Fishing Peterborough
The estuarine landscape features expansive shallow weed beds, muddy channels, and dense shoreline reed banks. Freshwater river flows dictate salinity levels and heavily influence seasonal black bream movements throughout the inlet. Periodic oceanic openings allow fresh marine migrations of mullet, salmon, and trevally into the system.
Shore-based fishers enjoy exceptional access to river banks via public boardwalks, jetties, and grassy reserves. Casting small soft plastics around bridge pylons and retaining walls is a proven tactic for catching estuary perch. Quiet bait anglers setting up along the lower river banks target trophy bream during rising tides.
Small boats and kayaks dominate the local waterway to navigate shallow upper river channels and weed margins. Trolling small diving hardbody lures along main channel drop-offs is an effective way to locate active fish. Stealth and electric motors are essential to avoid spooking wary fish in clear shallow water.
Top 10 Species
Landbased
- CURDIES RIVER BRIDGE: Fish the deep shadow lines underneath the highway bridge pylons during late afternoon periods. Pitch unweighted bass yabbies as close to the concrete structures as physically possible to entice bream. Set drag systems firmly to prevent hooked fish from wrapping line around sharp pylon encrustations.
- PETERBOROUGH BOARDWALK: Walk this elevated wooden platform at dawn while casting small topwater lures parallel to reed edges. Target pocket openings in the shoreline vegetation to provoke explosive strikes from feeding estuary perch. Work lures with short subtle twitches followed by extended pauses to imitate wounded baitfish.
- PETERBOROUGH BEACH GUTTERS: Cast heavy surf rigs into deep ocean sand channels located just west of the river entrance. Present whole pilchards or squid strips on wire leaders to target patrolling gummy sharks after sunset. Maintain a high rod angle to keep heavy mainline clear of crashing shore break waves.
- BOGGY CREEK ENTRANCE: Hike to this secondary estuary junction to cast small vibration blades into deeper channel holes. Hop lures aggressively across the sandy mud floor to trigger reaction strikes from flathead. Drift small pieces of earthworms under light floats to catch schooling yellow-eye mullet.
- THE BROADWATER BANKS: Set up rod holders along the grassy eastern banks overlooking the wide estuarine lake. Cast lightly weighted running sinker rigs baited with fresh crabs into main channel drop-offs. Sit completely still and monitor rod tips for the subtle double-tap bites of trophy black bream.
Offshore
- CURDIES LAKE CHANNELS: Navigate main marked channels using a small boat or fishing kayak to access shallow flats. Troll shallow-diving hardbody lures right along the ribbon weed edges to locate active bream schools. Switch to precision casting with soft plastics once concentrated fish holding areas are identified.
- THE LAKE NARROWS: Anchor quietly above this natural channel bottleneck during the peak of a run-out tide. Drift unweighted live yabbies back into deep scoured holes where estuary perch gather to feed. Use light fluorocarbon leaders to ensure natural bait presentation in clear estuarine water.
- UPPER CURDIES RIVER REACHES: Use an electric motor to stealthily explore heavily timbered river sections upstream from town. Pitch weedless soft plastics deep into submerged log jams to extract resident black bream. Be prepared for aggressive strikes from large fish holding tight to heavy timber structure.
- RIVER MOUTH DROP-OFF: Anchor inside the lower estuary channel just upstream from where water drops into the ocean. Suspend small natural baits mid-water to catch silver trevally holding in the tidal current. Cast metal spinners toward the ocean entrance if schools of salmon push into the river.
- BOAT BAY INSHORE REEF: Launch a small vessel during flat calm weather to fish the immediate offshore ocean bay. Drift broken limestone reef patches using lightly weighted baits to catch quality sand flathead. Monitor ocean swell sets constantly because waves break suddenly on shallow outer reef ledges.
Hot Spots
- CURDIES BRIDGE PYLONS: The most reliable concrete structure in the system for extracting trophy black bream.
- THE BOARDWALK REEDS: A brilliant topwater location for catching aggressive estuary perch at first light.
- RIVER MOUTH SURF: The prime beach zone for intercepting patrolling gummy sharks on night tides.
- LAKE NARROWS HOLE: A productive deep water sanctuary where massive schools of fish aggregate seasonally.
- UPPER RIVER TIMBER: The ultimate stealth kayak venue for pulling heavy black bream from submerged snags.
Local Bait Tips
- BASS YABBIES: Wait for low tide to expose intertidal mudflats located near the lower river mouth. Plunge a manual yabbie pump deep into burrows and extract mud cores onto dry sand. Sift quickly to capture yabbies and store in damp estuary weed inside an aerated container.
- ESTUARY CRABS: Search exposed rock margins and retaining walls along the lower river during dead low tide. Flip small loose stones and grab fleeing crabs quickly by hand while wearing gloves. Thread small crabs whole onto strong hooks to target heavy bream holding around structure.
- SCRUB WORMS: Dig carefully in moist topsoil along grassy upper river banks following recent rain events. Use a hand fork to turn soil gently and extract large worms without breaking them. Store collected worms in cool damp soil away from direct sunlight.
Boat Ramps
- Boat Bay Boat Ramp, Peterborough:
The Boat Bay Boat Ramp is located off the Great Ocean Road, approximately 4.3 kilometres west of Peterborough, inside Boat Bay within the Bay of Islands Coastal Park. The infrastructure consists of a single-lane concrete ramp that terminates at a narrow beach gorge. No floating pontoons or staging jetties are available, with pedestrian access provided via beach stairs alongside the bluffs. The ramp is famously steep and narrow, posing a major navigational and traction hazard; local guidelines advise against driving standard trailered vehicles down due to traction failure risks on the steep incline and the difficulty of vehicle recovery. Additionally, the ocean waters drop off rapidly at the toe of the ramp, especially during high tides. Amenities are non-existent within the ramp precinct, with no fish cleaning tables or public toilets, and boaters must utilize informal, wide cliff-top parking spaces. A targeted $17,000 concrete replacement project was executed under the 24-25 structural program to repair cracked slabs at the lower end of the ramp.
- Dorey Street Boat Ramp, Curdies River:
The Dorey Street Boat Ramp is located on Dorey Street within the Curdies Inlet Reserve in Peterborough, providing direct estuary access to the Curdies River and Inlet. The infrastructure consists of a two-lane concrete ramp. Staging is basic with no boarding jetties or walkways, although Moyne Shire Council secured a $50,000 Technical Review grant to design replacement jetties and retaining walls for the broader Curdies Inlet Reserve. Navigational hazards are highly tide-dependent, with the channel recorded as shallow at times, requiring careful tide checking before launch or retrieval. No amenities are listed on-site, meaning there are no fish cleaning tables, public restrooms, or lighting on-site. The parking capacity is limited to 10 car-and-trailer spaces listed by Boating Vic.
Bait and Tackle
- RICHARDSON MARINE (THE TACKLE SHACK): 1056-1058 Raglan Parade, Warrnambool VIC 3280 | Phone: (03) 5562 6373
- PORT FAIRY TACKLE & MARINE: Bank St, Port Fairy VIC 3284 | Phone: (03) 5568 2888
Basecamp & Accom
- Great Ocean Road Tourist Park: 100 Macwood Rd, Peterborough VIC - Ph: (03) 5598 5477
- Peterborough House Resort: 15 Schomberg Rd, Peterborough VIC - Ph: (03) 5598 5000
- Curdies River Holiday Park: Irvine St, Peterborough VIC - Ph: (03) 5598 5477
Emergency & Safety
- Port Campbell Marine Rescue (Servicing Peterborough): Port Campbell Harbour, Port Campbell VIC - Ph: (03) 5598 6000 / Emergency 000 - VHF Ch 16 / 67
