Melbourne is lucky to be blessed with almost year-round perfect weather, and with the abundant variety of fish species available to anglers, both shore-based and offshore, plenty of fishing action is available if you know the best places to fish. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place, and we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to the best fishing spots in Melbourne, Victoria.
It doesn’t matter if you’re fishing along one of the beautiful beaches, protected bays, and estuaries or heading offshore into the ocean chasing big pelagic species. Melbourne has something for every angler, regardless of their skills. To give you a good variety of fishing locations in Melbourne, we did a mix of inshore and offshore fishing spots, and we’re sure that with a little bit of luck, you’ll come home with a feed of delicious fish or some fantastic memories.
In the following guide to Best Fishing Spots in Melbourne, we’ll cover:
If you live in Melbourne or are visiting and traveling around Australia for a fishing adventure, be sure to check out Top 12 Fishing Spots in Sydney: A Complete Guide, where we cover some of the best fishing locations in Sydney, including what fish species you can encounter.
Fishbox App is a premium Fishing Forecasting app that gives you access to advanced technology, including the best time to go fishing in Melbourne, Victoria, and when you’re better off spending some time doing maintenance on your boat or fishing tackle.
Top 10 Best Fishing Spots in Melbourne
St Kilda Pier
The St Kilda Pier is located at the end of Fitzroy Street and has been an iconic Melbourne fishing location since it opened to the public in 1904. With hundreds of local shops and markets and the beach just meters away, it’s a great family-friendly fishing location. However, in the peak tourist season, it’s jam-packed, so you’ll need to get there early and be prepared to share the space and deal with the occasional tangled line from other anglers.
Some of the most popular fish species you can expect to catch from St Kilda Pier include Snapper, Flathead, Snook, Australian Salmon, Gummy Sharks, Mullet, Garfish, and Trevally, just to name a few. Bait fishing from the pier with a long rod is the go-to method, but you’ll need a long landing net or gaff as the pier itself is pretty high.
Mornington Pier
About an hour from Melbourne’s CBD along the Mornington Peninsula is the impressive Mornington Pier. The pier was originally built in 1850, rebuilt in 2015, and closed and rebuilt in 2017 after a severe storm. The pier itself is around 250mt long, but during peak tourist season, the fishing action at the pier can be quite crowded, so be prepared to get there early to secure a good spot and prepare yourself for the occasional tangled line or break-off.
Some of the popular fish species on offer to anglers at the Mornington Pier include Squid, Snapper, Garfish, Australian Salmon, Trevally, King George Whiting, Flathead, Yellowtail Kingfish, and much more.
Yarra River
The Yarra River is a large body of water, which presents Melbourne anglers with a lot of choices when it comes to where they fish in the river and what species they plan to target. Closer to the CBD area, the fishing can be good, but the water is also more polluted, and most advisories recommend not eating any fish caught in the Yarra River close to the CBD area.
Some of the most popular target species in the Yarra include Bream, Perch, Mullet, Mulloway, Flathead, Tailor, Snapper, Australian Salmon, Whiting, Trevally, and much more. You have a lot of choices when it comes to how you fish the Yarra River, including soft plastics, lures, and bait, with pilchards and flesh baits such as chicken being very popular.
Albert Park Lake
Albert Park Lake is one of those fishing locations that local anglers all seem to know about, but it is highly underfished, making it an excellent destination for freshwater angling enthusiasts. A lot gets talked about saltwater fishing in Melbourne, but there are some fantastic freshwater angling opportunities too.
Some of the popular freshwater species anglers catch in Albert Park Lake include Golden Perch and Rainbow Trout, and being just 20 minutes from the CBD, it’s a great local destination. If you catch any European Carp, they must not be returned to the lake and be disposed of in the area.
Patterson River
The Patterson Lakes and River is located a short one-hour drive from the CBD of Melbourne. Once you arrive at the Patterson River, you’ll discover that the river entrance is famous for some fantastic estuary species, including Flathead, Bream, larger fish like Snapper, and even the occasional Squid if you try your luck fishing in the early morning, late evening, or night.
As you head upstream from the mouth of the estuary, you’ll have the opportunity to catch Bream and Australian Salmon, along with large Mullet, Mulloway, and Flounder. There are a lot of opportunities for shore-based anglers, as well as those with access to small boats or even kayaking. Patterson River and the Lakes area is a family-friendly fishing location with lots of campgrounds and easy access to the water, but during the peak summer season, the fishing pressure can be quite high.
Mordialloc Pier
Known as Mordi Pier by locals, Mordialloc Pier is a large fishing pier located about an hour’s drive from Melbourne CBD. One of the most popular species targeted by anglers at Mordialloc Pier is the famous Snapper. While it used to be a lesser-known spot for Snapper, the news is well and truly out now, and angling pressure is high, so if you want a good spot, you’ll need to arrive early.
Some of the other species you can expect to catch at Mordi Pier include Flathead, Squid, Garfish, Leather Jackets, Australian Snapper, Mullet, and Trevally. There are plenty of shops around, so if you aren’t lucky enough to catch some fish, there are some great fish and chips available so you won’t go home empty-handed.
Port Phillip Bay
Once heavily overfished thanks to commercial scalloping, Port Phillip Bay is now recovering well, and the Snapper run between October and March is famous, with local and interstate anglers arriving to take home a feed of delicious Snapper.
Along with the big Snapper run, Port Phillip Bay is also a world-renowned year-round fishing destination with target species including Squid, Mulloway, Bream, Garfish, Leather Jacket, Australian Salmon, Snapper, and much more. To get the most out of Port Phillip Bay fishing opportunities, a boat is your best bet, but there’s also some great shore-based fishing, and if you have access to a kayak, you’ll be able to move a little way off the shore on calmer days.
Werribee River
For anglers seeking fresh or saltwater fishing, the 110km of the Werribee River is a great place to start. Stretching from the entrance of Port Phillip Bay up to the Melton Reservoir, the Werribee River winds its way upstream and gives anglers fantastic estuary fishing opportunities. The most popular location on the Werribee River would have to be around the K-Road Cliffs and Werribee Golf Course.
Some of the popular target species anglers can target when fishing the Werribee River include Flathead, Australian Salmon, Mulloway, Perch, and Redfin.
Maribyrnong River
Known by locals as the Nong, Maribyrnong River is one of those unique urban fisheries that continues to throw up some fantastic fishing opportunities for local anglers. Spanning over 40 km, the Maribyrnong River starts at Port Phillip Bay and winds its way through urban areas until it reaches the country areas of Victoria.
Some of the popular fish species on offer to anglers fishing the Maribyrnong River include Carp, Tench, Redfin, Mulloway, Bream, Perch, Trevally, Australian Salmon, Snapper, and much more. It had a lot of investment by Fish Vic, with Estuary Perch heavily stocked and many more fish stocking initiatives on the way.
Altona Pier
Just 45 minutes from Melbourne’s busy CBD, Altona Pier offers saltwater fishing enthusiasts some fantastic estuary and bay fishing. If you enjoy pier fishing and you’re not afraid to mix it up with other anglers, then Altona Pier is definitely worth checking out.
There’s a new artificial reef located about 50m from the end of the pier, which is building up a healthy population of fish, and some of the species you can expect to catch around the pier include Flathead, Snapper, Australian Salmon, Tailor, and Squid. Early morning or late evening is the best time to fish, and if you time your arrival to fish on a tide change, your chances of catching fish are much higher.
Secret Fishing Spots in Melbourne
While some fishing locations in Melbourne are well-known, there are also some lesser-known fishing locations that deserve a mention. They may not be secret, with plenty of local Melbourne residents fishing them regularly, but they’re definitely worth a closer look if you have a lot of time in Melbourne to explore.
- Rye River – Located about an hour from Melbourne’s CBD, the town of Rye is an excellent destination for a fishing trip. If you can, make it a weekend because the night fishing from the pier for Squid can be spectacular. Along with Squid, other popular species on offer include Snapper, Whiting, Australian Salmon, Trevally, Leather Jacket, Trevally, Whiting and small Sharks. During peak seasons, the pier fishing can get a little crowded, so be prepared for the occasional tangled line.
- Brimbank Park – Brimbank Park is located 30 minutes from the center of Melbourne and is a popular Trout fishing destination. Along with Trout, you can expect to catch Redfin, Carp, Bream, Garfish, Australian Salmon, Eels, and Mullet. There’s plenty of shore-based angling on offer, and if you have a kayak or canoe, you can fully explore the whole area.
- Portsea Pier – The Portsea area isn’t just known for its fishing, with the annual Portsea Polo event extremely popular. Located about an hour’s drive from the heart of Melbourne’s business district, the Portsea Pier is another popular Victorian pier destination for anglers, and it’s great for anglers with children and families. Some of the popular species on offer include Whiting, Squid, Trevally, Australian Salmon, Flathead, Leather Jacket, Snapper, and many more. During bad weather, the pier can get a little wet, so plan accordingly.
The Best Fishing Spots in Melbourne: A Comprehensive Guide | Conclusion
If you have been searching for the best fishing spots in Melbourne, VIC, you’ll now have all the information you need to get out on the water and catch some fantastic fish. With thousands of kilometers of coastline, including beaches, bays, and estuaries, Melbourne has something to offer all anglers regardless of their skill level or access to equipment.
Regardless of whether you’re fishing from a boat or from the beach, it’s essential that we all do our part to be responsible anglers. Being a responsible angler means purchasing a fishing license where required, following season, size, and bag limits, taking only fish you need, and returning everything else. By doing this, we can all ensure that future generations of young anglers get to enjoy the same fantastic fishing opportunities we all enjoy today.
The premium fish forecasting application, Fishbox App, will put you in the perfect position to catch some great fish by analyzing local weather and water conditions and input from local anglers. The Fishbox App utilizes accurate weather, tide, and fishing conditions to predict the best time to get out on the water to catch your target species.
If you’ve had a lot of experience fishing in Melbourne and would like to share some tips or tricks with new anglers or anglers just fishing in Victoria for the first time, drop a comment below. We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback, and we’re sure new anglers would appreciate the help.
