McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast Fishing
A Guide for Autumn
Autumn is a great time to go fishing in McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast. The weather is pleasant, and there is a variety of fish species available. Some of the most popular catches include King George whiting, squid, salmon, and flathead.
Locations
There are many great places to fish in McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast. Some of the most popular spots include:
- Beaches: Sellicks Beach, Silver Sands Beach, Aldinga Beach, Maslins Beach, and Moana Beach.
- Jetties: Port Noarlunga Jetty and Brighton Jetty.
- Estuaries: The Onkaparinga River and the Hindmarsh River.
- Boats: You can launch your boat from O'Sullivan Beach or enjoy a beach launch at spots like Sellicks, Silver Sands, Aldinga, or Moana.
Onkaparinga River
The Onkaparinga River is a special place to fish over Autumn, with large tides swelling the system and offering plenty of motivation for quality fish to enter both the upper and lower reaches.
Mulloway will continue to be caught over these months, and generally only taper off when the first heavy rains hit and dirty water starts coming down. Otherwise there will be plenty of baitfish to hold the interest of these chrome predators. Anglers soaking live baits like mullet and trumpeter, or using dead baits like pilchard, squid and saury, should continue to get chances on fish upwards of a metre. Lure anglers throwing hard-bodies and upsized soft plastics are also in the running for these great fish.
Sea-run bream will start to enter the river and are characterised by their chrome sides and some quality fish will be mixed in amongst the average ones. Anywhere from the mouth and Footbridge area, through to Perrys Bend and above South Road Bridge will produce these fish. If you’re after more of the silvery coloured bream and regular bycatch like flathead, salmon trout and mullet, then try the lower more tidal impacted sections. Otherwise work the holes and structures of the river with both bait and lures on a moving tide or low light and you should hook a screamer.
Mullet and salmon trout will enter the river in large numbers, and both can be caught by using smaller baits and lures. If you’re after fish for the table this pair is probably the best to keep, and release all the bream if you can, which are a much slower growing and long lived species. Both mullets and salmon trout are great in the smoke box or can be filleted and used fresh.
Call into a local tackle store if you’re after specific bait or lure advice for what’s working in the river, as it can change week to week depending on how much rain we get over these months.
Beaches
McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast beaches will start to get a little cool for swimming now, but chilling water won’t scare the fish off at all! Sellicks, Silver Sands, Aldinga, Maslins and Moana beaches will be fishing and holidaying hot spots over Autumn, especially on those lazy, sunny days that we all love.
Lingering Summer targets such as yellowfin whiting will remain possible from the area’s beaches, but the action will most likely be dominated by new season arrivals of mullet, flathead, salmon and others. Mulloway and bronze whaler sharks will continue from the beaches as well, with the arrival of salmon and mullet only further encouraging them to stick around, given they’re favourite food sources of these predators. Try fishing a bigger dead or live bait close to dark or on the high tide if you want a big hook-up.
Salmon numbers will only snowball from now on, with solid catches being made already. It’s worth looking for obvious schools of these fish from Southport Beach through to Sellicks Beach. Spotting schools can be as easy as parking your car at a vantage point over a beach and then closely scanning for a black mass of fish.
Bait fishing with whole or half pilchards in a beach gutter is the best way to find the salmon consistently, and if they’re in decent numbers you can flick lures as well. Bait fishing also brings welcome bycatch like flathead, the odd mulloway and shark and others.
Port Noarlunga Jetty
The Port Noarlunga Jetty is the place to be over Autumn if you want to tap into a range of inshore favourite fish species from the area.
Mullet are a popular jetty catch over these months, and will be roaming the shallower sections near the shore break, especially on a rising tide or during low light. A bit of bread or pellet berley with a dash of tuna oil should soon have them buzzing around in front of you, with small size 6-10 hooks and little baits the best approach. They will however eat 2-inch soft plastic lures as well.
Salmon of varying sizes will only increase in numbers from now on, and should be in full swing as Winter gets closer. Big blows and high tides will encourage these fish inside the reef and put them within reach of anglers, with metal lures and soft plastics, along with pilchard, whitebait and squid likely offerings to use. Even outside of traditional salmon conditions you could have an encounter here, so come prepared with sturdy gear to swing decent fish up the jetty side. Any fish kept should be immediately bled and stored on ice or in cool seawater if you intend to eat them.
It's that time of year where warmer water fish are still present, which is great for those after a seafood feast. Squid, garfish, tommies, snook and more will continue to be caught from the structure. Fishing small baits under a float and in a berley trail is an easy way to rustle up a few fish during the day or night, with gents and cockle baits the better choices. Tommies and snook will tackle a range of lures as well from the planks.
TOP TIPS FOR SUCCESS – FAMILY FISHING
The next few months on the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast will provide arguably the most pleasant weather conditions of the year, making them perfect for family fishing, and introducing newbie anglers in general to the local angling scene.
Fishing with the family brings with it considerable joys, from spending time outside enjoying this scenic area, through to bonding with your kids and making lifelong memories. Having an enjoyable and productive day out needn’t be challenging, and enhancing the experience is easily done with the few basic tips we’ve outlined below.
Selecting a comfortable fishing location is paramount if you want to keep your kids and other family members enthused. A quick way to reduce the fun factor of your day out is to be battered by weather, or spending time in an environment that isn’t pleasurable, and thankfully the area is blessed with a multitude of easy access and family friendly locations.
The Port Noarlunga Jetty is often the first port of call for families, and a short walk from your car puts you in a prime fishing position. Pack a deck chair, hot coffee and snacks and you can be self-sufficient as you catch fish from this iconic southern structure. The Onkaparinga River is another productive location that only requires a short walk from your car to fish and is super reliable from a fish catching perspective. Avoid any muddy banks after rain, and it’s hard to have a bad time of it here in this tranquil setting.
Timing your fishing around the tides and time of day will also increase your chances of catching fish, and nothing will get your kids keener faster than the delight of winding in a quality catch from the area. As a broad guide try fishing three hours either side of high tide, or during the low light periods of the day, notably dawn and dusk, for best results. Of course, when it comes to spending time with the fam’ any time near the water is well spent!
If you do have a successful fishing trip with your family in the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast please tag #valeandcoastfishing when posting your angling pictures to social media - we’d love to see them!
Tips
Here are some tips for catching fish in autumn:
- Use berley to attract fish to your spot.
- Use lures or bait that are appropriate for the species you are targeting.
- Keep your bait fresh.
- Fish early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the water is cooler.
- Be patient and don't give up!
Additional Information
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:
- McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast Visitor Centre:
https://www.mclarenvaleandfleurieucoast.com.au/ - South Australian Fishing Regulations:
https://pir.sa.gov.au/recreational_fishing
