half an hour.
Croyde is a surf bay between two headlands. There is no harbour, no pontoon and nothing to hang a line from. Crabbing in the traditional sense — bucket, line, wall — means driving, and it is worth knowing that before you buy the bacon.
Croyde Beach has rock pools at one end, and the tide goes a long way out here, which exposes a good deal more than you would expect. Reviewers specifically mention the pools as always interesting to explore.
Putsborough, at the northern end of the same sands, is the better bet. There is rock pooling at the far left of the beach against the cliff face, and one visitor describes their daughter loving it. Its own car park, café and shop, and firmer sand — the trade is single-track lanes to get there.
Worth knowing about. At low tide the crevices along the shore towards Baggy Point are explorable, and reviewers mention finding interesting rock formations and even a whale bone up on the coast path. It is more of a scramble than a rock-pool morning, so it suits older children.
A line rather than a net, a bucket, and bait. Bacon is the traditional choice and works; so does squid from the fishmonger. Fill the bucket with seawater before you start and keep it in the shade.
Go on a falling tide. Rock pools are best in the couple of hours either side of low water, and at Croyde that is also when the beach is at its biggest. Check the tide table rather than guessing — this beach changes size dramatically.
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