Bermagui and Wallaga Lake fishing spots

Bermagui is a famous gamefishing port close to the continental shelf, with marlin in summer and yellowfin and bluefin tuna as the water cools. Closer in, Wallaga Lake, the Bermagui River and Cuttagee Lake fish well for flathead, bream and whiting, and the surf beaches hold salmon, tailor and mulloway.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

6 spots here, all fished from land, plus 4 public boat ramps. Seasons follow our NSW South Coast species list for New South Wales. Positions are a guide only, not for navigation.

Under each spot, "Forecast for this spot" opens the app's forecast worked out for that spot: Go, Marginal or No-go for each day of the week ahead, with the best times, wind, waves and tide. Open the forecast.

Spots at a glance

6 spots: Bermagui and Wallaga Lake
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Wallaga Lake	Lake	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	Batemans Marine Park; no-take zone nearby
2. Haywards Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	Batemans Marine Park; no-take zone nearby
3. Bermagui harbour & breakwalls	Breakwall	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
4. Bermagui River	River	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–
5. Beares Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
6. Cuttagee Lake & beach	Lake	Land-based and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–

1. Wallaga Lake

Type: Lake · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. Ramps at Beauty Point and Fairhaven Point; foreshore at Wallaga Lake village.
What's good here: Peak in October: dusky flathead, sand whiting and Australian salmon. Also in season: yellowfin bream, luderick, tailor, eastern sea garfish and silver trevally.
Best tide: Run-in tide near the entrance; flathead are most active in the warmer months.
Best wind: Sheltered bays for most winds.
Note: Large lake with sand flats and weed beds: flathead on plastics in summer, bream and whiting on the flats, luderick near the entrance rocks.
Safety: Shallow entrance channel. Watch for zone markers around the lake.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. Mostly general use. Merriwinga Creek, Dignams Creek, Couria Bay, Meads Bay and Narira Creek are sanctuary zones, and the Snake Island special purpose zone is no fishing without a permit. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -36.36510, 150.05120 · Open in Google Maps (position: Wallaga Lake, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Haywards Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Beach access from Bermagui's northern streets and along the road to Camel Rock.
What's good here: Peak in October: sand whiting, Australian salmon and mulloway. Also in season: tailor and yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Rising tide.
Best wind: Westerlies. Faces E.
Note: Long beach from Bermagui north toward Camel Rock: worms for whiting and bream, and pilchards and lures for salmon and tailor in the gutters.
Safety: Unpatrolled; strong rips.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. Outside the park, which ends at Murunna Point on the south side of the Wallaga Lake entrance. Wallaga Lake, to the north-west, is in the park: its Meads Bay sanctuary zone is about 1.4 km north-west. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -36.39840, 150.06790 · Open in Google Maps (position: Haywards Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Bermagui harbour & breakwalls

Type: Breakwall · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Harbour car parks, then walk onto the walls and jetty ends.
What's good here: Peak in October: Australian salmon. Also in season: tailor, luderick, yellowfin bream, silver trevally and southern calamari.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Sheltered from southerlies; north-easters push swell onto the walls. Faces NE.
Note: Protected harbour and river-mouth walls: tailor and salmon on metals, luderick on weed floats, bream and trevally on berley, and squid around the weed.
Safety: Bermagui bar: lifejackets on when crossing; check the TfNSW webcam. Busy charter and trawler traffic.
Zone: No marine park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -36.41510, 150.06790 · Open in Google Maps (position: Bermagui Harbour, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Bermagui River

Type: River · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. Bridge Street ramp and river park, and foreshore paths upstream.
What's good here: Peak in October: dusky flathead, sand whiting and mulloway. Also in season: yellowfin bream, silver trevally and tailor.
Best tide: The outgoing tide generally fishes best (local tackle advice).
Best wind: Sheltered.
Note: Coordinate is the gazetteer point for the river. Soft plastics through the sandy channels for flathead, and worms and nippers on the flats for whiting and bream.
Safety: Shallow in places.
Zone: No marine park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -36.41510, 150.01790 · Open in Google Maps (position: Bermagui River, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Beares Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Short walk south from the Blue Pool area of Bermagui.
What's good here: Peak in October: Australian salmon and mulloway. Also in season: tailor and yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Rising tide around dawn and dusk.
Best wind: Westerlies. Faces E.
Note: Surf beach just south of the Blue Pool, a local pick for tailor and salmon: pilchards and lures in the gutters, worms for bream.
Safety: Unpatrolled.
Zone: No marine park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -36.43180, 150.08450 · Open in Google Maps (position: Beares Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Cuttagee Lake & beach

Type: Lake · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based and kayak. Parking by the Cuttagee bridge on the Tathra-Bermagui road.
What's good here: Peak in October: dusky flathead, sand whiting and Australian salmon. Also in season: yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Incoming tide at the mouth (local advice).
Best wind: Sheltered lake; the beach is best in westerlies.
Note: Coordinate is Cuttagee Lake. Flathead in the lake on plastics; at the mouth, bream, whiting and salmon on the run-in.
Safety: The entrance opens and closes.
Zone: No marine park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -36.48180, 150.03450 · Open in Google Maps (position: Cuttagee Lake, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

Boat ramps

4 public boat ramps are listed for Bermagui and Wallaga Lake, with positions from Maritime NSW Boat Ramps. Lanes, parking and tide access are as the data says: check them on the day.

Boat ramps: Bermagui and Wallaga Lake
Ramp	Notes	Position
Bermagui Boat Harbour Boat Ramp	3 lanes, 21-50 car/trailer spaces, water access: all times, pontoon, toilets, fish-cleaning table (TfNSW record). Main gamefishing launch; ocean access is across the Bermagui bar.	-36.42519, 150.07315 Google Maps
Bermagui River Park Boat Ramp (Bridge)	2 lanes, 11-20 car/trailer spaces, water access: shallow at times, toilets, fish-cleaning table (TfNSW record). Bermagui River by the bridge.	-36.42514, 150.06484 Google Maps
Beauty Point Boat Ramp	2 lanes, 11-20 car/trailer spaces, water access: shallow at times, unsealed surface, pontoon, toilets (TfNSW record). Wallaga Lake.	-36.37852, 150.06268 Google Maps
Fairhaven Point Boat Ramp	1 lane, 0-11 car/trailer spaces, water access: shallow at times, unsealed surface (TfNSW record). Wallaga Lake; small craft.	-36.38258, 150.05349 Google Maps

What's biting here in October?

In peak season at Bermagui and Wallaga Lake in October: Australian salmon, sand whiting, dusky flathead, mulloway and 4 more. Of the 29 species our NSW South Coast list has for this part of the coast, 8 peak in October 2026 and 14 more are in season.

Peak in October: Australian salmon, sand whiting, dusky flathead, mulloway, sand and tiger flathead, snapper, Australian bass and estuary perch.

Also in season: yellowfin bream, tailor, silver trevally, luderick, eastern sea garfish, southern calamari, tarwhine, yellowtail kingfish, rock blackfish, leatherjacket, blue swimmer crab, Australian bonito, yellowfin tuna and school and eastern king prawns.

Out of season in October: mahi mahi (best Dec–Apr); marlin (best Jan–Apr).

Seen now and then, so not rated: mud crab, mangrove jack, mackerel tuna, Spanish mackerel and cobia.

Seasons are closure-aware: a species is never listed as in season, for the area or at a spot, while it is closed there; a closure for part of the area says where. Species links go to our South East Queensland species guides, with Queensland's limits: New South Wales' own size and bag limits are on the official rules page.

Can you fish here? Rules and safety

NSW Recreational Fishing Fee needed to fish NSW saltwater (incl. spearfishing, hand gathering, bait collecting, prawning): $7 3 days, $14 1 month, $35 1 year, $85 3 years (Oct 2026). Exempt: under 18, Aboriginal people, Pensioner Concession Card and DVA TPI/EDA Gold Card holders (other cases, e.g. some DVA payments or a charter or guide with an exemption certificate, are on the exemptions page). Interstate licences are not an exemption. Licence details. Size and bag limits and closed seasons apply: New South Wales' limits (checked 9 Oct 2026).

Rules at Bermagui and Wallaga Lake

Wallaga Lake is the southern edge of Batemans Marine Park: its sanctuary zones are no-take, and the Snake Island special purpose zone is no fishing without a permit.
Wapengo Lake (further south): nets other than prawn scoop or dip nets and landing nets are banned in the lower lake.
Spearfishing is banned on NSW ocean beaches except the last 20 m at each end.

Marine parks and no-take zones

The zone notes here name Batemans Marine Park. A no-take zone starts close to Wallaga Lake and Haywards Beach: each one's zone note says where. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at Bermagui and Wallaga Lake

Bermagui bar: lifejackets on when crossing; check the TfNSW webcam.
Shelf and canyon trips are long runs: carry an EPIRB (required more than 2 nautical miles offshore in NSW).
Bega Valley is not a declared rock-fishing area, but lifejackets are strongly advised on rock platforms.

New South Wales: official links

Read the official forecast and warnings in the Bureau of Meteorology's own words: NSW coastal and local waters forecast map and current warnings.

Boating: New South Wales boating safety, crossing coastal bars and lifejacket rules. Lifejackets: Boats <=4.8m: always on open waters and bars (L100+); enclosed waters when alone or at night. >4.8m: all wear L100+ crossing bars. Under-12s: always on <=4.8m; open areas <=8m underway.

Heading out on the water? Log on and off with Marine Rescue NSW. Log On when you head out and Log Off when you return. Call your Marine Rescue NSW base on VHF Channel 16 or use the free Marine Rescue NSW app. If you don't Log Off, volunteers start searching.

Marine parks and closed areas: NSW marine parks (Cape Byron, Solitary Islands, Port Stephens-Great Lakes, Jervis Bay, Batemans, Lord Howe Island), NSW aquatic reserves, Intertidal protected areas (Sydney) and Australian Marine Parks (Temperate East network, Lord Howe).

Rock fishing lifejacket law: Lifejacket required by law when rock fishing in declared areas (Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016): Ballina, Central Coast, Kiama, Lake Macquarie, Northern Beaches, Port Stephens, Randwick, Richmond Valley, Sutherland, Wollongong. $100 fine. More.

New South Wales' official rules: size and bag limits and closed seasons and areas (checked 9 Oct 2026).

Emergency: 000 (112 from mobiles) · VHF channel 16 for distress.

Nearby fishing areas

Narooma and Wagonga Inlet (about 23 km north)
Merimbula, Pambula and Tathra (about 48 km south)
Moruya and Tuross Head (about 48 km north)
Batemans Bay and the Clyde (about 77 km north)

Distances are between the middle of each area. Every area in New South Wales · all fishing spot guides.

Sources and checked dates

Spot and ramp positions: Composite Gazetteer of Australia (Geoscience Australia and the state and territory naming authorities), CC BY 4.0, ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 (2021) (Australian Bureau of Statistics), CC BY 4.0 and Maritime NSW Boat Ramps (Transport for NSW), CC BY 4.0; gazetteer and ABS positions through our place index. Guide only, not for navigation.
Spot research checked 9 Oct 2026 and fact-checked 9 Oct 2026; species seasons and rules checked 9 Oct 2026; safety links checked 9 Oct 2026. Text in our own words.
Research sources: dpird.nsw.gov.au (DPIRD Go Fishing Bermagui: hotspots for whiting, bream and flathead (Wallaga, Bermagui River, Haywards Beach, Cuttagee), game seasons, bar warning); sapphirecoast.com.au (Bermagui harbour and point species, Beares Beach, Cuttagee mouth, Wallaga Lake, river tides); dpird.nsw.gov.au (Wallaga Lake sanctuary and special purpose zones); dpird.nsw.gov.au (Far South Coast closures (Wapengo Lake nets, ocean-beach spearfishing)); nsw.gov.au (Bermagui coastal bar webcam and lifejacket rule); spatial.industry.nsw.gov.au (Zone polygons used to check every spot); opendata.transport.nsw.gov.au (Boat ramp locations and facilities).
Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.