Fish Sydney with Fishabout Tours.
Sydney has outstanding fishing. Within a short drive of the CBD are Port Hacking and the Georges River, the Botany Bay Recreational Fishing Haven, scenic Sydney Harbour, Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury River, and various freshwater fishing locations.
At least 53 fishable species are available.
Southern species form the bulk of the catch but tropical fish stray into Sydney waters, including mangrove jacks, giant trevally, giant herring, estuary cod and spangled emperor.
There are both trout and native bass in the hills.
Along the coast, offshore and estuarine artificial reefs have been installed.
Sydney’s generally moderate weather means offshore grounds are accessible for all but a few weeks of the year.
There is usually trouble-free offshore access through deep river and harbour entrances.
Sydney fishing spots
Sydney has spectacular estuaries, with protected deepwater bays and flooded valleys like Cowan Waters and Middle Harbour, as well as mangrove-lined, sandbank-studded waters in the upper Hawkesbury, Lane Cove, Parramatta and Georges Rivers.
Some of the best land-based gamefishing spots in Australia lie between Sydney and Jervis Bay to the south and Forster-Tuncurry to the north, just a couple of hours drive either way.
The platforms to the north include classics such as The Ovens, South Avoca, Wybung, Tomaree, Seal Rocks and Charlotte Head.
Northern bluefin tuna are the mainstay, with black marlin, spanish mackerel and yellowtail kingfish as well.
Other rock fishing areas include Sydney’s Royal National Park, Middle Head and the Kiama Blowholes.
All are an easy day trip.
There is no shortage of scenic rock fishing for drummer, luderick, bream, tailor, mulloway, Australian salmon, bonito and snapper.
For freshwater fishos, the Coxs and Wollondilly Rivers, and rivers and dams near Lithgow, Oberon and Orange are the better trout spots.
To the south are Burrinjuck and Wyangala dams, offering trout, yellowbelly and murray cod.
Barrington Tops to the north is a rugged, scenic area with small but feisty trout in the streams.
Glenbawn Dam, three hours north of Sydney, has some huge yellowbelly.
The Hawkesbury produces big bass.
Like anywhere, freshwater fishing quality may be seasonal, depending on rainfall.
Do keep in mind that it is not safe to consume fish from Sydney Harbour, because pollution has affected the fish.
The NSW Government released the following recommendations, which included eating NO FISH caught west of Sydney Harbour bridge, and limited amounts of fish from east of the bridge.
NSW Government’s recommended maximum intake of single species caught east of Sydney Harbour bridge …
*Species *Number of 150g serves *Amount per month
Prawns 4 serves per month 600g
Crab 5 serves per month 750g
Bream 1 serves per month 150g
Flounder 12 serves per month 1800g
Kingfish 12 serves per month 1800g
Luderick 12 serves per month 1800g
Sand whiting 8 serves per month 1200g
Sea mullet 1 every 3 months 50g
Silver biddie 1 serves per month 150g
Silver trevally 5 serves per month 750g
Tailor 1 serves per month 150g
Trumpeter whiting 12 serves per month 1800g
Yellowtail scad 8 serves per month 1200g
Squid 4 serves per month 600g
Dusky flathead 12 serves per month 1800g
Fanbellied leatherjacket 24 serves per month 3600g
How to fish Sydney
Seasons
In the more open areas such as Broken Bay and lower Sydney Harbour, summer sees an influx of baitfish which attracts pelagic fish.
In all but the worst weather, kingfish, bonito, salmon, tailor, frigate mackerel, striped and mack tuna are available to anglers in small boats.
NSW surf beaches are some of the best in the country and Sydney is no exception.
Sydney’s northern suburbs have great fishing beaches like Whale, Curl Curl, Narrabeen, and Palm.
In winter tailor are caught, with occasional salmon and silver trevally.
Things start to pick up off the beaches in about November, and the sport continues through to May.
With the warmer northern currents whiting, bream, flathead and mulloway bite.
Use worms and pipis for bait.
Big mulloway are common, but fresh or live bait is required to catch them, and fishing at night greatly improves your chances.
Offshore options are divided into three categories – out to the 30m grounds, then the middle 30m to 100m grounds, and wide from 100m to the Continental Shelf.
The closer reefs require skill to produce the goods but the river and harbour heads, islands and bommies and the flathead drifts produce well.
Trolling or baitfishing the headlands, particularly in summer, works well.
Species commonly caught include kingfish, bonito, tailor and bream.
The more recognised middle grounds, at roughly between 4km and 6km offshore, include Broken Bay wide, The Whale, Long Reef Wide, The Peak and the 4 and 6 mile.
It is these middle grounds that the more serious bottom fishers catch kingfish, snapper, morwong, trevally, mulloway, dory and jackets, to name a few.
Pelagic fish include yellowfin tuna, dolphin fish, wahoo, sharks and marlin.
The wide grounds require a serious boat.
Spots include the Peak Wide, Outer Long Reef and Broken Bay wide between 6km and 12km out, and the Shelf and Browns Mountain at 25km to 35km wide.
These are the domain of big game fish including blue black and striped marlin, big yellowfin tuna and sharks including tigers, makos, whalers and whites.
Albacore and striped tuna are common in this area.
The wide grounds inside the shelf offer superb bottom fishing, but conditions must be right because of the depths where blue-eye trevalla, hapuku, bass groper, gemfish and deep sea perch live.
Use modern thin lines, heavy leads and winches.
Tides & weather
Tides, currents and barometric pressure are the considerations for offshore trips.
The best tide is between the run up and two hours after the high.
Too much current makes anchoring and sinking baits difficult.
Bottom fish bite better on a high barometer or just before a major front.
Summer months are best for offshore reef and surface fish.
There’s are slightly fewer available species in winter, with mulloway, tarwhine and teraglin harder to find, but they are replaced with dory and trevally.
Winter is best for deep species like hapuku and blue-eye trevalla.
Many offshore surface species move on in winter, with the exception of yellowfin and albacore, which peak at this time, along with mako and blue sharks.
Bait & tackle
The huge variety of fishing around Syndey means that gear requirements vary greatly.
For most bread and butter fishing, a 6kg spinning outfit will land most fish.
Finer tackle may be required in some areas.
Sydney fish are well educated in some areas and the freshest bait should always be used, or live bait.
Chrome slice work well on salmon, tailor, tuna and kingfish.
Flathead respond well to soft plastic lures and mulloway can be caught on bibbed minnows and soft plastics.
Check before collecting bait as there are restrictions on collecting invertebrates in some areas.
Sydney tides
Sydney offshore artificial reef
Sydney estuarine artificial reefs
NSW stocked waters
Sydney dam levels
NSW dam levels
NSW fishing regulations
NSW marine parks
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