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
Bermagui tides
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks
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