Fishing Apollo Bay

Apollo Bay is a popular seaside holiday village 200km west of Melbourne, featuring a boat harbour with a relatively sheltered ramp.

The harbour provides one of the few safe boat launching sites along the rugged Great Ocean Road.

The town is located next to Barham River, a small but reasonably productive river with trout in the upper reaches and good surf and rock spots nearby.

Good boating grounds lie just south-east of Apollo Bay, within 2km of the boat ramp.

flathead, snapper and gummy sharks are the main offshore target, but there are also leatherjackets, morwong, gurnard, salmon, trevally, kingfish, barracouta, nannygai and king george whiting.

Bluefin tuna are caught from April to September.

Blue and mako sharks are caught out wide, with a chance of thresher sharks showing up.

Southern right whales swim through the area in winter/spring.

Skippers should keep in mind the risk of waves breaking over local reefs, particularly Henty and Bumbry Reefs.

Landbased fishos should try the beach at the Barham River mouth, with mullet in winter and salmon reliable most of the year.

Fishing can be good within the boat harbour for mullet, slimy mackerel, yakkas, squid and trevally, and the outer rock wall is a good spot in suitable weather, with salmon and large silver trevally, and a chance of snapper and gummy sharks.

Keen surf fishermen should try Marengo Beach, which has salmon and big whiting.

Local creeks in this region have brown trout but seasonal rainfall plays a big part in how many fish are about.

The Barham River is the best local trout waterway, with some fish caught at times in Wild Dog Creek and nearby Wye River.

The Barham’s tidal section has black bream and estuary perch. The river mouth is open only intermittently.

Mulloway can be expected around the river mouth during flood events.

Crayfish are caught around Apollo Bay in season.

Keep in mind that this town is very popular during holiday periods.

Nearby fishing spots

Wye River – the estuary has mullet, bream and small salmon. Occasional trout upstream.

Kennett and Grey Rivers – mullet, bream and small salmon in the estuaries, with the rocks around Grey River producing trevally,
snapper, salmon and whiting when it is suitably calm.

Cape Patton and Smythes Creek – rock fishing, with some flathead and sand whiting over sand areas.

Pettitcoat Creek – the beach produces king george whiting. The south side of the beach fishes well just before low tide in suitably calm weather for snapper.

Skenes Creek – king george whiting in close, occasional trout in the creek.

Wild Dog Beach – surf fishing for salmon, trevally. occasional trout in the creek.

Aire River – river and surf fishing. More information of Air River fishing here.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for Victorian waters.

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