Narooma tides
Narooma coastline
Batemans Bay Marine Park
Batemans Bay Marine Park User Guide
Narooma bar crossing web cam
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks

Narooma is one of New South Wales’ great fishing holiday towns, with sea access for trailerboaters, and several good estuaries nearby.

Narooma is the gateway to Montague Island, with gamefish such as yellowfin tuna and marlin caught in this area, as well as kingfish and snapper.

If fishing the island note that there are marine sanctuary zones, part of the Batemans Marine Park which encompasses this region.

Narooma Bar can be hazardous and should be used only in good conditions.

The entrance rock walls produce big mulloway, bream, salmon and tailor, but the tide rips through and the rocks are large, making fishing difficult.

The local beach fishing is good with salmon and tailor at the main beach can be good, which is located near the local golf course.

There is rock fishing also, with kingfish and more.

When it is rough outside, Wagonga Inlet has quality bream, luderick, whiting and flathead.

The long rock walls hold quality luderick. Bream fishos should try driving around the lake, as there are many fishable jetties.

Footpaths near the mouth fish well for salmon and trevally on an incoming tide, and the area around the bridge is good for big flathead and summer.

Try near the sand boat ramp early in the morning during the week when boat traffic is low.

West of the bridge, near Narooma Quata Park, bream, flathead and mulloway are caught.

Wagonga Head has mainly salmon, tailor, bream and luderick.

The beach alongside Surf Beach Holiday Park has salmon, flathead and bream. The mouth of Little Creek has bream. Try morning and late afternoon.

Other beaches and headlands can be seen here.

Dark nights (no moon) in summer are best for Wagonga prawns, and mulloway often run with them at the lake mouth.

Offshore there are winter and summer snapper runs, with winter fish coming closer inshore.

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Some external videos filmed in the Narooma region are featured below.

Wagonga flathead

Fishing Narooma with Rex Hunt

Narooma fishing

Narooma bar crossing

Pambula tides
Pambula coastline on Beachsafe
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks

Pambula is a holiday town with a great river, tidal lagoon, and many nearby beach and rock fishing spots.

Pambula River produces flathead, tailor, black and yellowfin bream, luderick, trevally and whiting.

Upstream, Pambula Lake has much the same, with an emphasis on bream and whiting.

Fishing the lake shallows in summer with small surface lures is a popular method, and works on whiting, flathead and bream.

Tee Tree Point is a popular area, but boat fishos can fish any sandbanks on the high tide.

The shallows around Mangrove Island are good.

Fish the channel edges on a falling tide for flathead.

Haycock Point is a popular rock fishing location, with snapper, mulloway, kingfish, salmon and tailor, but care is required when fishing this spot.

Boaters can try Hunters Rock about 1km north of Haycock Point for kingfish.

Popular offshore fish in this area include morwong, pigfish, snapper, leatherjacks and tiger flathead, with plenty of good fish caught on grounds around the 50m mark.

Access to the sea is problematic as Pambula and nearby Merimbula require good conditions for safe crossings.

Educate yourself about bar crossings here).

Merimbula has a bar crossing web cam here.

For landbased fishos, Hayock Road gives access to fishing at the river mouth, the headland and Haycock Beach.

Severs Beach Access track leads to a shallow beach which drops off sharply into the channel.

Salmon, tailor and bream are caught on the beaches in winter.

When fishing within South Coast estuaries, use light leaders, as the water is usually very clear.

Fishing is often better when current flows on bigger tides, or after heavy rain, when the lower estuaries tend to fire up.

While the NSW’s southern limit for reliable mangrove jack fishing is around Coffs Harbour, these fish have turned up as far south as Eden, so you might crack one fishing any South Coast estuary, including Pambula.

Lastly, the NSW South Coast is not far from some of the state’s best trout fisheries, such as Lake Eucumbene and Jindabyne, giving fishos plenty of options.

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Some external videos filmed around Pambula are featured below.

Pambula fishing

Pambula drone footage

Pambula drone footage

Bermagui tides
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks

Bermagui is popular with trailerboaters because it has one of the better NSW sea entrances, and the Continental Shelf is only 22km out.

Everything from flathead to broadbill swordfish can be caught.

When rain opens local lake entrances to sea for extended periods, there is fish recruitment and estuary fishing improves greatly.

The bluewater produces good runs of kingfish.

Seasonal timing is the key to fishing.

For snapper it is May, for marlin it is all year but best Dec-June (peak Feb-Mar), yellowfin tuna are Nov-Aug (peak April-June), and kingfish are all year, but best in April.

Offshore fishing also depends on water temperature and prevailing currents.

Recent seasons have been exceptional for striped marlin and bluefin tuna.

Bermagui River is shallow but has luderick, flathead, flounder, bream and mullet. Try midstream east of bridge. Use nippers or worms on early rising tide.

There are offshore reefs at various depths. The 4-Mile is east of Bermagui at 60m, the 6-Mile is south-east in 65m and the 12-Mile is further south-east at 120m.

Brothers Reef is south in 50m and south of Bermagui there is shallow reef off Goalen Head.

Reef fish include snapper, morwong, cod, wrasse, sharks, gurnard, mackerel, coutta and kingfish.

The 12-Mile Reef has trumpeter in summer.

Flathead are caught all year over sand to 120m deep, with prime grounds east of Mount Dromadery, between 28m to 40m.

Other areas are Camel Rock in 40m, inside 4-Mile Reef at 50m, Beares Beach in 18m and Cuttagee Beach in 25m.

Near Bermagui, Mystery Bay is a quieter location and is only 7km from Montague Island, and adjacent to Lake Corunna.

Mystery Bay’s inshore reefs have morwong, snapper, flathead and kingfish, with rock and beach fishing for salmon, tailor, mulloway and kingfish.

Mystery Bay launch site is basic but holds up in average conditions.

Bass and estuary perch are available 30km west of Bermagui in Brogo Dam, which fishes best in summer and has an annual competition.

Bermagui GPS Marks

Tilba Cemetery – flathead
36 20.832S 150 07.198E
4-Mile Reef
36 24.000S 150 08.400E
6-Mile Reef
36 24.440S 150 10.000E
12-Mile Reef
36 27.000S 150 15.000E
Bermagui Canyon – gamefish
36 17.175S 150 24.152E
The Kink – gamefish
36 18.000S 150 19.000E

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Some external videos filmed around Bermagui are featured below.

iFish chases Bermagui marlin

ET hits Bermagui

Bermagui bluefin tuna

Bermagui drone footage

Shoalhaven tides
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks

Shoalhaven Offshore Artificial Reef is 4.3km north-east of the Shoalhaven River entrance, in 33m of water.

It was installed in January 2015.

The reef consists of 20 concrete modules deployed in five clusters, with five modules per cluster.

The site produces mainly kingfish, tailor, trevally, snapper, morwong, salmon and mulloway.

Shoalhaven Offshore Artificial Reef GPS

Central mark in WGS84
34 50.955S 150 47.731E

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Some external videos filmed around Shoalhaven artificial reef are featured below.

Shoalhaven offshore reef construction

Shoalhaven offshore reef

Shoalhaven offshore reef

Shoalhaven offshore reef

Merimbula tides
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks

Merimbula Offshore Artificial Reef is 2.5km south-east of Merimbula Lake entrance, in 32m of water.

It was deployed in September 2018.

The reef consists of two steel pinnacle reef towers that are each 7.8m wide by 10.9m deep by 6.4m high.

Each has a central vertical tower of 12m.

Fish caught at the reef include kingfish, snapper, morwong, trevally, nannygai, gummy shark, tailor, leatherjackets, yakkas and salmon.

They can be caught casting, trolling, jigging or drifting baits.

Merimbula Offshore Reef GPS

WGS84
36.54.826S 149.56.245E
36.54.870S 149.56.265E

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Some external videos filmed around Merimbula Offshore Artificial reef are featured below.

Merimbula Offshore Artificial reef construction

Merimbula Offshore Artificial reef under water

Merimbula tides
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks

Merimbula has one of the best fishing wharves in southern New South Wales, with multiple large kingfish caught at times.

There are many inshore reefs, and the Continental Shelf is just 37km offshore.

Coastal reefs have snapper, morwong, kingfish, gummy shark, cod, flathead, leatherjackets, tailor, barracoutta and salmon.

Warm currents of summer bring yellowfin tuna, albacore and striped tuna; blue, black and striped marlin, broadbill swordfish and mako and tiger sharks.

Popular spots are the 40 Fathom Reef, about 15km out from Merimbula, and the 70 Fathom Reef, at 28km. Deeper reefs have trumpeter, morwong, leatherjackets, tiger flathead, deep sea perch, and nannygai.

The best estuaries in this region are Nelson Lagoon, Bega River, Wallagoot Lake, Merimbula Lake and Pambula Lake.

Estuary perch and bass are caught.

During flooding, mulloway are at Bega River mouth, and other estuary outlets. There is landbased fishing off a walking track between Turingal Head and Kianinny Bay, with some of the best rock spots on the East Coast.

An artificial reef was built in Merimbula Lake in 2009, and an offshore reef installed in 2018. In recent years striped marlin have been abundant in season, but pink snapper have been harder to find on the reefs.

Kingfish are usually best from October to June.

Tailor are best from March to November.

Mulloway are at the estuary mouths during and after floods.

Merimbula is busy during holiday periods.

The bar crossing requires great care. Educate yourself about bar crossings here).

Merimbula bar crossing has a web cam here.

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Some external videos filmed around Merimbula are featured below.

Merimbula wharf kingfish

Eden tides
Eden navy wharf access times
Eden port boater information
Eden region beaches on Beachsafe
Ben Boyd National Park information
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks

Eden has broad fishing opportunities, from blue, black and striped marlin through to landbased fishing from river, rock and surf.

Schools of salmon, bonito, tailor, mulloway and kingfish are part of what makes Eden great.

Pelagic fish supported a local tuna cannery until 1999.

The marlin are well within range of trailerboats and the port has safe access to the sea.

Marlin are best from December to May as warm currents move nearer shore.

Slow trolling with livebait works for striped and blue marlin in February/March.

Trolling is good from mid-October to June for yellowfin tuna, albacore, dolphin fish and wahoo.

Reef fishing is usually excellent, with large areas of broken ground out from Green Cape, Mowarry Point and Disaster Bay.

Expect to catch snapper, morwong, flathead, leatherjackets, nannygai, flathead, barracoutta and sharks.

There is usually somewhere in close to fish out of prevailing winds.

Out wide, the deeper reefs have ling and hapuka.

Kingfish are best at Mowarry Point from October to June.

Tailor are caught from March to November.

There are spots for landbased game fishing.

However, the most popular venue is the deep-water navy wharf, which produces a range of species, but is hugely popular during holiday periods.

The navy wharf has public access only when it is not being used, see the link at the top of this page for closures.

The Towamba River enters Twofold Bay through the permanently open but shallow Kiah Inlet, separated from the bay by a thin sand strip.

Wonboyn Lake and its river system to the south has bream, flathead, flounder and more, with salmon, tailor and mulloway at the surf entrance.

The lake has a resort with boating facilities.

Estuary outlets in this area have mulloway during floods, and these fish sometimes visit Twofold Bay in large schools.

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Some external videos filmed around Eden are featured below.

Eden kingfish

Eden fishing with drone footage

Eden spearfishing

Eden rock fishing

Eden landbased fishing

Torquay weather and tides
VIC fishing regulations
VIC marine parks

Victoria’s biggest artificial reef was built in June 2015 when 25 large concrete modules were laid in 25m of water just 3km offshore, between Breamlea and Torquay.

Each concrete module measured 4m high, and weighed around 20 tonnes. Approximate position shown, accurate marks are listed below.

Torquay Artifical Reef GPS Marks

Cluster 1 – 38 19.828S 144 22.500E
Cluster 2 – 38 19.942S 144 22.600E
Cluster 3 – 38 20.184S 144 22.320E
Cluster 4 – 38 20.065S 144 22.225E

The reef complements others in Victoria including three for snapper anglers on the east side of Port Phillip Bay, as well as reefs for landbased fishos at Frankston, Altona and Portarlington, and shallow reefs in some East Gippsland estuaries..

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Some external videos containing Torquay Artificial Reef are featured below.

Torquay Artificial Reef being made

Victoria’s reef progress

Mallacoota weather and tides
Mallacoota coastline on Beachsafe
VIC fishing regulations
VIC marine parks

Mallacoota Inlet forms the mouth of the Genoa River and Wallagaraugh Rivers.

Access is via a 23km road off the Princes Highway from Genoa.

The inlet consists of top and bottom lakes, connected by a channel called The Narrows.

The sea entrance is open only intermittently and is dangerous for boaters when it is open.

There is a large sandspit at the sea entrance.

The inlet’s bottom lake has two artificial reef systems (see above).

Each artificial reef system is made of groups of 15 concrete reef modules of different sizes.

The modules have cavities to allow water flow and to provide fish refuges.

Mallacoota produces a range of fish but is perhaps known for its trophy dusky flathead.

The inlet also has yellowfin and black bream, luderick, school and king george whiting and tailor, with estuary perch and bass in the rivers.

Deeper areas of the inlet produce mulloway, small snapper and silver trevally.

Deep areas worth exploring in a boat include Howe Bight, Baker Bight and The Narrows.

Landbased fishos should try Captains Point and Mallacoota Wharf, Slipway Jetty and the Cow Paddock.

The bottom lake is mostly fairly deep, with shallow areas at Goodwin Sands, Robertsons Bank, and around Goat and Horse Islands near the sea entrance.

The main channel is marked by pylons.

For bait, the flats have sandworms and yabbies, with shrimp in weedy areas.

The top lake is shallow but has big flathead and bream, with the chance of estuary perch, luderick and even mulloway.

Cape Horn has the deepest water, at about 12m.

The Genoa River is shallow. It has sandbanks with sandworms. The upstream area has winter bream, luderick, flathead and perch.

Wallagauraugh River is shallow but navigable for several kilometres.

It produces mainly bream and flathead.

Landbased fishos should try the Gypsy Point Wharf.

Surf fishos should try Entrance Beach, which drops into deep water, and Tip Beach (golf club turn-off).

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Some external videos filmed around Mallacoota are featured below.

Mallacoota flathead

Mallacoota bream

Mallacoota fishing

Mallacoota flathead

Mallacoota flathead

Mallacoota sharks

Mallacoota fishing