The Fisheries Act 2020 embedded recreational sea angling in the UK policy framework. Policy and associated management strategies are improved when catering for diverse needs and expectations of stakeholders. Understanding heterogeneity among recreational sea anglers is therefore vital for effectively managing marine-based UK fisheries. By developing a survey-based data collection framework centred on a cognitive hierarchy model, supported by qualitative in-depth interviews, this study presents the first typology of recreational sea anglers in England and Wales to inform future fisheries policy in the UK. Heterogeneity across anglers taking part in the study was best described by a typology consisting of four types: consumers; trophy anglers, leisure-identity anglers; and social anglers. Each angler type is described by performance across 10 factors (latent constructs) drawn from the data framework in addition to several independent variables. The typology was validated by a unique angler verification method. Several data-driven conclusions are made in comparison to existing literature on angler heterogeneity: the angler types reflect those generated by other studies on mixed/freshwater fisheries outside the UK; attitudinal measures showed more variance across the sample than behavioural metrics, specifically involvement, centrality, environmentalism, and attitudes to catch. Specialisation did not feature as appropriate theory to describe diversity in the sample. Divisions between angler segments were less evident in a qualitative analysis of views towards governance and management. Building on the findings, a refined data collection tool based on angler self-allocation is presented to inform future work aiming to replicate the typology and account for potential sample bias in statutory catch reporting programmes. Characteristics of the angler types are also discussed in context of future management scenarios, demonstrating variation in likely stakeholder responses to different policy objectives.