Eden and Twofold Bay fishing spots
Twofold Bay is a deep, sheltered harbour with sand flathead, snapper, trevally and squid inside and kingfish on the bomboras outside, and Eden is a base for marlin, tuna and deep-water trips. The Towamba (Kiah) and Wonboyn estuaries hold flathead, bream, whiting and estuary perch, and Ben Boyd's rock shelves give salmon, tailor and drummer.
Updated
6 spots here: 5 fished from land and 1 reached only by boat or kayak, plus 2 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
| Spot | Type | Fished from | Water | Marine park |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Eden Wharf (Snug Cove) | Wharf | Land-based | Bay, estuary or river | – |
| 2. Aslings Beach | Beach | Land-based | Ocean coast | – |
| 3. Twofold Bay drifts (boat) | Bay | Boat and kayak | Bay, estuary or river | – |
| 4. Towamba River mouth (Kiah Inlet) | Estuary | Land-based, boat and kayak | Bay, estuary or river | – |
| 5. Wonboyn Lake | Lake | Land-based, boat and kayak | Bay, estuary or river | – |
| 6. Green Cape & Ben Boyd rock shelves | Headland | Land-based | Ocean coast | – |
1. Eden Wharf (Snug Cove)
- Type
- Wharf · bay, estuary or river
- Access
- Land-based. Snug Cove at the bottom of the town, with parking around the cove.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: Australian salmon. Also in season: silver trevally, southern calamari, yellowtail kingfish, tailor and leatherjacket.
- Best tide
- Not confirmed for this spot yet.
- Best wind
- Sheltered from southerlies; north-easters push a chop into Snug Cove.
- Note
- Easy family spot: small hooks for yellowtail, slimy mackerel and trevally, squid jigs at dusk, and salmon or small kingfish when schools come in.
- Safety
- Working port: keep clear of vessels and restricted wharf areas. Watch children on the wharf edges.
- Zone
- No marine park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
- Map
- -37.07260, 149.90840 · Open in Google Maps (position: Eden Wharf, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
2. Aslings Beach
- Type
- Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
- Access
- Land-based. Car parks along Aslings Beach near the surf club and Curalo Lagoon.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: Australian salmon and sand whiting. Also in season: tailor and yellowfin bream.
- Best tide
- Rising tide.
- Best wind
- Westerlies. Faces E.
- Note
- Eden's main surf beach, north of the town: pilchards and lures in the gutters for salmon and tailor, worms for bream and whiting.
- Safety
- Rips; patrolled in season.
- Zone
- No marine park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
- Map
- -37.04840, 149.91790 · Open in Google Maps (position: Aslings Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
3. Twofold Bay drifts (boat)
- Type
- Bay · bay, estuary or river
- Access
- Boat and kayak. Quarantine Bay ramp; sheltered water most days.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: sand and tiger flathead, snapper and Australian salmon. Also in season: silver trevally, southern calamari, tailor and yellowtail kingfish.
- Best tide
- Not confirmed for this spot yet.
- Best wind
- The southern bays are sheltered from southerlies; north-easters roughen the open bay.
- Note
- Drift the sand and gravel patches for sand flathead, small snapper and trevally, jig squid over weed in shallow water, and chase salmon, tailor and young kingfish under birds.
- Safety
- Commercial shipping: fishing is banned close to the woodchip loading wharf, especially with a ship berthed.
- Zone
- No marine park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
- Map
- -37.06510, 149.90120 · Open in Google Maps (position: Twofold Bay, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
4. Towamba River mouth (Kiah Inlet)
- Type
- Estuary · bay, estuary or river
- Access
- Land-based, boat and kayak. Small boat or kayak from Twofold Bay, or shore access from the southern side of the bay.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: sand whiting, dusky flathead and estuary perch. Also in season: yellowfin bream and luderick.
- Best tide
- Run-in tide at the mouth.
- Best wind
- Sheltered.
- Note
- Estuary entering Twofold Bay: bream, whiting and flathead on the flats and channel edges, with estuary perch further upstream (catch and release May to August).
- Safety
- Shallow, shifting entrance.
- Zone
- No marine park. No nets other than prawn scoop or dip nets and landing nets in the tidal Towamba River. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
- Map
- -37.10680, 149.90120 · Open in Google Maps (position: Kiah Inlet, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
5. Wonboyn Lake
- Type
- Lake · bay, estuary or river
- Access
- Land-based, boat and kayak. Wonboyn Road to the lake ramp and holiday cabins; parts of the road are unsealed.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: dusky flathead, sand whiting, estuary perch and mulloway. Also in season: yellowfin bream, luderick and tailor.
- Best tide
- Run-in tide near the entrance flats.
- Best wind
- Sheltered.
- Note
- Remote, clear estuary: flathead on plastics (the 'Yellow Peg' area is a known hotspot), whiting and bream on the sand and weed flats, estuary perch upstream.
- Safety
- Remote: tell someone your plans. Shallow entrance channel.
- Zone
- No marine park. No nets other than a landing net in the tidal Wonboyn River, and the entrance waters are closed to spearfishing. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
- Map
- -37.24840, 149.91790 · Open in Google Maps (position: Wonboyn Lake, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
6. Green Cape & Ben Boyd rock shelves
- Type
- Headland · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
- Access
- Land-based. Green Cape Road (unsealed) through Ben Boyd National Park to the lighthouse area, then walks to the shelves.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: Australian salmon. Also in season: rock blackfish, luderick, leatherjacket, tailor and yellowtail kingfish.
- Best tide
- Not confirmed for this spot yet.
- Best wind
- Light westerlies; very exposed to south and east swell. Faces E.
- Note
- Coordinate is Green Cape. The rock shelves from North Head to Green Cape (Pulpit Rock among them) give drummer, luderick and leatherjacket in the washes, and salmon and tailor on metals.
- Safety
- Remote and very exposed: lifejacket, cleats, never fish alone. Big southerly swell arrives fast.
- Zone
- No marine park; Ben Boyd National Park rules apply on land. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
- Map
- -37.26510, 150.05120 · Open in Google Maps (position: Green Cape, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
Boat ramps
2 public boat ramps are listed for Eden and Twofold Bay, with positions from Maritime NSW Boat Ramps. Lanes, parking and tide access are as the data says: check them on the day.
| Ramp | Notes | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Quarantine Bay Boat Ramp | 3 lanes, 51+ car/trailer spaces, water access: all times, pontoon, toilets, fish-cleaning table (TfNSW record). Main Eden launch inside Twofold Bay, sheltered from southerly swell. | -37.07792, 149.88450 Google Maps |
| Wonboyn Lake Boat Ramp | 1 lane, 11-20 car/trailer spaces, water access: all times, pontoon, toilets, fish-cleaning table (TfNSW record). Wonboyn Lake. | -37.25059, 149.91828 Google Maps |
What's biting here in October?
In peak season at Eden and Twofold Bay in October: Australian salmon, sand whiting, dusky flathead, estuary perch 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, estuary perch, sand and tiger flathead, mulloway, snapper and Australian bass.
Also in season: tailor, yellowfin bream, yellowtail kingfish, luderick, silver trevally, leatherjacket, southern calamari, rock blackfish, tarwhine, eastern sea garfish, 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 Eden and Twofold Bay
- Towamba River (tidal waters up to the Kiah bridge): no nets other than prawn scoop or dip nets and landing nets.
- Wonboyn River and lake: no nets other than a landing net; no spearfishing in the entrance waters.
- Nadgee River, Nadgee Lake, Merrica River and Little Creek: no nets or traps other than a landing net, prawn scoop or dip net or a bait trap.
- Eastern blue groper: no take by any method in NSW.
Marine parks and no-take zones
Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.
Safety at Eden and Twofold Bay
- Ben Boyd's rock shelves are remote and exposed: lifejackets strongly advised (Bega Valley is not a declared area).
- Twofold Bay is a working port: stay clear of ships and the woodchip loading wharf.
- Offshore and canyon trips: carry an EPIRB (required more than 2 nautical miles offshore in NSW).
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
- Merimbula, Pambula and Tathra (about 29 km north)
- Mallacoota (VIC) (about 51 km south)
- Bermagui and Wallaga Lake (about 77 km north)
- Narooma and Wagonga Inlet (about 100 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: visiteden.com.au (Twofold Bay, Snug Cove and Navy Wharf, Wonboyn, Kiah inlet, rock shelves North Head to Green Cape); tradeaboat.com.au (Twofold Bay drift species, woodchip wharf restriction, bomboras, Wonboyn Yellow Peg flathead hotspot); sapphirecoast.com.au (Twofold Bay beaches and rock platforms species, Quarantine Bay ramp); dpird.nsw.gov.au (Far South Coast closures (Towamba, Wonboyn, Nadgee)); dpird.nsw.gov.au (Towamba River net closure); dpird.nsw.gov.au (Wonboyn River net closure); spatial.industry.nsw.gov.au (No marine park in this area); opendata.transport.nsw.gov.au (Boat ramp locations and facilities).
- Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.