The following advice applies to Melbourne’s bays and nearby coastal waters.
Black bream – All year, they move further up tidal waterways in summer.
Crabs, blue swimmer – Best in summer, day or night.
Flathead – All year, especially good in summer, they bite all day.
Flounder – All year, but the usual method is spearing in the shallows at night in summer.
Garfish – Best in summer/autumn but bigger fish often caught in winter. Dab netting is usually done at night with light at night in summer.
Mulloway – Best in summer but caught all year. Fish dusk into the night at turn of tide. Also under bridge lights.
Salmon – Small fish show up all year. Best at high tide at dusk and dawn. Big fish best in autumn/winter.
Snapper – All year but best in spring/summer. Best at dusk and dawn and they come in close after stormy weather. Read more about snapper movements in Port Phillip Bay.
Bluefin tuna – Best in late summer.
Squid – Available all year but best when the water is clear, dawn, dusk and night.
Whiting, king george – All year but often better quality fish in winter, they bite all day but often tide dependent.
Whiting, yellowfin – Best in summer in spots well away from swimmers. Look for nose marks over shallow flats where they feed.
Kingfish – summer.
Silver trevally – summer.
Chow (yakkas) – summer.
Leatherjackets – all year.
Sharks – all year but better in summer.
Native freshwater fish – summer.
Here is a list of recommended tackle for Victorian waters.
Melbourne (Williamstown) tides
Melbourne dam levels
VIC fishing regulations
VIC marine parks
