Port Lincoln, South Australia

Port Lincoln, South Australia
Port Lincoln, South Australia

Port Lincoln is located within a highly regarded fishing region at the southern end of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.

There are good facilities for boaters, with excellent fishing grounds in close and out wide, and two good fishing jetties within the town, being the town jetty and tourist park jetty.

Other fishable jetties in the region are at North Shields, Tumby Bay, Coffin Bay and Mt Dutton Bay.

There are marinas at both Port Lincoln and Tumby Bay, with boat ramps at Tumby Bay, North Shields, Port Lincoln, Taylors Landing, Port Neill, Coffin Bay and Mt Dutton Bay.

With appropriate equipment and care, beach launching can be done at Louth Bay, Avoid Bay and Farm Beach.

Some of the best beach and rock fishing is near Port Lincoln in the Lincoln National Park. Entry permits are at the Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre.

Landbased fishing near the town provide great salmon action at times, and kingfish are caught within the marina.

Port Lincoln Bay itself is shallow and has flounder, mullet, bream, gar, snook, tommies, flathead, blue crabs and yellowfin whiting.

Landbased whiting are caught at Tulka, from the rocks, while boaters get good catches of whiting at Proper, Spalding Cove, North Shore, Carcase Rocks, Taylors and Thistle Island.

Squid are found throughout the bays.

Blue crabs are best in the shallows around March, which is also a good time for gar.

Spotted whiting are usually good around Tulka, North Shore and Thistle Island.

Offshore fishing produces just about all SA species, depending on how far you are willing to travel.

A highlight is bluefin tuna, which often swim outside the local tuna aquaculture pens.

The Cabbage Patch and South Neptune Islands are go-to spots.

The more distant reefs hold big samsonfish, yellowtail kingfish, tuna, blue groper, blue morwong and more.

For those who want to fish the islands south of Port Lincoln the beach launch at Taylors Landing gives access to Taylor Island just 5km away.

Further on lie the islands of Thorny Passage.

Quality snapper and spotted whiting are caught within the passage, with samson, nannygai and morwong on the deep reefs outside.

This is not an ideal area for trailerboaters, with strong currents and the power of the Southern Ocean.

Charter services are recommended to fish the wide reefs and Neptune Islands.

For surf and rock fishermen, Sleaford Bay south of Port Lincoln has big salmon.

Rock platforms such as Millers Hole and Salmon Hole require a long gaff or drop gaff to land big fish.

Other regional spots include Elliston, which usually has salmon from the beaches between Sheringa and Mt Camel.

Talia Rocks produces big salmon with gummy and school sharks at night.

Tommies, squid and flathead are caught at Walkers Rocks.

Coffin Bay’s sheltered waters have mostly salmon trout, whiting, squid and tommies. The deeper water in Dutton Bay is best for gummy sharks.

Farm Beach has whiting, flathead, garfish, tommies, snook and squid. Offshore of Point Sir Isaacs there are nannygai, blue morwong and gummy sharks.

Whiting can be caught from the rocks at Frenchman’s Beach, with flathead at Gallipoli Beach and Coles Point.

Salmon are good at Gunyah Beach, Greenly and Convention Beaches.

A tug hull was sunk in Boston Bay in 1990 as an artificial reef, and it produces big snapper at times (snapper fishing is currently banned in SA).

Port Lincoln’s best fishing periods

KGking george whiting, pink snapper, salmon, samson, nannygai, sweep, snook, trevally, flathead, gummy and school sharks, tommy ruff, garfish, squid – all year, but with peaks at specific times.

Tuna and kingfish are best in late summer to autumn.

Yellowtail kingfish are best from November to April

Blue swimmer crabs are best November to May.

Southern rock lobster are best December to May.

Yelloweye mullet best in winter and autumn.

Port Lincoln and its nearby towns are popular during holiday periods so book early.

GPS Marks
Bronzewing Hull 34 40.912S 135 52.482E

Here is the SA seasonal fishing calendar for various fish species.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

Port Lincoln tides
Port Lincoln beaches
Lincoln National Park
SA fishing regulations
SA marine parks
Return to SA fishing map

NOTE: Special snapper rules apply in South Australia – more info here.

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.

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