Adelaide has some good fishing in winter, with mild weather between the occasional storm fronts coming in from the west.
The water often clears in winter when there is particularly good fishing for squid, and also Australian salmon, yelloweye mullet, king george whiting and black bream.
The metro jetties are a special feature for landbased fishos, both near the city and at coastal townships around the two gulfs that make up much of South Australia’s coastline.
Adelaide itself has several metro jetties, as well as the productive Port River estuary, which includes the harbour entrance rock walls. Adelaide’s metro jetties are Brighton, Glenelg, Henley, Grange, Semaphore and Largs Bay.
West Lakes is a reclaimed marsh that is now a saltwater system and a great spot to target large black bream in winter.
Beaches and rock platforms immediately south of Adelaide are quite sheltered, but the southern side of Adelaide’s Fleurieu Peninsula has the more exposed Waitpinga and Parsons surf beaches that fish well for Australian salmon.
Victor Harbour is a popular daytrip, with good fishing off the Granite Island causeway and Screwpile Jetty, and at Port Elliot.
Port Noarlunga’s Onkaparinga River is a popular destination for fishos chasing winter black black bream, and small mulloway are also caught.
Adelaide fishing calendar …
Garfish – bigger fish seem to be about in winter, but more prolific in summer.
Black bream – big fish are in the lower parts of estuaries in winter.
Blue swimmer crabs – summer.
Elephant fish – all year.
Flathead – the southern bluespot flathead is best in autumn.
Gummy sharks – bite all year.
King george whiting – best in winter.
Mulloway – fish well during winter in the lower parts of estuaries such as Port River and Onkaparinga River.
Pink snapper – all year. Bigger fish caught from rock walls and jetties just after winter/spring storms. Species was off limits in most SA waters at time of writing.
Red mullet – a whiting bycatch often caught in winter.
Redfin – all year.
Australian salmon – winter and spring.
Silver trevally – all year.
Snook – all year, but best in summer.
Squid – anywhere the water is clear. Try jetties with night lights, but many locations will produce at dawn and dusk.
Tommy ruff – all year, best under jetty lights at night.
Trout, brown and rainbow – best in winter. Read more about SA trout here..
Yelloweye mullet – autumn/winter in close on metro beaches.
Yellowtail kingfish – can be caught from autumn.
Some winter fishing suggestions near Adelaide …
Onkaparinga, Port River and West Lakes black bream
Gummy sharks off beaches at night
Salmon at Port Noarlunga jetty
Yelloweye mullet at beaches from Myponga to Normanville
Further afield …
Bluefin tuna out wide
Salmon on surf beaches outside the gulfs
Here is a list of recommended tackle for SA waters.
Here is the SA seasonal fishing calendar for various fish species.
A reminder that special snapper rules apply in SA, and new restrictions were announced following a destructive marine algal bloom ... view details here.
Adelaide (Outer Harbour) tides
West Beach webcam
SA fishing regulations
SA marine parks
SA stocked dams
Murray River fishing spots
NOTE: Special snapper rules apply in SA. More recently, new restrictions were announced following a destructive marine algal bloom … view them here.
Email updates or corrections to fishfindermaps2@gmail.com
