Hopkins River is one of the more popular fishing waterways in Victoria, located at Warrnambool in the state’s southwest.
The tidal river extends from a sea entrance at Point Ritchie to Tooram Stones at Allansford, a distance of about 9km.
The main species caught in the estuarine reach are black bream, estuary perch, yelloweye mullet, juvenile salmon and eels.
Mulloway, whiting and flathead also show up.
In the freshwater upstream, trout, perch, tupong and redfin are caught.
The Hopkins River mouth is intermittently open.
When it is open an incoming tide usually fishes well, and in the days after a sea opening bream fishing is almost always good in the section below the Hopkins River bridge.
Like elsewhere, black bream fishing is best around natural and manmade structure such as jetties and rock walls, and along drop-offs of channels.
The river usually floods in winter and spring and has only slight flows in summer and autumn.
Bream are caught all year, day and night.
During rain events bream move into the lower reaches, usually from July-September.
In the breeding season, big bream move upstream in schools.
Estuary perch can be found near the same structure that bream like, and in deep holes during the day.
Estuary perch can be caught all year, but are best in summer.
Estuary perch are best targeted at night.
Mulloway are best between spring and autumn. Fish at night on the big tides of the new and full moon, concentrating on the tidal turn, and always fishing with livebait or lures.
Salmon are caught all year, but rain pushes them down and out of the river.
Yelloweye mullet enter the river in large schools. They are caught in the river all year but are best from local beaches in autumn.
Hopkins River fishing spots
1. The Blue Hole is on the east side of the river at the end of Blue Hole Road. It is fished from land or boat. The area has flats, weedbeds and a drop-off. Most species are caught here.
Try wading and casting. The Danger Board is opposite on the western bank and accessible from the Point Ritchie Road carpark. Boat access is restricted by high water levels which can prevent passage beneath the road bridge. The entrance is shallow and dangerous and boat passage to the ocean should not be attempted.
2. The Hopkins road bridge has lots of space for shore based fishing from both sides. Casting underneath the bridge will find bream and estuary perch. Mullet and salmon pass through. Downstream of the bridge there are flats on the east side where flathead and whiting can be caught.
3. Lyndoch has shore fishing with a footpath running upstream from the bridge on the west bank. A floating platform allows fishos to cast past weedbeds for bream and estuary perch.
Further upstream is a concrete wall that can be fished.
4. Proudfoots has shore fishing. Just downstream of Proudfoots is a fishing platform where bream, estuary perch, mullet and salmon can be caught. Just upstream is a floating jetty that has the same species.
5. The Ski Club has shore fishing from a jetty, with a beach upstream. Busy in summer with skiers.
6. Mudflats has boat fishing for bream and estuary perch, best when the sea entrance mouth is closed and the river level is high. Fish the edges of the mudflats. There are shallow reefs here and there are channel markers.
7. Old Pumping Station has boat fishing in a 5m hole. Bream, mulloway and estuary perch are caught. In summer it is busy with skiers.
8. Hulls Reef is shallow and marked with channel markers. Bream and estuary perch are caught here by boat.
9. Mahoneys Road is a shore and boat fishing spot, the road runs from the Princes Highway. Bank fishing and wading can be done here in mornings and evenings.
10. Deakin University has shore and boat fishing, with a jetty at Deakin University. Reach it via Warrnambool Institute Road. The shore can be fished for 200m upstream. Expect bream, flathead and estuary perch around the weedbeds. Wading and using artificial lures and flies is recommended. Cliffs along on the opposite bank are a good location for boat fishing, with occasional mulloway.
11. Bay of Biscay/Kings Head are popular with boaters. There are drop-offs, rock walls and reefs on the southern side. The north bank is shallower with weedbeds and reefs. mulloway are caught in the deeper channel, with bream, flathead and estuary perch elsewhere.
12. Rowans Lane has limited access but bream and estuary perch can be caught near the weedbeds here.
13. Rowans Flat is a boating spot with mudflats and shallow weedbeds. Expect bream and estuary perch during high river levels.
14. Kinnears/Shipley is a boat access where the river reaches 8m deep. There is a shallow reef on the east bank which has bream, estuary perch and mulloway. Upstream on the north bank at Shipley are steep rocky banks which have bream.
15. Hens & Chickens is a boating spot for bream and estuary perch. The depth varies between 4m and 8m. reefs and drop offs. Further upstream is an 8m hole just off Wilsons Bank which often has mulloway.
16. The Islands is a shore and boat fishing spot. There are flats around the islands, with bream, yelloweye mullet and estuary perch. Snags on the south bank and reef provide further fishable grounds. Shore fishing is via Kinnears Road, which runs off Hopkins Point Road on the southern side of the river.
17. Jubilee Park is a shore and boat fishing spot. Jubilee Park Caravan Park and Allansford Angling Club are here. Good land-based fishing can be had from the wall and floating fishing platforms. An 11m hole in front of the jetties often has mulloway.
18. The Pass is a shore spot. Signage warns boaters of submerged rocks, with shallow reefs running across the river. Bream are best here at dawn and dusk. Access is via Kinnear Road on the south bank or from Jubilee Park on the north side.
19. Breakfast Rock/Sandy Point/Tooram Stones is a boating spot with drop-offs in front of Breakfast Rock and Sandy Point. Expect bream and estuary perch. Just upstream is Tooram Stones which marks the end of navigable water, with a rockbar across the river. Just below the rocks is an 8m hole. Fishing The Stones produce estuary perch and bream. The mudflats in front of Lake Gillear drain produce bream, mullet and estuary perch. mulloway are caught in the holes.
20. Smith Lane is a shore spot that runs off Jubilee Park Road. A 40m length of bank produces eels, estuary perch, bream and occasional brown trout. Canoes can be launched here.
Here is a list of recommended tackle for Victorian waters.
Hopkins River entrance tides
Warnambool coastline
VIC fishing regulations
VIC marine parks
Return to the VIC fishing map
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