Port Lincoln is located within a highly regarded fishing region at the southern end of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
There are good facilities for boaters, with excellent fishing grounds in close and out wide, and two good fishing jetties within the town, being the town jetty and tourist park jetty.
Other fishable jetties in the region are at North Shields, Tumby Bay, Coffin Bay and Mt Dutton Bay.
There are marinas at both Port Lincoln and Tumby Bay, with boat ramps at Tumby Bay, North Shields, Port Lincoln, Taylors Landing, Port Neill, Coffin Bay and Mt Dutton Bay.
With appropriate equipment and care, beach launching can be done at Louth Bay, Avoid Bay and Farm Beach.
Some of the best beach and rock fishing is near Port Lincoln in the Lincoln National Park. Entry permits are at the Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre.
Landbased fishing near the town provide great salmon action at times, and kingfish are caught within the marina.
Port Lincoln Bay itself is shallow and has flounder, mullet, bream, gar, snook, tommies, flathead, blue crabs and yellowfin whiting.
Landbased whiting are caught at Tulka, from the rocks, while boaters get good catches of whiting at Proper, Spalding Cove, North Shore, Carcase Rocks, Taylors and Thistle Island.
Squid are found throughout the bays.
Blue crabs are best in the shallows around March, which is also a good time for gar.
Spotted whiting are usually good around Tulka, North Shore and Thistle Island.
Offshore fishing produces just about all SA species, depending on how far you are willing to travel.
A highlight is bluefin tuna, which often swim outside the local tuna aquaculture pens.
The Cabbage Patch and South Neptune Islands are go-to spots.
The more distant reefs hold big samsonfish, yellowtail kingfish, tuna, blue groper, blue morwong and more.
For those who want to fish the islands south of Port Lincoln the beach launch at Taylors Landing gives access to Taylor Island just 5km away.
Further on lie the islands of Thorny Passage.
Quality snapper and spotted whiting are caught within the passage, with samson, nannygai and morwong on the deep reefs outside.
This is not an ideal area for trailerboaters, with strong currents and the power of the Southern Ocean.
Charter services are recommended to fish the wide reefs and Neptune Islands.
For surf and rock fishermen, Sleaford Bay south of Port Lincoln has big salmon.
Rock platforms such as Millers Hole and Salmon Hole require a long gaff or drop gaff to land big fish.
Other regional spots include Elliston, which usually has salmon from the beaches between Sheringa and Mt Camel.
Talia Rocks produces big salmon with gummy and school sharks at night.
Tommies, squid and flathead are caught at Walkers Rocks.
Coffin Bay’s sheltered waters have mostly salmon trout, whiting, squid and tommies. The deeper water in Dutton Bay is best for gummy sharks.
Farm Beach has whiting, flathead, garfish, tommies, snook and squid. Offshore of Point Sir Isaacs there are nannygai, blue morwong and gummy sharks.
Whiting can be caught from the rocks at Frenchman’s Beach, with flathead at Gallipoli Beach and Coles Point.
Salmon are good at Gunyah Beach, Greenly and Convention Beaches.
A tug hull was sunk in Boston Bay in 1990 as an artificial reef, and it produces big snapper at times (snapper fishing is currently banned in SA).
Port Lincoln’s best fishing periods
KGking george whiting, pink snapper, salmon, samson, nannygai, sweep, snook, trevally, flathead, gummy and school sharks, tommy ruff, garfish, squid – all year, but with peaks at specific times.
Tuna and kingfish are best in late summer to autumn.
Yellowtail kingfish are best from November to April
Blue swimmer crabs are best November to May.
Southern rock lobster are best December to May.
Yelloweye mullet best in winter and autumn.
Port Lincoln and its nearby towns are popular during holiday periods so book early.
Some of South Australia’s great fishing spots are located on the southern and western York Peninsula coast.
A special feature for touring fishos is the selection of camp sites run by York Peninsula Council.
As well as great rod and line fishing for whiting, mullet, Australian salmon, tommy ruffs and gar, it is usually easy to find squid and blue swimmer crabs in season, and flounder spearing can be enjoyed off the more sheltered shallow beaches.
Here are some of the more popular fishing areas.
Stenhouse Bay
This is a superb fishing area within Innes National Park. Bush camping is available.
The jetty has produced yellowtail kingfish, but is better known for autumn/winter mullet and salmon.
Mulloway are caught in the bay.
A sanctuary exists south of the bay.
Pondalowie Bay
This bay is also within Innes National Park.
The beach launch provides access to exciting offshore grounds, but the weather must be right to contemplate fishing, and a swell can make launching impossible.
The fishing, from Emmes Reef north-west to Wedge Island, can be superb.
Wedge Island is inhabited, with several holiday houses that can be hired.
Boaters usually fish the calmer waters between Wedge and North Island for whiting and snapper.
The beach on the north side has big flathead and salmon.
This is a protected area in a southerly, but north-westerly winds make it rough.
About 10km to the east, 4WD launching can be done at Hardwicke Bay.
The same applies at Port Rickeby to the north, which also has a small jetty.
Port Victoria
This town has most facilities, including a sheltered all-tide ramp and long jetty.
Wardang Island lies 10km offshore, providing a great deal of protected water to fish.
All the usual species are caught, with spotted whiting within and outside the bay.
Flounder are common in the bay and there is flounder spearing.
To the north, Balgowan has an exposed boat ramp.
Port Hughes
This town has excellent boating facilities inside a marina, although it is shallow at low tide.
The long jetty fishes well for tommy ruff, gar and squid, with blue crabs and yellowfin whiting in summer.
Oversize whiting, snook and snapper can be caught on the wide grounds.
Tiparra Reef has a light and is good for gar, snook and squid, while snapper fishos should head out to the Steamer channel.
There are whiting, squid and gar grounds in close.
Gar dabbing is popular in northern Moonta Bay on a calm night, with good fishing for a variety of species at Walrus Rock and Bird Reef.
Tiparra Reef 34 03.913S 137 23.494E
Tiparra Wide 34 04.654S 137 18.261E
Wallaroo
The town’s long jetty fishes well, with snapper caught at the end, usually after rough weather, as well as occasional kingfish.
Otherwise it is best for gar, squid and blue crabs.
The town has excellent boating facilities.
Big snapper are reliable on grounds about 10km out.
There is an artificial reef of tyres 9km out.
Two small shoals within Wallaroo Bay are usually worth a look.
Wallaroo Tyre Reef 33 51.411S 137 34.384E
Moonta Shoal 33 53.883S 137 34.902E
Riley Shoal 33 53.220S 137 34.951E
Port Broughton
Yet another gulf town with a long fishing jetty.
Yellowfin whiting are a popular catch here. Use fine tackle and the freshest possible bait. Fish an evening rising tide for best results.
Big snapper are targeted out wide on the Illusion wreck and on Plank Shoal.
The boating facilities are excellent but the entrance channel is shallow and winding.
There is an artificial reef made from car bodies.
Car Reef 33 32.914S 137 51.483E
Port Pirie
NOTE: Port Pirie and Port Germein marine sediments are contaminated with lead and other heavy metals, which is found in local shellfish and fish. Read this for details.
Port Augusta
The shallow waters of upper Spencer Gulf lead north to the town of Port Augusta.
It is an unusual marine area, being shallow and sheltered from all winds except southerlies.
A quirk of Port Augusta is the two power stations that have hot water outlets.
These are renowned for attracting big kingfish, with fish over 50kg taken.
Livebait and strong gear is needed.
Another odd local catch is the tropical dolphin fish (mahi mahi), which are occasionally brought in by warm currents passing the state.
Big snapper are caught in the channel, but most Adelaide snapper fishos travel onward to Whyalla and Arno Bay.
Otherwise, the waters here are best for yellowfin whiting, blue crabs, gar, bream and snook.
Boating facilities are good. There is a tyre reef 20km south of Port Augusta.
