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, barracoutta, 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 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.
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.
Wild Dog Beach – surf fishing for salmon, trevally.
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Geelong fishos are well served with jetties to fish from.
These are listed public jetties. Check access arrangements and local regulations before fishing.
Eastern Pier Yarra Pier Lascelles Wharf Point Henry Pier Rippleside Pier Cunningham Pier Refinery Pier Point Wilson Pier Former Rippleside Shipyard Corio Quay Western Beach Boat Club Griffins Gully Jetty Rippleside Jetty St Helens Jetty Geelong Trailable Yacht Club Portarlington Jetty Point Richards Jetty Ozone Jetty Barwon Heads Jetty Point Lonsdale Pier Indented Head Jetty St Leonards Pier Clifton Springs Jetty Limeburners Point Jetty Alexander Thompson Jetty Bellerine St Jetty Swan Bay Jetty Corio Quay Bulk Grain Jetty
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Bega River enters the sea through Mogareka Inlet down from Hancock Bridge, the bridge being just 500m from the river’s intermittent sea entrance.
The river’s tidal limit is 11km upstream, about half way to Bega township, and it is navigable to the tidal limit, with depths up to 15m.
The river drops around 116m over its 48km length.
The Bega becomes the Bemboka River upstream, and the Brogo River is a major tributary that features stocked bass fishery Brogo Dam.
Tantawangalo Creek, Sandy Creek and Wolumla Creek are Bega tributaries.
A highly regarded fishing area in the lower tidal section of the Bega River is Blackfellows Lagoon off the Bega River at Kalaru, on Blackfellows Lake Road, where you can expect to catch quality bream and flathead.
Fishing is also usually good around Jellat Jellat, half way between Bega and Tathra.
Bega River sandflats usually hold plenty of flathead, including some trophy fish, with easy access and good spots to be found on the ocean side of the main road bridge.
The area around the bridge has deep water and most species.
The rocks on the north side of the sea entrance fish well for drummer, bream and other rock species.
There are usually bream around most Bega snags, but these fish will feed anywhere there is food.
Estuary perch and mulloway are always a chance in the Bega, with luderick in winter.
Pay attention to rainfall, which will push marine fish down the river.
The Bega is known for a good run of summer prawns, especially after a wet winter.
There are bass in the freshwater reaches.
Tathra Wharf is a great fishing spot that produces yakkas, slimy mackerel, flathead, tailor, salmon, luderick, trevally, squid and barracoutta.
For boaters, the coastal reefs to the north and south have blue morwong, flathead, snapper, kingfish and mulloway.
White Rocks to the south is a known snapper spot, and also Goalen Head to the north.
Offshore, flathead fish well from October, with the 50m to 70m depth range north of Wapengo and south of Bournda producing tiger flathead, gummy sharks and gurnard.
Sand flathead are usually found in shallower around the 30m zone, with Tathra Bay as good as anywhere for them.
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The lake is best known for producing big prawns in summer, which can be caught at night with a scoop net and light.
The summer prawn seasons are usually better if there is good winter rain.
The Wallagoot sea entrance opening is intermittent, yet snapper have been caught in the lake in years past, along with bream, salmon and tailor.
The lake is not a highly regarded spot for fishing, perhaps because it has opened to sea less often in recent times.
The lake is best suited for fishing by cartopper dinghy or yak.
The surf beaches outside the entrance put on excellent fishing at times for salmon, tailor, mulloway and bream.
Expect more mulloway around the sea entrance during major rain events.
Wallagoot Lake is a pleasant spot but a better choice for general estuary fishing is to the north at Blackfellows Lagoon off the Bega River at Kalaru, on Blackfellows Lake Road, where you can expect quality bream and flathead.
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The lower Wonboyn River forms tidal lakes which are shallow but with good tidal flow when the sea entrance is wide open.
The size of the sea entrance varies.
The Wonboyn system has about 10km of navigable water, with a rockbar marking the start of the freshwater section.
The freshwater reaches have good bass fishing amid great scenery.
Immediately downstream of the rockbar are islands, with rocky shorelines and snags, a good spot for bream and estuary perch.
The lower tidal river has upper and lower lakes.
The upper lake is deeper, with the lower lake being a channel through drying sandbars.
Oyster leases cover much of the lower area.
The upper lake is up to about 5m deep, with the river itself reaching about 10m deep.
Species caught in the tidal lakes include flathead, black and yellowfin bream, luderick, salmon, tailor, estuary perch, bass, trevally, whiting and mulloway.
Large flathead are a highlight of the Wonboyn system. Fish for them where the channel drops off, at tidal drains, and creek entrances.
The local rocks and surf produce tailor, snapper and salmon.
Offshore fishing is good and can be accessed through the sea entrance when it is sufficiently open, with snapper, kingfish, morwong, gurnard, gummy sharks and more.
If the sea entrance is poor then the local reefs can be accessed from the Quarantine Bay launch site to the north.
Shallow Sydenham Inlet forms the lower Bemm River, part of a prime estuary perch, bream and bass fishery.
The river sits at the boundaries of Cape Conran Coastal Park, Croajingolong NP and Bemm State Forest.
The Bemm runs for 60km, with the upper section running through rainforest, much of it in rugged country, before reaching Sydenham Inlet, a shallow tidal estuary.
The sea entrance opens only occasionally. When the inlet is closed the water tends to be slightly deeper.
The inlet is known for quality bream and flathead, as well as estuary perch, tailor, whiting, mullet and luderick.
Salmon are caught in the entrance channel when it opens, with a chance of mulloway.
The river is deeper than the inlet, with some bankside access, and loads of fishable snags.
The flats in the inlet have useful bait-pumping areas.
The upper Bemm is isolated and difficult to access. Bass exist in the upper reaches, and in the Genoa River.
Bream and estuary perch are also found in Swan and Mud Lakes on the east side of the inlet.
Surf beaches can be accessed by taking a boat to the entrance lagoon and walking.
To the west there is a 4WD track leading to beach fishing at Pearl Point, with salmon and sharks, and snorkelling for abalone and crays.
To reach Bemm River township, take the turn-off on the Princes Highway between Cann River and Orbost.
There are two boat ramps in the inlet, but bankside access for fishing is quite limited.
Bemm River township has Telstra mobile coverage, a bottle shop, general store, boat hire, fishing platforms, and some sports facilities. There was no fuel outlet at the time of writing.
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The Barwon River flows for 160km from the Otway and Brisbane Ranges, through Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula, entering the sea at Barwon Heads.
It is part of the Murray–Darling basin and is considered to be a perennial river, but in December 2018 it ceased flowing at Walgett, being reduced to a series of pools.
There are 36 tributaries, making it a significant coastal river system in Victoria.
Much of the river runs through muddy substrates, so it is quite turbid, and also quite saline.
The freshwater section of the Barwon contains mainly redfin, carp, trout, eels and tench. There are also native fish such as Australian grayling, river blackfish, smelt, galaxias, congoli, gudgeon, lamprey, hardyhead and pigmy perch.
The river downstream of Buckleys Falls fishes well for freshwater fish such as redfin, carp, eels and brown trout.
The three associated lakes Modewarre, Murdeduke and Wendouree are stocked with brown and rainbow trout when water levels are suitable.
Carp are easily caught on baits of worms, dough or even bread, and berley works well in bringing them around. Warm weather is best.
The estuarine section of the Barwon River at Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads produce plenty of whiting, flathead, bream, yelloweye mullet and salmon.
Mulloway and snapper are caught at times in the lower river. Fish at night for best results.
Estuary perch are a highlight of the Barwon River and respond well to small lures on ultralight tackle.
Barwon River fishing areas
Forrest to Birregurra – a 32km section of river with a channel averaging 5-9m in width and with pools to 220cm deep. Forrest and Birregurra have fishable areas with brown trout, redfin, river blackfish and eels.
Birregurra to Winchelsea – a 25km section of river flowing through farmland with an average width of 10-12m and pools to 150-230cm deep. Redfin, brown trout, eels and river blackfish can be caught. Access is difficult because of private property and dense vegetation.
Winchelsea to the Weir upstream of Buckleys Falls – this 35km section of river has good pools between Winchelsea and Inverleigh and between Ceres and the Weir. The width varies from 17-25m, with pools to 470cm deep. This stretch contains tench, eels, redfin, blackfish and brown trout.
Between the Weir and Buckleys Falls – this short 400m stretch of river is a deep pool surrounded by parkland. It has many eels, and a few brown trout and redfin.
Buckleys Falls to the lower breakwater 1.5km upstream of Lake Connewarre – this 18km section is up to 60m wide with pools 4-6m deep. There is good access via Queens Park in Geelong. Rushes along the banks restrict access but boardwalks through Geelong section allow fishing. Carp, eels, redfin, brown trout, tench and congoli are caught.
Lower Barwon downstream of Lake Connewarre – these are estuarine waters about 50m wide and 3-4m deep. This stretch is 10km. It shallows out to 1-2m at Barwon Heads. There is good bank and boat fishing. Expect salmon, sand mullet, yelloweye mullet, flathead, silver trevally, black bream and king george whiting. Fish an incoming tide in the early morning for best results.
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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, mulloway, yelloweye mullet, 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 heavy rain events bream move into the lower reaches from July-September.
During 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.
Mulloway and 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.
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Lorne is one of the most popular holiday fishing destinations on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.
The road runs for 240km from Torquay to Warnambool and encompasses some of Victoria’s most spectacular coastline, including some great fishing spots.
Lorne Pier is a renowned fishing spot. It is quite a large pier but becomes busy during holiday periods.
Non-stop salmon fishing can be had at times in winter, and snapper, silver trevally, king george whiting, pike (snook), barracoutta, yakkas, flathead, squid, kingfish, leatherjackets, rays and sharks are all caught.
Snapper are best from roughly October to March.
Squid are best during clearest water periods, especially at dusk, dawn and night, but they can be caught all year.
Most squid are caught from the shallows around the weedbeds, using jigs.
As with all piers, look for squid stains to note where they are being caught.
Gummy sharks are best at night.
Lorne’s Jump Rock is a good landbased spot, located just before Stony Creek, with salmon, whiting and snapper.
There is a fishable rock ledge that begins at the main road opposite Albert St.
Lorne boat ramp is difficult or even dangerous in a swell, which often comes in the afternoons.
Offshore game fishing can be very good, with blue, mako and thresher sharks, bluefin and yellowfin tuna and albacore.
A special feature of this area is a consistent run of big southern bluefin tuna from about March to August, along with the albacore.
The tuna are generally caught by fast-trolling skirted lures.
Lorne is busy during holiday periods, so book your accommodation advance.
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The historic Victorian settlement of Portland has great fishing within Portland Bay, and provides safe sea access to productive offshore grounds through the harbour.
A special feature of this area is a consistent run of big southern bluefin tuna from about March to August, along with albacore.
The tuna are generally caught by fast-trolling skirted lures.
The harbour produces mainly squid, whiting, garfish, small salmon, trevally and mullet.
The long harbour rock walls have great fishing at times, with a chance of snapper and gummy sharks.
Minerva and Julia Reefs about 3km offshore produce snapper, kingfish, crayfish and more.
December to March are the best months for yellowtail kingfish.
Snapper are usually best from October to March.
Mako and thresher sharks are caught just 5km or so offshore.
Between the boat harbour and Snapper Point are grounds that produce snapper, flathead, whiting and mulloway.
For landbased fishos, the rock wall along Dutton Way produces snapper after storms in spring, as well as salmon and whiting.
The Fitzroy, Surrey and Glenelg Rivers, and Yambuk and Bridgewater Lakes, are popular destinations within reach of Portland.
Makos and thresher sharks are targeted by Portland sportsfishermen, with blue and gummy sharks, whalers and school sharks also available.
A popular offshore species is blue morwong, with the deeper grounds also producing Tassie trumpeter, knifejaw, snapper nannygai and blue-eye trevalla.
Torpedo and calamari squid are abundant around Portland, best in calm warm weather.
Whale watching is popular off Portland in winter.
Freshwater and estuary fishing locations in this general region include …
Aringa Reservoir, Port Fairy – off the Port Fairy-Hamilton Road, 6.5km from Port Fairy, through private property. Follow track to the left past house and through two gates. Brown and rainbow trout and redfin. Stocked regularly with brown trout and rainbow trout.
Branxholme Reservoir, Branxholme – a 1ha waterway about 2.5m deep, bank fishing only, redfin.
Bridgewater Lakes, Cape Bridgewater – 200ha, has smelt, galaxias, pygmy perch, blackfish, redfin, tench. Formerly stocked with trout.
Eumeralla River, Codrington – flows to Yambuk Lake, contains eels, tench, goldfish, congoli, river blackfish, galaxia, pygmy perch, gudgeon. May have brown trout. The estuarine section has estuary perch, salmon, yelloweye mullet and black bream.
Fitzroy River, Heywood – public access to riverbank at Heywood, the Princes Highway bridge and boat ramp at river mouth. Contains eels, congoli, river blackfish, lamprey, galaxias, gudgeon, pygmy perch. The estuary section extends 16km and has black bream, estuary perch, flounder, yelloweye mullet, salmon and sea mullet. Some brown trout. There is access to the estuary through private property at Wrights Bridge but ask permission.
Moyne River, Port Fairy – eels, congoli, tench and brown trout, along with galaxias, gudgeon, lamprey and pygmy perch. The estuary extends 4.8km, with estuary perch, mullet,salmon, bream, barracouta, flounder, snapper, whiting, yelloweye mullet, silver trevally and mulloway. There is plenty of space for bank fishing.
Shaw River, Yambuk – as well as native fish there are some brown trout.
Surrey River, Heywood – access is restricted to road crossings. Occasional brown trout and river blackfish. The estuarine section extends 3km and has bream, yelloweye mullet, flounder and salmon.
Yambuk Lake, Yambuk – 80ha, an estuary fed by the Shaw and Eumeralla Rivers. Boat and bank fishing for black bream, yelloweye mullet, salmon, estuary perch, flounder, eels.
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