Nature

The best fishing spots in Melbourne and regional Victoria

Fishing in Victoria

RACV Staff

Posted November 21, 2022

Fishing got you hooked? From Melbourne, to Mornington, and Mildura, there's plenty of great spots to cast a line. Here are the best fishing spots in Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Fishing is one of the best ways to pass the time during the summer, whether close to home or on a great Victorian road trip.

Luckily, Victoria is full of the best places for recreational fishing, from smaller lakes, creeks and inlets to rivers, piers, estuaries and the open sea.

There are a few types of fishing you can get into, whether you’re a beginner or seasoned fisher. 

Freshwater fishing is what it sounds like – fishing in freshwater streams, lakes and reservoirs. 

Saltwater fishing is best done in Victoria’s vast array of bays and beaches, whether from a boat, pier or fishing charter. 

A fishing license is required by the Victorian Fisheries Authority for anyone looking to have a recreational fish in Victoria, which can be obtained through Service Victoria. After that, you’re set to enjoy the great outdoors with the 700,000 others who go for a fish around the state each year. 

It doesn’t matter if you catch a fish or not, just give it a try at one of these fishing spots in Victoria. You might just be hooked for life.

Lake and river fishing in Melbourne

Albert Park Lake

Melburnians don’t need to go far to find a great fishing spot. Just five kilometres from the CBD, grab your fishing rod and enjoy a fish and even a picnic at Albert Park Lake, an oasis on the doorstep of the city. 

The Victorian Fisheries Authority regularly stocks the lake, where you could bag a rainbow trout, silver perch, golden perch or estuary perch in the warmer months. 

Yarra River

While the Yarra River itself is over 242 kilometres long, there are certain patches that are known to be fishermen’s friends. Closer into town, you can hook a line on the Punt Road Bridge or Yarra Bend Park. 

Big Pat’s, Starvation and McMahon’s Creeks in Warburton provide ample grounds for fishing, with brown trout, river blackfish and spiny crayfish on the menu. 

Those into fly fishing will find the Upper Yarra Reservoir a good spot over the summer, with brown and rainbow trout the main species in the catchment at this time.

Maribyrnong River 

Down at the ‘Nong is where you’ll find great waters for estuary fishing for a variety of species including snapper, salmon, bream and mulloway. 

Nearby Brimbank Park is a great spot for finding some bustling trout, garfish or carp. 

Jells Park Lake

East of Melbourne in the Dandenong creek valley lies Jells Park Lake, a family-friendly area with two fishing jetties hosting carp, redfin and eels. 

Ensure you stay on the western side of the lake which is open for anglers, as there is a closed off conservation zone. 

 

Man fishing on the beach

Victoria is full of some of the best beaches and bays to go fishing. Image: Getty. 

Beach and bay fishing in Melbourne

Port Phillip Bay

Port Phillip Bay is a fisherman’s paradise that can be reached by all Melburnians, whether you have a boat or not. 

If you’re in the western suburbs, Altona Pier offers plenty of variety, especially with the creation of three artificial reefs at the end of the pier. Anglers on this side of the river can hook bream, salmon, snapper, trevally, mullet, squid, garfish, leatherjackets and flathead. 

Mornington Peninsula

On the way to Mornington, Mordialloc Pier in Melbourne’s south-east is always popular with fishers. Here, you can catch squid, salmon, snapper, flathead, silver trevally, garfish, bream, yellow-eye mullet and even King George whiting.

Head further up to Patterson River and Chelsea Beach, where locals fish for many species including salmon, flathead, squid, flounder and bream. 

Keep driving and you’ll hit Sorrento Pier, just 25 minutes from RACV Cape Schanck, which provides panoramic views as you sit and fish for whiting, salmon, squid and snapper. 

 

Fishing is a family-friendly activity everyone can get involved with. Image: Getty.

Fishing is a family-friendly activity everyone can get involved with. Image: Getty. 

Lake and river fishing in regional Victoria

Devilbend Reservoir

If you’re heading to the Mornington Peninsula, Devilbend Reservoir near Tuerong (just half an hour from RACV Cape Schanck Resort), is worth the detour if you want to experience freshwater fishing. 

Grab your tackle for some brown and rainbow trout, or the highly sought-after estuary perch.

Camperdown

For something completely different, head to the state’s west and Camperdown’s crater lakes, which attract keen freshwater anglers. 

Fisheries Victoria regularly stocks Lake Bullen Merri and Lake Purrumbete with Chinook salmon, as well as brown and rainbow trout.

Gippsland

In the far east of the state, Lakes Entrance in Gippsland offers plenty of opportunities for keen fishers. 

You can try to land a King George whiting or sand whiting from the floating jetty, or fish for salmon from the surf beach.

Other hotspots in the area include the Tarwin River, known for its bream, and the Aron and Goulburn Rivers for fly-fishers to find trout and redfin. 

Speaking of fly-fishers, there's a good selection of wild brown and rainbow trout in Blue Rock Lake, while Mallacoota Inlet is said to be a flathead finder’s dream. 

Lake Eildon 

Eildon offers lots of options for fishers and boaters alike. The Eildon Pondage is a designated ‘family friendly fishing lake’ where the daily bag limit is five trout. 

Expect to find Murray cod, golden perch, trout and redfin year-round. 

Warrnambool

In the southwest corner of the state at Warrnambool, at the end of the Great Ocean Road, anglers can try their luck on the Hopkins River estuary, a nine-kilometre stretch of water extending from Point Ritchie to Allansford. 

Here you’ll find black bream, estuary perch, mulloway, yellow-eye mullet, Australian salmon and short-finned eels.

If you have the time, continue your drive up to Portland, Victoria’s premier southern bluefin tuna fishing spot.  

Nagambie

On a visit to Victoria’s High Country, set yourself up by Lake Nagambie, a reservoir featuring a number of fish varieties such as brown and rainbow trout, murray cod, golden perch and redfin. 

Murray River

At over 2,508 kilometres long, you’ll probably want a tip at where to start when fishing on the Murray River. 

The RACV Cobram Resort where you can soak in all the Murray region has to offer is the perfect place to fish for Murray cod and carp, while other highlights in the region include Lake Mulwala, Broken Creek, Barmah Lakes and Lake Hume. 

Goldfields

The Goldfields house over 1,000 of Victoria’s public and private trout lakes, making it the perfect place to set up a line. 

Just over half an hour from RACV Goldfields Resort is the Bostock Reservoir, with easy access to brown and rainbow trout, redfin, carp, roach, eels and tench. 

Other hotspots in the area include Wendouree, Lake Eppalock and the Cairn Curran Reservoir.

The Grampians

Up in the northwest of Victoria, take in the peace and serenity of The Grampians National Park. A well-known fishing spot is Lake Wartook, filled with redfin and brown trout, as well as the nearby Lake Bolac, Lake Fyans and Lake Bellfield.  

 

fishing with the family

There are a range of beaches and bays where you can cast a line. Image: Supplied. 

Beach and bay fishing in regional Victoria

Bellarine Peninsula

On the other side of the bay, the Bellarine Peninsula provides some of the best fishing in Victoria in the warmer months.

Piers in the regional areas of Queenscliff, Barwon Heads, Point Lonsdale, St Leonards and Port Arlington provide coastal scenery with the chance of catching premiere snapper, salmon, squid, shark and whiting. 

As you travel along the Great Ocean Road, have a stop at Portland and Narrawong Beach, where you can find snapper, elephant fish, salmon, mulloway and gummy shark.

Just a 15 minute drive from the RACV Torquay Resort, Anglesea is also a great spot for night beach fishing for gummy shark, leather jackets, flathead, salmon or snapper. 

Western Port Bay

As the second largest bay in the state, avid anglers can cast a line along Western Port Bay year-round as they make their way around the jetties, beaches and piers for a range of bronze whalers, gummy sharks, kingfish, pinkies, squid, flathead and whiting, to name a few. 

Highlights include Flinders Jetty, Merricks Beach, Cowes Jetty, and the San Remo Jetty, around half an hour from the RACV Inverloch Resort.

While you’re there, take a look at the new Penguin Parade visitor centre, where you can see the only blue-feathered Little Penguins in existence. 

 

Fishing at Cowes Jetty

Cowes Jetty is a popular fishing spot for locals and tourists alike. Image: Supplied. 

Fishing charter boat experiences

If you’re looking to go all out, consider a fishing charter experience, where you can be taken out on the waters of Port Douglas, the Whitsundays, Perth and other sunny destinations on your very own fishing charter. 

RACV Members save on a range of fishing charter boat experiences around Australia. 

 

Heading on a fishing weekend? 
Members save at RACV Resorts