See Part One of this article here.

Some of South Australia’s great fishing spots are located on the southern and western York Peninsula coast.

A special feature for touring fishos is the selection of camp sites run by York Peninsula Council.

As well as great rod and line fishing for whiting, mullet, Australian salmon, tommy ruffs and gar, it is usually easy to find squid and blue swimmer crabs in season, and flounder spearing can be enjoyed off the more sheltered shallow beaches.

Here are some of the more popular fishing areas.

Stenhouse Bay

This is a superb fishing area within Innes National Park. Bush camping is available.

The jetty has produced yellowtail kingfish, but is better known for autumn/winter mullet and salmon.

Mulloway are caught in the bay.

A sanctuary exists south of the bay.

Pondalowie Bay

This bay is also within Innes National Park.

The beach launch provides access to exciting offshore grounds, but the weather must be right to contemplate fishing, and a swell can make launching impossible.

The fishing, from Emmes Reef north-west to Wedge Island, can be superb.

Wedge Island is inhabited, with several holiday houses that can be hired.

Boaters usually fish the calmer waters between Wedge and North Island for whiting and snapper.

The beach on the north side has big flathead and salmon.

Yellowtail kingfish are common around the island.

Browns Beach

Like some other great salmon beaches, this beach has an outlying reef, and salmon move inside on a rising tide.

Fishing is best in winter, but some salmon stay all year.

This is a somewhat famous fishing beach in SA.

Walking is required, and a permit for Inness National Park.

To the north, Dust Hole Beach has salmon in winter and big mulloway in summer, along with mullet, flathead and sharks.

It also requires walking, depending where the gutters lie.

North of the Dust Hole Beach is Daly Head and Gleesons Landing.

Gleesons has 4WD access and a reasonably sheltered beach launch.

The beach has salmon and mullet, with occasional mulloway.

Corny Point

This is at the north-west tip of Yorke Peninsula, with Berry Bay nearby and West beach to the immediate south.

There is free camping at Corny Point, from where you can walk off for a fish.

West Beach is the last proper surf beach heading north along this coast, as beaches in the gulf are more sheltered.

There is surf fishing at nearby Berry Bay for salmon and mullet.

There is a caravan park 4km east of the point, with a tractor available for beach launching.

Small boats can fish this reasonably sheltered area, and the local garfish, whiting and tommy ruff are big.

Further out are snapper grounds.

Point Turton

The marina is suitable for large boats.

The jetty produces the usual SA species, including kingfish.

Whiting, snook, gar, flathead and flounder are caught in close.

This is a protected area in a southerly, but north-westerly winds make it rough.

About 10km to the east, 4WD launching can be done at Hardwicke Bay.

The same applies at Port Rickeby to the north, which also has a small jetty.

Port Victoria

This town has most facilities, including a sheltered all-tide ramp and long jetty.

Wardang Island lies 10km offshore, providing a great deal of protected water to fish.

All the usual species are caught, with spotted whiting within and outside the bay.

Flounder are common in the bay and there is flounder spearing.

To the north, Balgowan has an exposed boat ramp.

Port Hughes

This town has excellent boating facilities inside a marina, although it is shallow at low tide.

The long jetty fishes well for tommy ruff, gar and squid, with blue crabs and yellowfin whiting in summer.

Oversize whiting, snook and snapper can be caught on the wide grounds.

Tiparra Reef has a light and is good for gar, snook and squid, while snapper fishos should head out to the Steamer channel.

There are whiting, squid and gar grounds in close.

Gar dabbing is popular in northern Moonta Bay on a calm night, with good fishing for a variety of species at Walrus Rock and Bird Reef.

Tiparra Reef
34 03.913S 137 23.494E

Tiparra Wide
34 04.654S 137 18.261E

Wallaroo

The town’s long jetty fishes well, with snapper caught at the end, usually after rough weather, as well as occasional kingfish.

Otherwise it is best for gar, squid and blue crabs.

The town has excellent boating facilities.

Big snapper are reliable on grounds about 10km out.

There is an artificial reef of tyres 9km out.

Two small shoals within Wallaroo Bay are usually worth a look.

Wallaroo Tyre Reef
33 51.411S 137 34.384E

Moonta Shoal
33 53.883S 137 34.902E

Riley Shoal
33 53.220S 137 34.951E

Port Broughton

Yet another gulf town with a long fishing jetty.

Yellowfin whiting are a popular catch here. Use fine tackle and the freshest possible bait. Fish an evening rising tide for best results.

Big snapper are targeted out wide on the Illusion wreck and on Plank Shoal.

The boating facilities are excellent but the entrance channel is shallow and winding.

There is an artificial reef made from car bodies.

Car Reef
33 32.914S 137 51.483E

Port Pirie

NOTE: Port Pirie and Port Germein marine sediments are contaminated with lead and other heavy metals, which is found in local shellfish and fish. Read this for details.

Port Augusta

The shallow waters of upper Spencer Gulf lead north to the town of Port Augusta.

It is an unusual marine area, being shallow and sheltered from all winds except southerlies.

A quirk of Port Augusta is the two power stations that have hot water outlets.

These are renowned for attracting big kingfish, with fish over 50kg taken.

Livebait and strong gear is needed.

Another odd local catch is the tropical dolphin fish (mahi mahi), which are occasionally brought in by warm currents passing the state.

Big snapper are caught in the channel, but most Adelaide snapper fishos travel onward to Whyalla and Arno Bay.

Otherwise, the waters here are best for yellowfin whiting, blue crabs, gar, bream and snook.

Boating facilities are good. There is a tyre reef 20km south of Port Augusta.

Augusta Tyre Reef
32 39.914S 137 45.879E

Stenhouse Bay tides
Pondalowie Bay tides
Browns Beach tides
Corny Point tides
Port Turton tides
Port Victoria tides
Port Hughes tides
Wallaroo tides
Port Broughton tides
Port Pirie tides
Port Augusta tides
SA fishing regulations
SA marine parks
Browns Beach on Beachsafe
York Peninsula camp sites in Innes National Park
York Peninsula camp sites run by the council

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

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.