Mallacoota Fishing: What You Can Catch and Where to Fish

Dusky flathead and black and yellowfin bream are what Mallacoota is best known for. There are also tailor, Australian salmon, luderick, trevally, estuary perch and mulloway, and offshore there are snapper, gummy shark and kingfish.

• Whiting are caught on light gear in the shallows with pipis or sandworms.
• Australian salmon run off the ocean beaches in season.
• Snapper, gummy shark and kingfish are offshore fish. The ocean boat ramp is at Bastion Point, and there's a charter below.

Flathead fire in the warmer months, roughly November to April, and bream are caught year-round. For the month-by-month detail, see our Mallacoota fishing season guide.

The Daiwa Mallacoota Flatty Classic is a three-day flathead fishing competition run by Australian Fishing Classics, with Scallywags as its base. Teams of two to four anglers catch, measure and release flathead over three days, and each team's ten longest flathead count. The 2026 event runs 23 to 25 October and has sold out. Details are at fishingclassics.com.au.

Kids can fish off the jetties and the Main Wharf, in sheltered water with no boat needed.

The Main Wharf is at the northern end of Buckland Drive, just down from the Bakery and Scallywags. It has a public boat ramp and fish-cleaning tables, so you can clean your catch there.

Mallacoota Hireboats is family-run and has been going since 2012. Grant Cockburn hires out power boats, the fast boat Kermit, the Inlet Barbie pontoon, kayaks, SUPs, pedal boats and bikes. It's at 10 Buckland Drive, with the jetty at M38 Coulls Inlet, and it's open seven days, 7:30am to 6pm. Phone 0474 818 058.

For serious fishing, Buckland's Jetty Boat Hire on Lakeside Drive has a fast yellow Polycraft with a MinnKota motor and a fishfinder. It needs a marine licence, and it's $180 for 4 hours or $250 for 8 hours. Buckland's supplies fuel, safety equipment and maps, and fishing rods are available on request. Its slow boats need no licence. It's open seven days, daylight hours only, weather permitting. Phone 0428 580 660. Prices can change, so check when you ring to book.

At Mallacoota Hireboats, power boats also go out from $110 for 2 hours, and fishing rods are $10 a day. The boat licence and the fishing licence are separate things: a Mallacoota Hireboats power boat doesn't need a boat licence, but you still need a fishing licence to fish from it, unless you're exempt. Our Mallacoota boat hire guide has the other hire boats in town, and the kayaking guide covers paddling.

If you'd rather take a line out in a kayak, guests can get to a launch point for a kayak or paddleboard from three of our houses. 7 Allan Drive and Gabo Views are waterfront, meaning you walk out the door to the water. Four on Stingray Point has water views but isn't waterfront, and you can launch a kayak from it too.

The public boat ramps are at Bastion Point (for the ocean), Karbeethong and near the caravan park in town, and the Main Wharf has a public boat ramp too. There can be a queue at peak times.

Bastion Point sits at the mouth of Mallacoota Inlet, and its beach, lookouts and boat ramp are all open again. The inlet's entrance to the sea closes from time to time.

Tackle and bait can be found at the Caltex & BP service station as well as IGA. IGA Local Grocer Mallacoota Plus Liquor is at 49 Maurice Avenue, phone 03 5158 0604. Google lists it open 8am to 6:30pm, seven days, and it trades until 7pm in the summer peak.

Yes. A Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence is needed for fresh and saltwater fishing. Under-18s are among the exemptions, and you can buy one online, so sort it before you drive down.

For the offshore fish, Mallacoota Fishing Charters is run by Matt and Luke from Bastion Point Road. Offshore trips target kingfish, snapper and bottom fish. Phone 0455 190 000. Our Mallacoota fishing charters guide has more. Book boat hire, charters and tours for Christmas and January as early as you can.