Fishing Kiama & Gerringong
General fishing in Kiama and Gerringong is heavily influenced by deep nearshore reefs and the seasonal flow of the East Australian Current. Summer and autumn months yield the best game fishing action, particularly when warm oceanic water pushes baitfish schools close to the cliffs. Strong southerly swells can make the deep rock shelves extremely hazardous, so safety must always remain the top priority.
Land-based anglers are treated to world-class ocean rock platforms, including the iconic ledge at Kiama Blowhole Point. Wading the sandy shallows near the mouth of the Crooked River at Gerroa offers a much gentler alternative for targeting bream, whiting, and flathead on light tackle. Heavy, abrasion-resistant outfits are necessary when prospecting the deep washes of headlands like Cathedral Rocks for black drummer.
Offshore and boat fishing operations are centered around Kiama Harbour, which offers a deepwater concrete ramp and immediate access to the open sea. Boaters can target pelagics around the offshore Kiama FAD or drift the local gravel patches for snapper and sand flathead. Navigating the coastal waters requires vigilance, as the open sea platforms are fully exposed to strong offshore winds and changing currents.
Top 10 Species
Landbased
- Kiama Blowhole Point: This world-famous rock platform provides direct access to deep ocean water where yellowtail kingfish and snapper frequently patrol. Anglers should fish here only during low swell conditions, utilizing an outgoing tide to send berley trails out to sea. Heavy rock fishing gear paired with live baits or large floating pilchards will maximize your chances of stopping a big fish.
- Seven Mile Beach Gerroa: The northern end of Seven Mile Beach offers fantastic surf gutters that consistently hold large schools of whiting and bream. A rising tide on dawn or dusk is the optimum time to cast into the whitewater using a light surf outfit. Freshly pumped nippers or live beach worms threaded onto long-shank hooks will yield the best results on these sandy flats.
- Bombo Beach: This beach is a renowned surf fishing hotspot known for producing quality tailor and Australian salmon throughout the cooler months. The best fishing occurs when an offshore wind grooms the surf, making it easier to read the gutters on a high tide. A medium surf rod casting metal spinning lures or ganged pilchards is highly effective for intercepting these aggressive visual predators.
- Cathedral Rocks: These rocks provide a highly structured environment that is perfect for targeting hard-fighting black drummer and luderick. Fishing the top of the tide with a moderate wash creates the ideal turbulent cover that these species prefer. Anglers must use strong, abrasion-resistant leaders and unweighted baits like peeled prawns or cunjevoi to successfully fish this rugged terrain.
- Crooked River Mouth: The entrance of the Crooked River is a tranquil, family-friendly location perfect for targeting flathead and bream on light gear. Fishing the run-out tide forces baitfish from the estuary into the narrow mouth, creating an ambush point for predators. Finesse spin outfits loaded with light braided line and small soft plastics hopped along the bottom will keep the rods bending.
Offshore
- Kiama FAD: The Fish Aggregating Device deployed off Kiama is a massive drawcard for fast-moving pelagics like mahi-mahi and marlin. Visiting this spot during the peak summer months when the warm current pushes south offers explosive topwater action. Casting small skirted lures, live baits, or even fly tackle on heavy spin gear will quickly provoke a frantic bite.
- Gerringong Reefs: The shallow reef systems sitting just offshore from Gerringong are a highly reliable producer of quality snapper and morwong. Drifting over the broken ground at first light before the sun penetrates the water column is the key to success. A medium boat outfit rigged with a lightly weighted paternoster and fresh squid strips will easily entice the resident reef fish.
- The Hump: This prominent underwater rise creates massive upwellings that concentrate baitfish, making it a prime location for yellowfin tuna and kingfish. Anglers focus their efforts here during the autumn and winter months, utilizing the tide changes to find feeding fish. Jigging heavy metal lures or slow-trolling live slimy mackerel on heavy tackle is the standard approach for this deepwater mark.
- Black Head: Black Head offers a sheltered inshore boat fishery where anglers can comfortably target trevally, tailor, and snapper. Fishing during a run-up tide with a slow berley trail will effectively draw fish out from the heavy kelp beds. Unweighted baits drifted down the berley trail on a light to medium spin outfit provides fantastic sportfishing action.
- Little Blowhole Reef: This close-in reef structure provides excellent bottom bouncing for a variety of table fish including snapper and flathead. The most productive times are early morning or late afternoon when the fish move higher in the water column to feed. Utilizing soft plastics coated in scent or fresh cut baits on a standard reef rod will secure a tasty feed.
Hot Spots
- Minnamurra River: A highly productive estuary system offering superb lure fishing for flathead and bream along its sandy drop-offs.
- Easts Beach Gutters: Consistently formed surf gutters that provide excellent light-tackle surf fishing for whiting and dart.
- Kiama Harbour Breakwall: An easily accessible platform that throws up surprisingly good catches of squid and trevally under the cover of darkness.
- Bass Point South: The southern edge offers deep drop-offs where boaters can troll for seasonal pelagics moving down the coast.
- Werri Beach Surf: This stretch of surf is highly reliable for beach fishing during a late evening rising tide.
Local Bait Tips
- Pink Nippers: Collect these premium baits by pumping nippers using a hand-operated suction pump on intertidal sand flats during a low tide. Keep them alive in shallow saltwater or on a damp sponge in a cool container to maintain their natural movement.
- Poddy Mullet: Gather these hardy baits by using a legal, clear plastic poddy mullet trap baited with bread crumbs in the shallow estuary margins. Ensure the trap is checked frequently and any undersized or excess fish are immediately returned to the water.
- Beach Worms: Locate these exceptional surf baits on local beaches by dragging a stinky fish frame through the receding waves to entice them to rise. Once the worm extends its head, use your thumb and forefinger with a small pinch of dry sand to extract it cleanly.
Boat Ramps
- James Holt Reserve Boat Ramp:
James Holt Reserve Boat Ramp: Situated at the northern end of Charles Avenue (near 32 Charles Avenue) within James Holt Reserve, Minnamurra, NSW 2533, this facility is managed by Kiama Municipal Council and provides access to the tidal waters of the Minnamurra River. The boat ramp is a small, single-lane concrete structure, and there are explicitly no staging pontoons, wharves, or boarding jetties servicing the launch site. It is entirely unsuitable for larger vessels, and boaters must navigate the shallow estuarine waters, sandbanks, and natural tidal currents of the river estuary.
- Trevethan Reserve Boat Ramp:
Trevethan Reserve Boat Ramp: Positioned on the eastern side of Riverside Drive at the Village, just south of the Minnamurra Bridge within Trevethan Reserve, Minnamurra, NSW 2533, this concrete boat ramp is managed by Kiama Municipal Council. It features a single-lane concrete ramp, recognized as the largest and most robust launching site on the Minnamurra River. No staging pontoons, floating walkways, or boarding jetties are present. Launching is limited by natural tidal limits, tidal currents, and shallow sandbars, and vessel heights are strictly restricted by the vertical clearance of the adjacent Minnamurra Bridge. The reserve offers picnic tables, shelter, and toilets.
- James Oates Reserve Boat Ramp:
James Oates Reserve Boat Ramp: Located opposite 155 Charles Avenue (at the Federal Street intersection) in Minnamurra, NSW 2533, within James Oates Reserve, this concrete launch ramp is managed by Kiama Municipal Council and provides access to the mouth of the Minnamurra River. The small concrete ramp is suitable only for launching kayaks, paddle boards, and small boats, and it has no staging pontoons, floating walkways, or boarding jetties. Its position directly at the river mouth exposes users to strong river-mouth currents, shifting sandbars, and incoming ocean swell. The reserve features accessible toilets, BBQs, undercover and open picnic tables, a playground, showers, and ample parking.
- Boat Harbour Boat Ramp:
Boat Harbour Boat Ramp: Also known as the Gerringong Boat Ramp, this facility is located off Jupiter Street, near 20 Jupiter Street, Gerringong, NSW 2534, adjacent to Cooke Park. Managed by Kiama Municipal Council, this concrete twin-lane ramp provides direct access into the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. It has no staging pontoons, floating walkways, or boarding wharves; instead, boarding is supported by concrete steps cut directly into the ramp itself. This ocean-facing ramp is highly hazardous and entirely unsuitable for use during rough ocean swells, requiring advanced boat handling skills to manage extreme surge. Onsite amenities include fish cleaning facilities and ample parking, with toilets, BBQs, undercover picnic tables, a playground, and the Boat Harbour Rock Pool located a short stroll away at the adjacent Cooke Park.
Bait and Tackle
- Gerringong Hardware: 1/45 Rowlins Rd, Gerringong NSW 2534 | Phone: (02) 4234 1366
- Kiama Fisheries: Kiama Harbour, Kiama NSW 2533 | Phone: (02) 4232 1800
- BP Kiama (After-Hours): 180 Manning St, Kiama NSW 2533 | Phone: (02) 4232 2313
Basecamp & Accom
- Gerringong Beach Holiday Park: 1 Pacific Ave, Gerringong NSW 2534 | Phone: (02) 4234 1285
- BIG4 Easts Beach Holiday Park: Ocean St, Kiama NSW 2533 | Phone: (02) 4232 1794
- Kendalls on the Beach Holiday Park: Bonaira St, Kiama NSW 2533 | Phone: (02) 4232 1790
Emergency & Safety
- Emergency: 000 | Marine Rescue Kiama: Kiama Harbour, Kiama NSW 2533 | Phone: (02) 4232 1888
