Best Time to Fish Mallacoota: When Flathead and Bream Bite

It depends on the fish. Flathead fire in the warmer months, roughly November to April, and bream are caught year-round. So if flathead are the reason you're coming, aim for that window. If bream will do, any month works.

Mallacoota is best known for dusky flathead and for black and yellowfin bream. This page is the calendar: what we know about when each fish bites. For where to fish, from the wharf, a hire boat or a kayak, see our guide to fishing in Mallacoota.

We've only put a season in this table where we're sure of it.

There are also tailor, luderick, trevally, estuary perch and mulloway. We don't have confirmed seasons for them, so ask where you buy your bait before you plan a trip around one.

Flathead fire in the warmer months, roughly November to April. That runs from late spring, through summer and into autumn. Winter sits outside that window.

The 2026 Daiwa Mallacoota Flatty Classic runs 23 to 25 October, before that window opens (more below).

Bream are caught year-round, and Mallacoota has both black and yellowfin bream. That makes them the fish for a winter or early spring trip.

Kids can fish off the jetties and the Main Wharf, in sheltered water with no boat needed. The Main Wharf, at the northern end of Buckland Drive, has fish-cleaning tables and a public boat ramp.

Australian salmon run off the ocean beaches in season. Whiting are caught on light gear in the shallows with pipis or sandworms. We haven't been able to confirm the months for either, so we won't guess them here.

Offshore there are snapper, gummy shark and kingfish. If you don't have your own ocean boat, Mallacoota Fishing Charters is run by Matt and Luke from Bastion Point Road, and its offshore trips target kingfish, snapper and bottom fish. Ring 0455 190 000. Charters supply rods, bait and safety gear and clean your catch.

If you're bringing your own boat, the ocean ramp is at Bastion Point.

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 the 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.

Summer sits inside the flathead window. Book boat hire, charters and tours for Christmas and January as early as you can.

Mallacoota Hireboats, at 10 Buckland Drive, hires power boats from $110 for 2 hours and fishing rods for $10 a day. It's open seven days, 7:30am to 6pm, on 0474 818 058. The public boat ramps are at Bastion Point (for the ocean), Karbeethong and near the caravan park in town, and there can be a queue at peak times. Our boat hire guide has the rest of the options.

A Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence is needed for fresh and saltwater fishing. Under-18s are among the exemptions, and you can buy one online before you leave home.

Tackle and bait can be found at the Caltex & BP service station as well as IGA.

Catching fish for dinner? Our fresh seafood guide covers cleaning and cooking your own.