Fishing Corinella & Grantville
Fishing these eastern waters demands heavy terminal tackle to withstand the powerful tidal current pushing through the main passage. Snapper, gummy sharks, and autumn elephant fish use these deep channels as highway corridors when hunting bait. Presenting fresh squid or fish fillets flush along the channel bottom produces heavy strikes.
Land-based fishos head to the main Corinella Pier deck, Settlement Point clay ledges, or Grantville foreshore bluffs. Note that Parks Victoria enforces a vehicle load closure on the pier deck, and the lower-level timber landing is closed due to marine borer damage. Casting long surf rods with heavy star sinkers during a rising tide gives shore anglers a shot at elephant fish, flathead, and eagle rays.
Boat anglers launching from the 2-lane Corinella public boat ramp enjoy all-tide access into the main Eastern Passage. Positioning boats along the channel drop-offs near French Island yields excellent catches of King George whiting, snapper, and gummy sharks. Navigating near shore requires caution around clay banks and exposed reef ledges during low water.
Top 10 Species
Landbased
- CORINELLA PIER DECK: The primary timber-and-concrete pier platform extending into deep tidal water (Note: lower landing closed due to borer damage; closed to vehicles). Deploy long surf rods with heavy running sinker setups baited with fresh squid strips or whole pilchards off the main upper deck. Night incoming tides produce gummy sharks, snapper, elephant fish, and calamari squid.
- GRANTVILLE FORESHORE BLUFFS: Elevated clay bluffs along the Grantville beach offer wide casting coverage over shallow mud gutters. Set heavy surf outfits carrying six-ounce sinkers and fresh fish fillets into moving water. High tides bring flathead, salmon, and eagle rays close to the beach line.
- SETTLEMENT POINT CLAY LEDGES: Walking south from Corinella along the rocky clay ledges provides access to deep channel water. Cast long-cast surf setups loaded with whole squid or salmon chunks into the current seam. Autumn flood tides yield heavy elephant fish and gummy sharks.
- CORINELLA MUD FLATS: The extensive mudflats surrounding the town offer productive high-tide wading for light-tackle anglers. Cast small soft plastic paddle tails or live nippers along flooded sand edges as water covers the mud. Quality flathead and yellow-eye mullet forage in these warm shallows.
- TENBY POINT GRAVEL BEACH: A secluded gravel beach located between Grantville and Corinella providing peaceful shore casting. Deploy paternoster rigs loaded with pipis or fresh nippers during an incoming tide. King George whiting, flathead, and silver trevally feed along the gravel gutters.
Offshore
- EASTERN PASSAGE CHANNEL: The main deepwater passage running between Corinella and French Island holds water up to fifteen meters deep. Anchor securely on the channel slope during a tide change and deploy a heavy pilchard burley slick. Soaking fresh squid or fish frames yields gummy sharks and snapper.
- SETTLEMENT POINT REEF: The submerged rocky reef extending off Settlement Point holds rich weed beds and shellfish habitat. Drift light spin tackle loaded with squid jigs or fresh pipi baits over three to five meters depth. King George whiting and calamari squid feed heavily around this structure.
- FRENCH ISLAND EAST BANK: Shallow sandbanks and weed beds along the eastern shore of French Island hold abundant baitfish. Position boats in two to four meters depth and set light whiting rigs baited with tender squid ribbons. Quality King George whiting and flathead feed here consistently.
- CORINELLA DEEP HOLE: A major natural scour hole located south of the boat ramp holding deep water through all tide phases. Soak heavy bottom rigs baited with fresh fish fillets or live yakka baits during evening flood tides. Large school sharks, gummy sharks, and snapper frequent this deep hole.
- GRANTVILLE CHANNEL EDGE: Deep drainage channels cutting through the mudflats off Grantville attract active feeding fish as tides flood. Anchor along the shallow mud drop-off and deploy pilchard chunks on running sinker rigs. Autumn months bring heavy aggregations of elephant fish and flathead.
Hot Spots
- CORINELLA PIER DECK: Deepwater pier platform (upper deck only) producing heavy gummy sharks, snapper, and squid.
- SETTLEMENT POINT LEDGE: Rocky shore drop-off yielding elephant fish and gummy sharks on night tides.
- EASTERN PASSAGE DROP-OFF: Deep channel edge producing trophy snapper and gummy sharks for boaties.
- GRANTVILLE BEACH GUTTER: Shallow sand gutter holding flathead, salmon, and whiting on flood tides.
- TENBY POINT REEF EDGE: Gravel reef zone delivering King George whiting and calamari squid.
Local Bait Tips
- SALTWATER NIPPERS: Extracted from soft intertidal mudbanks using a stainless steel hand pump into a floating sieve. Victorian regulations restrict harvest to a strict limit of 100 nippers per person daily.
- BEACH WORMS: Collected manually along low tide sandlines using scent bags to draw worms to the sand surface. Victorian regulations enforce a maximum legal daily limit of 0.5 litres of worms per person.
- PIPIS: Collected along sandy surf washes by foot-twisting at low tide. Victorian regulations enforce a maximum daily limit of 5 litres of whole pipis per person, collected purely by hand without spades.
Boat Ramps
- Corinella:
Located at the end of Peters Road in Corinella, this primary eastern facility features a modern four-lane concrete launching ramp serviced by dual floating pontoons. The reserve provides extensive paved car-and-trailer parking, fish cleaning tables, boat washdown bays, and public amenities. Offering 24/7 all-tide access to the deep eastern channel, it serves as the main entry point for targeting snapper, gummy sharks, and whiting in eastern Western Port. Skippers must adhere to channel markers when heading out to avoid surrounding shallow mudflats during low tide windows.
- Grantville Boat Ramp:
No standard public trailered boat ramp available; restricted or barge access only.
Bait and Tackle
- CORONET BAY TACKLE: Cutty Sark Road, Coronet Bay VIC 3984 | Phone: (03) 5678 0866
- SAN REMO BAIT & TACKLE: 143 Marine Pde, San Remo VIC 3925 | Phone: (03) 5678 5488
Basecamp & Accom
- Corinella Foreshore Caravan Park: Peters St, Corinella VIC 3984 - Ph: (03) 5678 0247
- Grantville Foreshore Motel: 1548 Bass Hwy, Grantville VIC 3984 - Ph: (03) 5678 8201
Emergency & Safety
- Emergency Services: Dial 000
- Marine Rescue: Coast Guard Western Port (VF4), Western Port Marina, Hastings VIC 3915 - Ph: (03) 5979 3322
- Radio & Safety: VHF Ch 16/67. Strong tidal currents in Eastern Passage; Corinella Pier lower landing closed.
