Most fishing in Victoria is done in Melbourne’s two large, shallow enclosed bays, Port Phillip and Western Port, but the city also has nearby stocked waters, with surf and rock fishing within easy reach.

Melbourne’s two giant bays are primarily sandy, featuring seagrass beds that provide excellent habitats for various fish species. Both boat and land-based fishing are popular within these bays, supported by numerous boat ramps and jetties.

Geelong’s jetties alone offer ample opportunities for family anglers, with reliable catches of juvenile salmon, squid, and bream.

Artificial reefs have been installed to enhance fishing spots, and recent shellfish reef restoration projects have begun. These reefs are strategically placed to benefit both boaters and jetty anglers.

Main catches in the bays include pink snapper, spotted and sand whiting, yellow-eye mullet, black bream, luderick, garfish, flounder, flathead, salmon, silver trevally, elephant fish, gummy sharks, seven-gill sharks, school sharks, various rays, estuary perch, and squid.

In the surf, salmon are predominant, with gummy and school sharks, mulloway, pink snapper, and tailor adding excitement to the catches.

Gummy and school sharks are highly regarded as table fare. After storms, mulloway and snapper tend to move closer to shore, making them easier targets, especially when rain flushes estuaries and creeks.

Offshore fishing targets include pink snapper, flathead, and kingfish. Additionally, bluefin tuna, albacore, and striped tuna are available for those seeking larger catches. Dedicated anglers often pursue mako and thresher sharks.

Rock fishing along Victoria’s rugged coastline is excellent and accessible for day trips from the city. A highlight for many is the southern rock lobster, found along reefy foreshores up to about 100 meters deep.

Despite increasing fishing pressure, Victorian fishing has seen improvements in recent years. Snapper populations around Melbourne are often abundant, and big tuna have made a notable comeback in the state’s west. Kingfish also appear in good numbers, providing ample opportunities for anglers.

Inland areas around Melbourne feature numerous lakes and streams stocked with both native fish and trout. For detailed locations, refer to our Victorian fishing map.

Regular fish stocking in freshwater locations is conducted, and there are considerations for stocking some marine waters as well. Significant rivers for Melbourne anglers include the Ovens, Goulburn, Patterson, King, Loddon, Barwon, Rubicon, Snowy, Yarra, Mitta, Hopkins, Merri, and Kiewa. Notable lakes with good fishing include Bullen Merri, Burrumbeet, Eildon, Eppalock, Hume, Mulwala, and Purrumbete.

A recreational fishing licence is required to fish in Victoria. Gear and bag restrictions apply, including a maximum of two hooks per angler. Set lines, mesh nets, cast nets, snares, and mussel rakes are banned.

How to Fish Melbourne

Seasons

In Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay, juvenile salmon bite year-round, while bream are best targeted from June to November.

Flathead, garfish, and spotted whiting are most active in summer, with whiting biting through to April. Silver trevally and snapper peak from October to May, mullet from April to October, and kingfish are best in summer. Squid can be caught all year but are usually most abundant from June to October. Mulloway are particularly active around Melbourne in winter.

Bait, Lures, and Tackle

Popular baits include pilchards, bluebait, prawns, and squid. For pink snapper, fish fillets or small whole fish are effective. Local baits such as worms and bass yabbies can significantly enhance your catch.

Lure fishing is popular, especially for salmon and kingfish, where chrome slices serve as versatile lures. Bream and estuary perch are often targeted with small minnow lures and soft plastics. Paternoster rigs are favored for bait fishing.

In Victoria’s estuaries, characterized by small tides and often clear water, a light-tackle approach is essential. Fishing tends to be more productive when the water is murkier.

Weather

Victoria’s climate is diverse despite the state’s relatively small size. It ranges from semi-arid temperate with hot summers in the northwest to temperate and cool conditions along the coast. The Great Dividing Range influences a cooler, mountainous climate in the center, while coastal winters remain mild.

Victoria is the second wettest state in Australia after Tasmania. The Victorian Alps in the northeast are the coldest region. Rainfall increases from south to north and is more abundant at higher altitudes, particularly in the Otway Ranges and Gippsland in southern Victoria, as well as the mountainous northeast. Rainfall is most frequent in winter, with heavier summer rainstorms.

At Melbourne Airport, the mean wind speed ranges between 20km/h and 24km/h annually, with April, May, and June being the calmest months and August and September the windiest. Winds in Melbourne typically blow northerly in winter and southerly in summer, with easterlies being rare. Winter fronts can bring gale-force winds, while summer afternoons are often accompanied by strong sea breezes.

Victoria’s tidal range is generally small, approximately 1m at Portland and under 2m near the NSW border.

Special Features

A seasonal elephant fish run occurs in Western Port between March and May. The unusual and often large seven-gill shark is a common sight in both of Melbourne’s bays.

The volcanic crater at Lake Purrumbete fosters unusually high growth rates in trout and is also stocked with chinook salmon, as is Lake Bullen Merri. Many Victorian estuaries host estuary perch, resembling Australian bass. These fish can respond well to baits and lures on ultralight gear but are notoriously fickle.

Squid, snapper, and spotted whiting are staples for Victorian anglers. Snapper can sometimes be caught from surf beaches, alongside mulloway, salmon, tailor, and gummy sharks.

Luderick are primarily caught around Mallacoota but extend further west, along with the similar zebra fish.

Fishing Holiday Locations

Victoria boasts numerous coastal towns ideal for fishing holidays.

To the west, major destinations include Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Fairy, Portland, and Nelson (Glenelg River).

To the east, popular spots include Port Albert, Lakes Entrance, the Ninety Mile Beach, and Mallacoota.

Many smaller communities also offer excellent fishing facilities and holiday accommodations.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for Victorian waters.

Melbourne (Williamstown) tides
Victorian stocked fishing spots
Port Phillip fishing spots
Western Port fishing spots
Melbourne dam levels
VIC fishing regulations
VIC marine parks

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