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).

Here is a list of recommended tackle for Victorian waters.

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

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Corner Inlet and the South Gippsland region offers some of Victoria’s best fishing, especially for largerpink snapper, king george whiting, flathead, kingfish and gummy sharks.

The area that makes it great is the large Corner Inlet north of Wilsons Promontory, which extends east to McLoughlins Beach township.

McLoughlins can be reached from Yarram on the South Gippsland Highway.

The jetty near the McLoughlins boat ramp is a good spot, and those who make the 3km walk to the sea entrance will find great surf fishing, with the chance of a snapper or large salmon.

The inlet has large flathead, spotted whiting, big garfish, mullet and flounder.

Yabbies can be pumped on the flats and beach worms can be caught.

Fishing is best in summer, with mainly trevally, salmon and tailor in winter.

Robertsons Beach has good landbased fishing on the Tarra River channel at low tide, with big flathead and spotted whiting, and mulloway at night.

Port Albert is a great access point for boaters, and there are jetties that can be fished on the run-in tide for most species.

The upper Albert River has estuary perch.

Its mouth, called Old Port, produces occasional snapper, with flathead and whiting the usual catch.

A reliable spot for big snapper is the Snake Channel inside Snake Island, fishing at night and at dawn.

Big snapper are caught as far in as Old Port in Nov/Dec.

On the western side of Snake Island is Singapore Deep, which drains much of the inlet.

This channel reaches 34m depth and has strong currents.

Fish the Singapore Deep on small tides for big snapper and gummy sharks.

Don’t ignore shallow areas through the inlet, as big flathead, whiting, squid and gar are common.

Port Welshpool has an excellent boat ramp, which is near the best sea access from Corner Inlet, through Singapore Deep, though it is by no means a safe passage, with a runout tide and southerly swell quickly creating bad conditions.

Huge snapper live in the Deep, and a great many species are found just offshore, including kingfish around the islands, and thresher sharks.

The Lewis Channel out of Port Welshpool is well marked, and can be fished by foot at low tide.

Kingfish are a regular catch around the markers.

At Toora, the boat ramp dries at low tide. Fishing around Toora Channel produces most species, including snapper and gummy sharks in summer.

Further to the west is Yanakie, which has a boat ramp useable from half tide up.

The western inlet comprises sandflats and weedbeds drained by channels, with big flathead and whiting in summer.

The channels run into Franklin Channel, which runs into Singapore Deep.

Weather

The boating weather to be expected is much like that around Melbourne.

At Melbourne Airport the mean wind speed is between 20km/h and 24km/h through the year, with April, May and June being calmest and August and September the windiest.

Melbourne winds tend to blow northerly in winter, and southerly in summer.

Winter fronts bring gales, while summer brings strong afternoon sea breezes.

Victoria’s tidal range is small, with most boat ramps useable throughout the tidal range.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for Victorian waters.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

Port Welshpool tides
Victorian stocked fishing spots
Port Phillip fishing spots
Western Port fishing spots
Melbourne dam levels
VIC fishing regulations
VIC marine parks

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Most fishing in Victoria is in Melbourne’s two large, shallow enclosed bays, Port Phillip and Western Port.

Western Port Bay is 45km long and 30km wide, but is mostly just a shallow maze of sandlfats, seagrass and channels.

These run around French Island in the middle and Phillip Island at the entrance.

Much of the north-eastern area is flats at low tide.

The bay is best known for snapper, king george whiting and gummy sharks.

There is an annual run of elephant fish in autumn between Tortoise Head, Corinella and New Haven.

Squid are abundant at times.

Fishing the bay requires working the tides, as on bigger tides the bay drains, leaving channels.

Fishing can be good on the bigger tides, but a trip requires planning to ensure good fishing time at the chosen spot.

The best boat ramps are at Hastings, Corinella and Stony Point.

For big king george whiting try McHaffey’s Reef and Cat Bay in winter.

Snapper are all year, with a big run in spring. Long Reef, Spit Point, Lysaughts, Crawfish, Bagge, Eagle Rock and Yaringa Harbour are favoured grounds.

Any rubble bottom may produce. For flathead, try the channel edges.

Other species include kingfish, mulloway, salmon and snook.

Mulloway are best in Mosquito Channel, around Pelican Island, Elizabeth Island and near the Corinella hole.

The bay produces some huge mulloway, so be prepared with adequate gear.

Good landbased fishing can be had at Stockyard Point, Lang Lang, Grantville Jetty, Tenby Point, Corinella Jetty and Settlement Point.

At the entrance to Western Port, Phillip Island is reached by a bridge and has its own boat ramps, with landbased fishing at Cowes Jetty, San Remo Back Beach, Newhaven Jetty, Red Rock, Rhyll and Cat Bay.

The waters outside Western Port are renowned for sharks in summer, including makos, threshers, blues and whalers.

There are tiger flathead grounds just outside the bay, and striped tuna are abundant in summer.

Seasons

Juvenile salmon bite all year, while bream are best from June to November.

flathead, garfish and spotted whiting are best in the bay in summer, with whiting biting through to April.

Silver trevally and snapper are best from October to May.

Mullet are from April to October.

Kingfish are best in summer.

Squid can be caught all year, but are usually best from June to October.

Mulloway bite well around Melbourne in winter.

Bait, lures & tackle

Pilchards, bluebait, prawns and squid are popular baits.

For pink snapper, fish fillets or small whole fish work well.

For those who make the effort, local bait such as worms and bass yabbies, can make all the difference.

Lure fishing is popular, especially for salmon and kingfish, where chrome slices are a good all-round lure.

Bream and estuary perch are often targeted with small minnow lures and soft plastics.

Paternoster rigs are popular for bait fishing.

The fishing is easier in estuaries when the water dirties from rough weather.

Weather

At Melbourne Airport the mean wind speed is between 20km/h and 24km/h through the year, with April, May and June being calmest and August and September the windiest.

Melbourne winds tend to blow northerly in winter, and southerly in summer.

Easterlies are rare.

Winter fronts bring gales, while summer brings strong afternoon sea breezes.

Victoria’s tidal range is small, with most boat ramps useable throughout the tidal range.

Special features

The unusual and large seven gill shark frequents the bay, and there is an annual run of elephant fish.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for Victorian waters.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

Hastings (Mornington Peninsula) tides
Port Phillip fishing spots
Victorian stocked fishing spots
Melbourne dam levels
VIC fishing regulations
VIC marine parks

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.