Fishing in Australia

There is some great fishing in Australia!

Fishing is a national sport in Australia and almost every Aussie bloke's favourite passtime.

Whether at home, on travels, or on a weekend getaway, an Aussie woman has no trouble finding her man because he'll be fishing. It is not a surprise as even kids fishing is popular, Aussies simply grow up with it.

A Man Fishes from His Deck Chair in Platypus Bay on Fraser Island's West Coast, Australia

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Fishing in Australia - New South Wales
There are plenty of great fishing spots along the coast of New South Wales. Some of the better known places include Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Newcastle, while on the southern coast there are Eden, Tartra, Central Tilba, Ulladulla, Nowra, Jervis Bay and Wollongong.

Even Sydney is great for fishing. There is also some freshwater fishing in the inland rivers, dams and lakes - New South Wales is famous for good bass fishing. Keep yourself legal by paying the NSW recreational fishing fee.

People Fishing from Wooden Bridge at Wallaga Lake Bermagui, New South Wales, Australia

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Fishing in Australia - Victoria
Victoria also has some great saltwater fishing along its coast. Some of the well known spots are Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island, and places along the Great Ocean Road, but of course there are less known places everywhere. A common saltwater fish is snapper, while freshwater lakes and rivers have Murray cod, trout and other cooler water species. A fishing licence is required.

Fishing, Middle Brighton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

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Fishing in South Australia
South Australia is famous for its giant snapper but there are other cool water species such as salmon, whiting, mullet, kingfish and others. Some good spots include but are not limited to Victor Harbour, Rapid Bay, Marion Bay and Whyalla. And there is freshwater fishing in rivers and lakes. Again, a license is required for all types of fishing, and size and bag limits apply.

Fishing from the Beach at Sunrise, Australia

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Fishing in Western Australia
Western Australia has the longest coastline that stretches all the way from Nullarbor Plain in the south to the Kimberley in the north, and the fish you get is very different between the two - with cool water species (herring, whiting, beam..) in the south and tropical species (marlin, barramundi, coral trout...) in the north. And of course there are inland lakes and rivers with plenty of trout in them. As in other states, bag and size limits and other rules apply.

Man Fishing on Jetty at Safety Bay, Rockingham, Australia

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Fishing in Australia - Northern Territory
The whole coast of Northern Territory is in the tropics and that means some great tropical game fish that is big. If you are from the southern states, you may need to upgrade your fishing gear as I have seen Victorians' fishing lines break one after another. The number one fish in the north is of course barramundi, but there are others such as gulf saratoga, coral trout, groper and golden snapper.

Anglers in Boat Fishing for Barramundi in Yellow Water Wetlands

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Fishing in Australia - Queensland
Queensland is not only in the tropics but it also has the Great Barrier Reef - something that helps a great deal to increase the amount of different species. Not only do you have the mangroves and estuarine river mouths, the beaches, the inland freshwater rivers and lakes - you also have the reef fishing. And if you don't have the boat, there are opportunities to hire one, or join one of the many tours that take you out to the reef fishing. (Northern Western Australia also has the Ningaloo Reef, but the scale of it and the amount of tours is much smaller).

Two Men Fishing from Small Boat, Coconut Island, Australia

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The Great Barrier Reef stretches along the whole coast from the tip of Cape York in the north to the Fraser Coast in the south, and some of the more famous places are Cairns, Airlie Beach and Whitsundays. But some great fishing can be done in other places like Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and so on along the whole coast. And of course, there is great fishing south of the GBR in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Like in the other states size and bag limits as well as other rules apply.