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.
Port Macquarie tides
Port Macquarie coastline on Beachsafe
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks
Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.
