Fishing Manning River & Harrington
General fishing in Manning River & Harrington takes place across a sprawling delta system featuring brackish lakes, muddy creeks, and fast-flowing deep channels. Strong seasonal currents make the system highly productive for targeting mulloway, bream, and flathead on shifting tides. Peak water temperatures in late summer bring active bait schools into the river reaches.
Land-based anglers are heavily concentrated along the extensive rock walls of the Harrington breakwater targeting large tailors and mulloway. Wading the shallow sand flats of Farquhar Inlet during low tide is a highly popular option for light-lure flathead fishers. Surf fishers can access miles of deep beach gutters at Manning Point to cast for whiting and bream.
Offshore and boat fishing out of Harrington requires careful navigation because the river entrance is a notoriously treacherous and constantly shifting bar. Many local boaters prefer to launch from the protected harbor at Crowdy Head to safely access the nearby snapper grounds. Once outside, vessels can target highly prized pelagics around the offshore FADs or bottom-fish the deep reefs.
Top 10 Species
Landbased
- The Harrington Breakwall: The Harrington Breakwall is a phenomenal structure that produces large mulloway, tailor, and luderick throughout the year. The top of the run-in tide is the safest and most productive time to cast large soft plastics into the eddies. Heavy rock fishing gear and specialized spiked footwear are essential to safely land fish on these slippery boulders.
- Manning Point Beach: Manning Point Beach features deep, well-defined gutters that are perfect for surf casting under the cover of darkness. Fishing the rising tide with fresh tailor fillets or large beach worms will yield impressive catches of mulloway and bream. A heavy twelve-foot beach rod is required to cast past the shore break and keep your line above the crashing waves.
- Farquhar Inlet: Farquhar Inlet offers calm, shallow waters that are absolutely perfect for wading and casting light lures for flathead. Target the sandy drop-offs on a falling tide using small paddle-tail soft plastics to imitate a fleeing baitfish. A light spin combo paired with a ten-pound fluorocarbon leader will ensure you have the finesse required for clear water.
- Old Bar Beach: Old Bar Beach is a popular land-based location for throwing metal slugs at massive schools of migrating tailor. An offshore westerly wind flattens the surf and provides the perfect conditions for long-distance casting. A high-speed spin reel is necessary to retrieve the lures fast enough to trigger a brutal reaction strike from the fish.
- Taree Riverfront: Taree Riverfront features numerous public jetties and grassy banks that are ideal for a relaxing family fishing session. Float fishing with lightly weighted prawns on a high tide will consistently produce quality yellowfin bream. A light and sensitive graphite rod allows anglers to feel the subtle bites of fish feeding around the submerged pylons.
Offshore
- Crowdy Head Reef: Crowdy Head Reef is easily accessible from the protected boat harbour and provides exceptional fishing for large winter snapper. Drifting across the broken structure on a run-out tide with lightly weighted squid strips is a proven local technique. A baitrunner reel allows the snapper to swim away with the bait, ensuring a solid hook-up when you finally strike.
- Mermaid Reef: Mermaid Reef sits in deeper water and is a reliable mark for targeting aggressive yellowtail kingfish and cobia. Dropping live slimy mackerel into the strike zone during a slack tide will quickly locate the hungry predators. Anglers must use locked drags and heavy braided lines to stop the kingfish from instantly busting off on the reef.
- The Harrington FAD: The Harrington FAD attracts large numbers of dolphinfish when the warm East Australian Current pushes close to shore. Trolling small skirted lures past the buoy at first light is the most effective way to locate the active fish. Casting unweighted pilchards on medium spin gear provides incredibly exciting visual strikes once the school is raised.
- Black Head Bay: Black Head Bay offers spectacular bottom fishing for pearl perch and tusk fish in thirty metres of water. Anchor up during a slight northerly breeze and drop paternoster rigs baited with fresh squid strips. Utilize a braided mainline to detect subtle bites in the deep water and secure a solid hookset on these tasty reef species.
- The Continental Shelf Drop-off: The Continental Shelf drop-off requires a long steam but holds formidable predators including black marlin and yellowfin tuna. Trolling a spread of large pushers in the deep blue water during a northerly breeze will eventually raise a billfish. Game fishing gear in the twenty-four to thirty-seven kilogram class is standard equipment for this ultimate offshore arena.
Hot Spots
- Harrington Lagoon Flats: The shallow waters of the inner lagoon offer a safe and highly productive environment for wading anglers.
- Scotts Creek Junction: The merging currents at this intersection create deep holes that hold impressive numbers of dusky flathead.
- Dawson River Mouth: This snag-infested tributary is a fantastic location to cast diving hardbodies for aggressive tarwhine.
- Lansdowne River Snags: The submerged timber along the banks provides perfect structure for targeting Australian bass in the warmer months.
- Cattai Creek Entrance: Muddy mangrove edges at this creek mouth consistently attract quality yellowfin bream on a rising tide.
Local Bait Tips
- Beach Worms: Beach worms are prolific along Crowdy Beach and can be coaxed from the sand using a smelly fish frame. Anglers must hold a valid NSW fishing licence and obey the strict bag limit of twenty worms per person.
- Saltwater Nippers: Saltwater nippers can be easily collected by pumping nippers using a hand-operated suction pump on intertidal flats near Manning Point during the bottom of the low tide. The legal bag limit is one hundred nippers and all undersized bycatch must be carefully returned to the water.
- Poddy Mullet: Poddy mullet are legally collected by using ultra-light handlines or rods baited with bread dough under a small float for mullet in the shallow backwaters. The legal daily possession limit is twenty mullet and they must be kept alive to serve as superior estuary live baits.
Boat Ramps
- Crowdy Head Boat Harbour Boat Ramp, Crowdy Head:
Crowdy Head Boat Harbour Boat Ramp: Situated off Crowdy Head Road within the harbour basin at Crowdy Head, this launching facility features a four-lane concrete western ramp alongside a completely separate eastern boat ramp. Boater boarding and vessel staging are supported by a heavy-duty, pile-constrained floating pontoon system and a specialised pivoting pontoon chassis frame equipped with internal timber framing, rotomolded floats, and protective bumper plates. Although the harbour is regionally unique for having no coastal bar to cross, it is subject to severe wave conditions and heavy storm surges. Persistent sand and silt accumulation deposits up to 70 tonnes of sediment, requiring frequent maintenance dredging. During dredging operations, boaters must navigate carefully and watch for daily moving dredge vessels and semi-submerged floating pipelines.
Bait and Tackle
- Ritchie's Bait and Tackle Harrington: 56 Beach St, Harrington NSW 2427 | Phone: (02) 6556 1251
- Compleat Angler Taree: 60 Victoria St, Taree NSW 2430 | Phone: (02) 6551 2444
- Harrington BP Service Station: 2 Ocean Dr, Harrington NSW 2427 | Phone: (02) 6556 1391
Basecamp & Accom
- BIG4 Colonial Holiday Park Harrington: 18-20 High St, Harrington NSW 2427 | Phone: (02) 6556 1227
- Manning Point Holiday Park: 18-22 Manning Point Rd, Manning Point NSW 2430 | Phone: (02) 6553 2624
- Crowdy Head Campground: Crowdy Head Rd, Crowdy Head NSW 2427 | Phone: (02) 6556 1222
- Farquhar Park Campground: Farquhar Inlet, Old Bar NSW 2430 | Phone: (02) 6553 2624
Emergency & Safety
- Emergency: 000 | Marine Rescue Crowdy Head: Crowdy Head Road, Crowdy Head NSW 2427 | Radio: VHF Channel 16 | Phone: (02) 6556 1568
