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 South Australia – more info here.

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