Dunbogan is between the lower Camden Haven River and the ocean surf beach on the New South Wales’ North Coast.

This great destination gives easy access to the lower river and its tidal lakes, along with fishing off Dunbogan Beach, the river entrance walls, and Diamond Head.

Dunbogan Beach is 9km long, running between Camden Head and Diamond Head.

The northern section is accessible on the Camden Head road and for 2km south along Nursery road.

The northern beach gutters can be viewed from Hamey Lookout on Camden Head.

The southern section of the beach is part of Crowdy Head National Park.

Vehicle access is at Blackbutts, Cheese Tree and Geebung picnic areas and Diamond Head Rest Area, which has a beachfront campground.

Dunbogan Beach has 4WD access. The best gutters are usually at the northern end, with more variable gutters further south.

Big bream and school mulloway are caught off the North Haven wall, mostly by fishing on the river side.

Tailor are usually best on the beach side near the end of the wall.

Further into the river towards the local park, luderick are caught on weed baits in the cooler months.

There is rough bottom in the middle of the river along the walls, try casting to this area.

Watson Taylors Lake and Queens Lake form part of the lower Camden Haven River, and are shallow but productive fishing areas, especially for prawns and crabs.

Gogleys Lagoon has a sandflat behind the Dunbogan rock wall where yabbies (nippers) can be found, with whiting and flathead caught on a rising high tide, best in summer.

There is an opening in the wall from Gogleys with shallow reef nearby close to a red channel marker.

The creek that follows Camden Head road into Gogleys Lagoon has good fishing for flathead and whiting.

Another good spot is around the Laurieton-North Haven bridge that crosses Stingray Creek.

Stingray Creek is good for boat fishing, with bream caught around structure and where the creek enters Queens Lake.

Travelling up to and past Watsons Taylor Lake the river becomes very shallow.

For surf fishos, South Beach on the Dunbogan side has mulloway, tailor, bream and whiting.

Beach worms and pipis can usually be found on the surf beaches and are great bait for bream, whiting and mulloway.

Tailor are a regular catch from the better beach gutters, use pilchard baits or lures.

The Camden Haven River’s tidal lakes are among the best prawn and crab locations on the north coast. During the dark moon, prawns run for sea on the run-out tide. Dip or scoop nets are used to catch them. A light is used to see the prawns and crabs.

Hand-hauled prawn nets are also used for prawning. These are 6m long nets dragged through the water by two people. These nets must be registered with NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Queens Lake has large flathead, try fishing around the sandflat where the creek opens into the lake.

While Dunbogan’s rock walls are probably the best fishing spots in the estuary, fish can be caught from an easy access platform near the sea entrance to Gogleys Creek, adjacent to the Dunbogan Jubilee Community Hall. Gogleys boat ramp and pontoon is nearby, and a reserve with playground, toilets and picnic area.

The sea entrance walls and lower river produce quality fish, but strong currents flow. The best time to fish is at the turn of the tide and around early morning or dusk.

There is good beach and rock fishing at Diamond Head, Point Perpendicular and Bonny Hills, with mainly tailor, mulloway, whiting, flathead and bream.

The north and east side of Diamond Head are among the best ocean rock fishing spots.

The upper Camden Haven River has bass in the freshwater reaches.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for NSW waters.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

Dunbogan tides
Dunbogan Haven coastline on Beachsafe
Crowdy Head National Park
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks

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North Haven, on the lower Camden Haven River, is one of the NSW North Coast’s great holiday fishing locations.

The Camden Haven River flows into Watson Taylor Lake, Queens Lake and Gogleys Lagoon before entering the sea near Laurieton, Dunbogan and North Haven.

Arguably best landbased spots are the North Haven and Dunbogan rock walls in the estuary, with bream, flathead, whiting and luderick the main catch.

Watson Taylors Lake and Queens Lake form part of the lower river, and these shallow tidal waters are renowned for prawns and blue swimmer crabs.

There is also great bream, luderick, whiting and flathead fishing to be had from the lower rock walls, along with access to the sea for boaters.

The Camden Haven River catchment starts in the Great Dividing Range and runs east through Kendall. The upper river has bass.

The sea walls around North Haven produce quality fish, including big bream, flathead and tailor, with mulloway best after rain.

The best time to fish is early morning or dusk at the turn of high or low tide.

Available local baits include beach worms and nippers.

Queens Lake and Watson Taylor Lake are among the best prawn and crab locations on the north coast.

During the dark moon, prawns run for sea on the run-out tide. Dip or scoop nets are used to catch them. A light is used to see prawns and crabs.

Hand-hauled prawn nets can also be used for prawning. These are 6m long nets dragged through the water by two people. These nets must be registered with NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Boaters must beware the shallow sections in the river and lakes.

Further afield, there is good beach and rock fishing at Diamond Head, Point Perpendicular and Bonny Hills, with mainly tailor, mulloway, whiting, flathead and bream.

Beach worms are usually readily available but are not easy to catch.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for NSW waters.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

Camden Haven tides
Camden Haven coastline on Beachsafe
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks

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Port Macquarie is a Recreational Fishing Haven and superb fishing region just a day’s drive from Sydney.

“Port Mac’s” impressive Hastings River is 120km long, with tidal water for 32km to just above Bains Bridge, about 8km above Wauchope.

The upper river runs through the Great Dividing Range, with good bass fishing in the freshwater section.

The Hastings mouth produces big mulloway, especially after rain, but is tricky to fish by boat or land because of tidal currents.

The south rock wall has easy landbased access and fishes well for most species, including mulloway. It is best at the turn of the tide.

Luderick run here in winter.

South of this wall the town wharf fishes well.

The north wall is reached by ferry, it has mainly luderick, bream and flathead.

The tidal river has mostly bream, flathead, whiting and luderick.

The prospect of good lure fishing for big flathead brings many fishos to the Hastings River.

Limeburner’s Creek is a good spot for small boats, with bream and luderick among the oyster leases.

Settlement Point picnic area, at the end of Settlement Point Road, is a safe family venue, as is Lake Cathie, with bream, whiting and flathead.

Hand-hauled net prawning is popular in shallow Lake Cathie at night, this is one of the state’s more productive prawning locations.

Lake Cathie has school prawns, occasional tiger prawns, mud and blue swimmer crabs, yabbies, garfish, whiting and flathead.

Bream and luderick are caught in the lake’s channel.

There is ample reef along the Port Macquarie coast where snapper, pearl perch, mulloway, cobia, morwong and kingfish are taken.

Surf and rock fishermen will find the beaches from Town Beach to Lighthouse Beach good for whiting, bream and tailor.

Vehicle access is under a council permit system from Lighthouse Beach to Lake Cathie and from North Shore Beach to Point Plummer.

This coastline is occasionally affected by red weed. which can make fishing difficult.

Local tides have up to about 1.6m movement, not large tides relative to other parts of Australia, nonetheless strong currents flow in the river and on offshore grounds.

Port Macquarie Fishing Spots

1. Gulawah Beach has no 4WD access but there is a campsite near the beach. Mostly tailor, bream.
2. There is good fishing off Racecourse Head, the nearby island is accessible at low tide, with most surf species caught.
3. Delicate Nobby: there are four rocks with access to three possible at low tide with care. Good fishing for tailor and bream, occasional mulloway.
4. Point Plomer is the pick of the spots north of Port Macquarie, with a campsite, beach launch and excellent rock platforms, with the chance of kingfish and mulloway.
5. Queens Head to the south of Point Plomer has luderick and drummer.
6. North Beach can be reached by the Settlement Point ferry. 4WD is permitted and the beach fishes well for most surf species, including salmon.
7. Nobby Head rock ledges have mostly bream luderick, drummer.
8. Bird Rock to the north of Nobby Head is a popular spot for boat anglers, holding species.
9. The south-east end of Tacking Point near the lighthouse has a good tailor ledge.
10. Lake Cathie opens to sea after heavy rain, when the nearby beach fishes well. Prawns best at night.
11. The section from Maria River junction to the bridge is good for flathead and whiting.
12. Mulloway are in deep water at the turn of the tide, with big flathead and whiting on the edges.
13. Bass and bream are caught in the upper Maria and Wilson Rivers. The Maria can be particularly good for surface bass fishing in summer.
14. The Oxley Hwy follows much of the Hastings River where there is good canoe fishing for bass. The river has been stocked with bass.

Port Macquarie Boat Launch Sites

An up-to-date list of boat ramps and public jetties can be seen here.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for NSW waters.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

Port Macquarie tides
Port Macquarie coastline on Beachsafe
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.