Fishing Clifton Springs & Portarlington
The Bellarine bank is famous across Victoria for producing massive numbers of King George Whiting and Southern Calamari. Spring brings migrating Snapper into the deeper channel edges, while winter delivers reliable action on large Australian Salmon and Snook. Matching your drift speed over the sand and weed patches is the secret to filling your bag here.
Land-based fishers flock to Portarlington Pier and the Clifton Springs breakwall for comfortable, productive fishing. Casting squid jigs along the dark weed margins produces thick feeds of Calamari during a high tide. The local breakwaters also offer great platforms for soaking pipis or mussels for Whiting and Flathead.
Boaters launching from local harbour ramps have immediate access to world-class fishing grounds within minutes. Drifting the shallow grass flats along Curlewis Bank yields top-shelf King George Whiting and Garfish. Anchoring near the mussel leases or channel drop-offs with a steady berley trail brings in Snapper and Gummy Sharks.
Top 10 Species
Landbased
- PORTARLINGTON PIER: A long timber pier extending over deep seagrass and sand patches. Cast size 3.0 squid jigs in natural cloth colours along the dark weed edges during a rising tide for Southern Calamari. Dropping light patternoster rigs baited with fresh pipis or mussels near outer pylons pulls Silver Trevally and King George Whiting.
- CLIFTON SPRINGS BREAKWALL: A heavy granite rock wall that gives anglers deep casting access into open bay water. Cast 28g metal slugs or 3-inch soft plastics into the wash for aggressive Australian Salmon and Snook. Take care navigating the large boulders and always wear non-slip rubber boots.
- PORTARLINGTON ROCK-WALL: Located near the commercial mussel fleet, this wall offers sheltered fishing for estuary species. Drop unweighted peeled prawns or chicken breast close to the rock face on an incoming tide for Black Bream and Pinkies. Early morning sessions before boat traffic wakes up yield the quietest bite.
- THE DELL FORESHORE: A picturesque beach area flanked by low clay cliffs and shallow weed patches close to shore. Wader fishers cast fresh sand worms or pipis on light running sinker rigs into the sandy gutters for King George Whiting. High tide during late afternoon produces consistent feeding activity.
- GRASSY POINT BEACH: A quiet sand spit where land-based anglers can target Flathead and Garfish. Suspend maggots under a pencil float during calm days to attract Garfish into your berley trail. Casting 3-inch paddletail soft plastics parallel to the shoreline produces legal Sand Flathead.
Offshore
- CURLEWIS BANK: A massive shallow weed and sand bank sitting in 3 to 6 meters of water between Clifton Springs and Portarlington. Drift over clear sand patches until you find fish, then anchor up and deploy a fine-mesh berley bag filled with crushed mussel and pellets for King George Whiting. Use light spin rods with running sinker rigs baited with fresh pipi or squid strips.
- PORTARLINGTON MUSSEL LEASES: Massive commercial aquaculture ropes that act as natural fish aggregation devices. Anchor legally 50 meters outside yellow boundary buoys, set up a continuous pilchard berley trail, and float unweighted baits toward the ropes for Snapper. The rich mussel environment holds fish all summer long.
- CLIFTON SPRINGS DEEP CHANNEL: The main channel drop-off straight out from the harbour dropping into 12 meters depth. Set anchor along the sloping channel edge at night with fresh fish fillets or squid heads for Gummy Sharks and Snapper. Use a heavy sinker to keep your bait pinned near the bottom against strong tidal flow.
- POINT RICHARDS WEED FLATS: Wide seagrass meadows extending west of Portarlington loaded with Southern Calamari. Drift in 2 to 5 meters of clear water casting size 2.5 or 3.0 squid jigs over clear sand holes in the weed. Days with light offshore winds and high water clarity deliver maximum catches.
- GRASSY POINT DEEP LEDGE: A sharp bottom contour drop-off where Snapper congregate during the spring migration. Anchor up-current of the ledge mark and run snelled 5/0 hook setups baited with whole silver whiting or pilchards. Monitor your sonar screen to position your boat directly over active fish arches.
Hot Spots
- Portarlington Pier: A famous timber pier offering exceptional land-based fishing for Southern Calamari, Whiting, and Trevally.
- Clifton Springs Harbour: A modern boating hub providing direct access to the rich Bellarine Whiting and Squid grounds.
- Curlewis Bank: A vast shallow weed bank renowned as one of Victoria's top King George Whiting producers.
- Portarlington Mussel Farms: Offshore aquaculture leases that hold dense schools of Snapper, Bream, and Leatherjackets.
- Grassy Point Ledge: A prominent channel drop-off known for producing quality spring Snapper and Gummy Sharks.
Local Bait Tips
- PIPIS: Gathered along the sandy intertidal wash zone at low tide by twisting feet into wet sand (observing Victorian hand-gathering bag limits). Thread two whole pipis onto a long-shank hook as the ultimate bait for Curlewis Bank King George Whiting.
- SQUID: Caught off Portarlington Pier or along Point Richards weed beds using size 2.5 squid jigs cast over clear weed gaps. Cut fresh squid tubes into thin, fluttering strips for durable whiting and flathead bait.
- BLUE MUSSELS: Hand-scraped from sub-surface pier pylons or rocks around Portarlington Harbour below the low-tide mark. Crush the shells slightly and thread the soft meat onto fine wire hooks for Bream, Trevally, and Whiting.
- BASS YABBIES (GHOST SHRIMP): Harvested using a stainless steel yabbie pump on the exposed low-tide sandflats near The Dell. Keep them alive on damp sea-sponge in a cool bait box for targeting Whiting and Bream.
Boat Ramps
- Clifton Springs Boat Harbour:
Clifton Springs Boat Harbour is accessed via Jetty Road in Clifton Springs on the northern shoreline of the Bellarine Peninsula. The harbour consists of two double ramps providing four launching lanes total, an additional peak-season jet-ski ramp, and floating boarding pontoons. The harbour is highly vulnerable to extreme storm-driven seagrass accumulation, which is managed through maintenance dredging and supported by a grant to develop a 25-year long-term dredging management plan. On-site amenities include public toilets, a playground, an undercover fish cleaning table, and a paved carpark that was expanded in late 2024 with a new asphalt overflow park adding 30 paved trailer spaces, with free launching and parking.
- Point Richards Boat Ramp:
Point Richards Boat Ramp is located west of Portarlington on Point Richards Road, managed by the Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management. The facility consists of a four-lane concrete boat ramp protected by a massive rock groyne constructed to the west of the launching lanes. This groyne features an integrated excavator platform to allow long-reach machinery to easily conduct maintenance dredging and clear sand and seagrass accumulation. Navigational safety is supported by a north-south channel marked with port and starboard beacons to guide vessels out into deeper water. Facilities include dedicated boat preparation and tie-down zones south of the ramp, lighting, and a formalized parking capacity of 50 car-trailer spaces where launching and parking are free.
Bait and Tackle
- XCALIBRE CUSTOM TACKLE: Portarlington VIC 3223 | Phone: 0408 175 865
- MARIO'S FRESH BAIT: 11 Noel Road, Moolap (Geelong) VIC 3219 | Phone: (03) 5248 5201
Basecamp & Accom
- Portarlington Holiday Park: 42 Sproat St, Portarlington VIC 3223 - Ph: (03) 5259 2266
- Bellarine Bayside Holiday Parks: 231 Princess St, Drysdale VIC 3222 - Ph: (03) 5254 4000
- Clifton Springs Golf Club Accommodation: 92-94 Jet St, Clifton Springs VIC 3222 - Ph: (03) 5251 3391
Emergency & Safety
- Coast Guard Queenscliff (CG05): Harbor Dr, Queenscliff VIC 3225 - Ph: (03) 5258 2222 / Emergency 000 - VHF Ch 16 / 67
