Fishing Geelong
Corio Bay features deep dredged shipping channels lined by wide seagrass flats and artificial reef structures. Spring pushes dense schools of spawning Snapper into the inner bay channel edges. Summer delivers fast action for King George Whiting, Garfish, Sand Flathead, and Yellowtail Kingfish.
Land-based fishers are spoilt for choice along Geelong's sprawling waterfront piers and rock walls. Cunningham Pier offers easy deep-water access for targeting Bream, Flathead, Garfish, and Pinkies. Shoreline breakwaters give lure casters plenty of room to target Flathead and Bream on light spin setups.
Boaters launching from local ramps have short runs to highly productive fishing grounds across the bay. Drifting over shallow seagrass like Grammar School Lagoon yields quality Whiting and Calamari. Setting anchor along the deep shipping channel drop-offs produces big Snapper and cruising Gummy Sharks.
Top 10 Species
Landbased
- CUNNINGHAM PIER: A huge timber pier extending into deep water in central Geelong. Drop light rigs baited with raw chicken or peeled prawns right against the pylons for Black Bream and Trevally. Suspending maggots under a pencil float during calm days will attract dense schools of Garfish.
- ST HELENS ROCK-WALL: A long rock breakwater offering extensive foot access into deep water. Cast 3-inch paddletail soft plastics or whitebait along the base of the rocks for Sand Flathead and Pinkies. Fishing during late afternoon as light fades produces the most active bite.
- POINT HENRY PIER: A decommissioned industrial pier surrounded by deep water and strong currents. Cast heavy metal jigs or live baits around the outer pylons in late summer for Yellowtail Kingfish and Salmon. Long-handled gaffs or nets are essential due to the high deck elevation.
- LIMEBURNERS POINT ROCKS: A rocky headland featuring deep water drop-offs close to shore. Cast squid jigs along the dark weed margins for Southern Calamari on a rising tide. Bottom fishing with pilchard cubes produces legal-sized Flathead and Pinky Snapper.
- RIPPLING PARK FORESHORE: A calm shallow beach area ideal for light-tackle wading. Cast small metal lures or soft plastics parallel to the shoreline to catch Flathead and Australian Salmon. Early morning sessions provide peaceful conditions and active fish feeding in the shallows.
Offshore
- CORIO BAY SHIPPING CHANNEL: Deep dredged channel reaching 12 meters depth that acts as a major fish highway. Anchor along the sloping channel edge, run a pilchard berley trail, and soak snelled whole pilchards for Snapper. Monitoring sonar for fish holding along the drop-off is key to success.
- GRAMMAR SCHOOL LAGOON: A famous shallow basin featuring rich seagrass meadows and clear sand pockets in 2 to 4 meters depth. Drift across the lagoon using light patternoster rigs baited with fresh pipis or squid for trophy King George Whiting. Deploying a weighted berley pot near the seafloor keeps schools feeding near the boat.
- GEELONG STAR GAZERS (SPOIL GROUNDS): An underwater rubble spoil area holding heavy bottom structure. Anchor up-current and drop weighted baits or heavy soft plastics down onto the structure for Snapper and Flathead. Heavy leader is recommended to prevent fish from line-scraping on the sharp rocks.
- CORIO BAY MUSSEL FARM MARGINS: Aquaculture leases that create massive artificial reef environments holding diverse marine life. Anchor legally outside the lease boundaries and float unweighted pilchard or mussel baits toward the ropes for Snapper and Bream. The rich food supply around the mussel ropes keeps quality fish holding here all summer.
- POINT HENRY SPIT: Shallow sandbar drop-off extending out into Corio Bay that creates a natural ambush zone. Drift along the edges in 4 to 8 meters depth casting soft plastics for large Sand Flathead. Trolling shallow diving lures along the sand spit also hooks aggressive Australian Salmon and Barracouta.
Hot Spots
- Cunningham Pier: Iconic urban timber pier offering versatile land-based fishing for Bream, Garfish, Flathead, and Pinkies.
- St Helens Rock-wall: Extensive land-based breakwater providing easy casting access into deep Corio Bay waters.
- Geelong Star Gazers: An offshore rubble spoil ground that holds massive schools of spawning Snapper in spring.
- Grammar School Lagoon: A sheltered shallow weed lagoon famous for producing trophy-sized King George Whiting.
- Point Henry Pier: Deep industrial pier structure that attracts pelagic Yellowtail Kingfish and Salmon during summer.
Local Bait Tips
- GARFISH: Can be caught directly off Cunningham Pier and St Helens rock-wall using a pencil float, fine line, and tiny hooks baited with maggots under a bread-crumb berley trail. Fresh whole or split garfish make superior trolling and drift baits for Snapper and Kingfish.
- MUSSELS: Fresh blue mussels can be scraped from sub-surface pylons around Cunningham Pier and Limeburners Point rock-walls. Crush them gently to release scent and thread the soft meat onto fine wire hooks for Black Bream and King George Whiting.
- BASS YABBIES (GHOST SHRIMP): Pumped with a stainless steel yabbie pump from the low-tide sandbanks around Grammar School Lagoon and Rippleside Park foreshore. Keep them on damp sea-sponge or in aerated seawater to keep them lively for Whiting and Bream.
- SQUID: Southern calamari can be caught using size 2.5 squid jigs worked over the weed patches off Limeburners Point and Point Henry pier on an incoming tide. Fresh squid tentacles and whole tubes are unmatched baits for Corio Bay Snapper.
Boat Ramps
- Avalon Beach Boat Ramp:
Avalon Beach Boat Ramp is located off Avalon Road in Avalon Beach, along the northern shore of Corio Bay. The facility features a two-lane concrete ramp serviced by a rebuilt eastern jetty extended by six meters and a western boarding jetty extended by 15 meters, both incorporating integrated wave screens/baffles to suppress wave action and facilitate launching and retrieval. Boaters are subject to tidal dependencies and low-water shoaling in this shallow part of Corio Bay. Amenities include public restrooms, a fish cleaning table, a Boating Vic live camera, and a dedicated water collection area constructed separate from the ramp for aquaculture producers, with a formalized trailer parking capacity of 36 spaces (comprising 11 existing and 25 new bays) where launching is free.
- Beach Road Boat Ramp (Kirk Point):
Located off Beach Road near Point Wilson, the Beach Road Boat Ramp (Kirk Point) is situated adjacent to the environmentally sensitive Spit Wildlife Reserve in Avalon. The facility features a dual-lane grooved concrete ramp enclosed by a protective rock breakwater designed to shelter vessels from southerly and easterly winds, alongside a boarding jetty that provides dry-foot access for boaters. Due to shallow offshore waters, the ramp is strictly restricted to small-to-medium vessels, and safe transit relies on a $60,000 dredging program. Facilities include a formalized carpark with 31 spaces big enough for a car and trailer, lighting, and a Boating Vic live camera, with the access road re-routed to protect sensitive saltmarsh vegetation and construction restricted to winter months to safeguard migratory shorebirds.
Bait and Tackle
- BOATING CENTRAL GEELONG: 2/107 Balliang Street, South Geelong VIC 3220 | Phone: (03) 5229 9200
- GEELONG BOATING CENTRE: 88 Barwon Heads Road, Belmont VIC 3216 | Phone: (03) 5241 6966
- MARIO'S FRESH BAIT: 11 Noel Road, Moolap (Geelong) VIC 3219 | Phone: (03) 5248 5201
- TRELLYS FISHING GEELONG: 212 Moorabool St, Geelong VIC 3220 | Phone: (03) 5221 4455
Basecamp & Accom
- Geelong Holiday Park: 153 Barrabool Rd, Belmont VIC 3216 - Ph: (03) 5243 9801
- Tasman Holiday Parks - Geelong (BIG4): 75 Barrabool Rd, Belmont VIC 3216 - Ph: (03) 5243 5505
- Geelong Surfcoast Highway Holiday Park: 621 Surf Coast Hwy, Mount Duneed VIC 3216 - Ph: (03) 5264 1243
Emergency & Safety
- Coast Guard Geelong (CG04): Rippleside Park, Bell Parade, Geelong VIC 3215 - Ph: 0418 362 612 / Emergency 000 - VHF Ch 16 / 67 / 73
