Part of Adelaide’s Torrens River wetlands was turned into a large tidal lake estate in the 1970s.

This waterbody, called West Lakes, was formed by diverting the lower Torrens River to sea at West Beach and “reclaiming” the remaining mangrove and reed marshland.

Work began in September 1970.

Delfin Island was opened in 1978.

A pipe carries sea water to West Lakes, and the lake also receives storm water.

The sea pipes are at the southern end, with a causeway into the Port River located at the north end.

We can only guess how important the Torrens wetlands were from an ecological point of view, but today West Lakes holds a variety of fish and is a great family fishing location.

Black bream are arguably the main species of interest, and there are stonkers to be caught. However, it can be hard to get past the small fish.

The biggest bream can be a challenge to tempt in the often clear and usually still waters.

Light line and live or fresh bait is essential, and fishing at night greatly improves the chances of catching a trophy fish.

Mullet, mulloway, salmon trout, zebra fish, sweep, flounder, flathead, garfish and squid are also in the system.

Small artificial reefs have been installed in West Lakes.

There are 12 such reefs on the inlet side of West Lakes.

The reefs were placed to increase fishing opportunities from Inlet Reserve, and would also hopefully increase fish stocks.

The largest reef unit is a fish tower 1.3m high by 0.7m by 1.6m wide.

Fishing is only permitted in West Lakes from man-powered dinghies/canoes or on foot.

You must fish at least 10m or more from residential properties and 20m away from any bridge.

West Lakes fishing spots

Bower Road Outlet has bream mostly in spring, summer and autumn and salmon trout in winter, with mulloway during summer at night.

Dotterel Reserve has bream mostly in spring, summer and autumn and mulloway in summer at night.

Settlers Drive has bream mostly in spring, summer and autumn, with mullet in autumn and winter and mulloway in summer at night.

The Bouys has bream mostly in winter and spring and mulloway in summer and autumn.

Bartley Terrace stormwater drain has bream mostly in spring, summer and autumn and mulloway in summer and autumn, best after rain.

Bartley Bridge has bream mostly in spring, summer and autumn and salmon trout in autumn, winter and spring.

Heysen Reserve has bream mostly in spring, summer and autumn and mulloway in summer and autumn at night, with mullet in autumn and winter.

Corcoran Reserve has bream mostly in spring, summer and autumn with mullet in autumn and winter and mulloway in summer at night.

Fisher Place has bream mostly in spring and summer and mulloway and summer and autumn.

Tiranna Reserve has bream mostly in summer and mullet in autumn.

Deep Bend has mulloway in summer.

Sir John Marks Reserve has bream all year, salmon in winter and spring and mulloway all year.

Powell Court Road Bridge has has bream mostly in spring, summer and autumn with salmon in winter and spring and mulloway all year.

Oarsman Reserve has bream in summer, with king george whiting in winter and spring, and salmon trout and mullet in autumn and winter.

Martin Court has bream mostly in spring, summer and autumn

Scullers Reserve has bream mostly in summer and autumn, mullet in autumn and winter and garfish in summer.

Trimmer Parade Inlet has bream and mulloway all year and salmon trout in autumn, winter and spring, with mullet in autumn and winter and king george whiting in winter and spring.

Other good landbased spots around Adelaide include the metro jetties at Brighton, Glenelg, Henley, Grange, Semaphore and Largs Bay.

There are fishable rock walls at North Haven.

The Port River estuary has many good fishing spots for a variety of species, and the Port River’s sea entrance, called Outer Harbour, has a long rock wall that is a landbased fisho’s best chance for big fish around Adelaide.

For a more detailed summary of Adelaide fishing opportunities, go here.

West Lakes tides
Full City of Charles Sturt West Lakes map PDF file
SA fishing regulations
SA marine parks

NOTE: Special snapper rules apply in SA. More recently, new restrictions were announced following a destructive marine algal bloom … view them here.

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.

South Australia’s Point Sinclair is a great fishing spot, with a small granite headland protecting a sandy bay with a public jetty, with beaches on either side of the headland.

Point Sinclair is about 845km by road from Adelaide, 20km from Penong.

The jetty and bay form Port Le Hunte, with the “port” protected from westerly winds by the headland.

The former wheat-loading jetty is now used solely by recreational fishermen and other recreational visitors.

There is good fishing from the jetty for squid, gar, tommies and passing salmon.

Seaweed grows close to the beaches along much of this coast, with king george whiting a chance for landbased fishos.

Port Le Hunte beach and other beaches in the area have tidal rocky reef which makes for interesting fishing.

The unsealed road from Penong ends at bluffs overlooking Port Le Hunte, with a track leading to the jetty, and a camping area between the bluffs and a seawall.

This area features coastal cliffs, blowholes and sand dunes with some stunning beaches.

There is a toilet block at the jetty, and a shark net at the jetty for swimmers.

Boaters launch from the relatively sheltered beach near the jetty and can moor just off the beach in calm conditions.

There is plenty of rough ground to fish 4km south of the point, and 6km out lies Sinclair Island.

Beware breaking waves over and around reefs at all times.

Nearby Cactus Beach is a popular surfing beach with a lot of inshore reef that produces good salmon fishing, with a chance of mulloway and snapper, but being one of the most popular surf beaches in Australia perhaps makes it less of a fishing destination.

A marine park sanctuary exists to the north of Cactus Beach.

This is white shark territory, something to keep in mind if berleying from a small boat or going for a swim. There is a protective shark net at the jetty.

Point Sinclair tides
Cactus Beach on Beachsafe
SA fishing regulations
SA marine parks

NOTE: Special snapper rules apply in SA. More recently, new restrictions were announced following a destructive marine algal bloom … view them here.

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.

Outer Harbour is the entrance to Adelaide’s Port River, a waterway perhaps better described as a large tidal inlet.

The harbour entrance is dredged and lined by giant rock walls, locally called breakwaters, with the southern wall being accessible on foot and the northern wall only by boat.

There is no footpath on the wall, so it is a long and dangerous hop, skip and jump along the rocks, and a very long way to the end, especially if you are carrying a lot of gear.

However there is no need to walk to the end, as good fishing can be had the full length of the wall.

Anything is possible along this wall – mulloway, pink snapper, kingfish, salmon, leatherjackets, flathead, bream, tommies, zebra fish, squid, sharks and rays all show up.

Night fishing is best for mulloway, but some fish are caught in daylight.

Use livebait for the mulloway, or fresh whole pilchards or gar.

Mulloway schools tend to come and go, making mulloway fishing hot or cold.

The turn of the tide is usually the best bite time.

Tidal flow along the walls is not usually strong enough to prevent fishing, but on the biggest tides fishing is easier on the turn.

Drifting baits along the rocks under a float is a good way to pick up bread and butter fish such as tommies, salmon trout, leatherjackets and zebra fish.

Salmon schools move through the harbour entrance, and seagulls will give away their presence.

A long-distance casting rod and chrome slice lure is best for the salmon, as they don’t always swim close to the wall.

Berleying off the rock wall is a great way to attract fish.

On the shallow sandy side of the wall mainly flathead are caught, with a few squid and leatherjackets.

Sharks and rays swim along both sides of the wall where it joins the bottom and can be a nuisance when fishing with large baits.

While the various species of fish are seasonal in abundance, there is usually something to be caught at Outer Harbour at any time of year.

The large shipping wharf at the base of the rock wall can no longer be fished, but was formerly a known mulloway spot, with occasional large snapper caught.

On the seaward side of the outer rock wall is a shallow area that holds swags of gar and blue crabs for boaters.

Immediately south of Outer Harbour, North Haven marina has smaller rock walls that offer good landbased fishing at times, mainly for salmon trout, flathead, bream and occasional mulloway.

Further south are Adelaide’s metro jetties, which produce good fishing, squidding and crabbing at times. These are Largs Bay, Semaphore, Grange, Henley, Glenelg and Brighton.

Another spot to try is West Lakes, a reclaimed marsh that is now a saltwater canal estate and a great spot to target large black bream.

North of Outer Harbour the shallow coastline is a mecca for crab-rakers, gar-dabbers and flounder spearers.

Outer Harbour tides
Outer Harbour webcam
SA fishing regulations
SA marine parks

NOTE: Special snapper rules apply in SA. More recently, new restrictions were announced following a destructive marine algal bloom … view them here.

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.