South West Rocks and the Macleay fishing spots

South West Rocks sits between the Macleay River mouth and Trial Bay, with Hat Head National Park to the south. The river walls and channels give mulloway, bream, luderick, flathead and whiting; Trial Bay is a sheltered spot for whiting and bream; and the headlands from Smoky Cape to Crescent Head fish for drummer, tailor and tuna. Fish Rock and Green Island are grey nurse sites with bait bans.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

9 spots here, all fished from land, plus 6 public boat ramps. Seasons follow our NSW North 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

9 spots: South West Rocks and the Macleay
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Macleay Arm (Stuarts Point)	Estuary	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–
2. Macleay River entrance walls	Breakwall	Land-based and boat	Bay, estuary or river	–
3. Point Briner (town rocks)	Rocks	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
4. Trial Bay (Front Beach)	Bay	Land-based and boat	Ocean coast	–
5. Laggers Point (Trial Bay Gaol)	Headland	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
6. Smoky Cape	Headland	Land-based	Ocean coast	no-take zone nearby
7. South Smoky Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
8. Hat Head	Headland	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
9. Crescent Head & Killick Creek	Headland	Land-based	Ocean coast	–

1. Macleay Arm (Stuarts Point)

Type: Estuary · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. Stuarts Point foreshore and ramp.
What's good here: Peak in October: sand whiting and dusky flathead. Also in season: yellowfin bream, blue swimmer crab and mud crab.
Best tide: Run-in for whiting on the flats; flathead on the run-out.
Best wind: Sheltered; strong northerlies chop up the open stretches.
Note: Long, shallow arm of the lower Macleay running north to Stuarts Point: whiting and flathead on the sand, bream around structure, crabs in the warmer months.
Safety: Shallow banks: the Stuarts Point ramp is high tide only.
Zone: Not in a marine park Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -30.83170, 153.00110 · Open in Google Maps (position: Macleay Arm, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Macleay River entrance walls

Type: Breakwall · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based and boat. South West Rocks side of the river mouth; walk the walls.
What's good here: Peak in October: mulloway and dusky flathead. Also in season: yellowfin bream, luderick and tailor.
Best tide: Mulloway around the tide changes; luderick and bream on a moving tide.
Best wind: Light winds; strong onshore winds make the entrance rough.
Note: Rock walls at the Macleay mouth: mulloway are regularly taken here, with bream, luderick and flathead along the walls and tailor at the ocean end.
Safety: The Macleay River entrance is a designated coastal bar. Rock fishing: wear a lifejacket and non-slip footwear, never fish alone, and watch the swell for 15 minutes before you go down.
Zone: Not in a marine park Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -30.88170, 153.01780 · Open in Google Maps (position: New Entrance, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Point Briner (town rocks)

Type: Rocks · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. South West Rocks town foreshore.
What's good here: In season in October: yellowfin bream, luderick, rock blackfish, tailor and tarwhine.
Best tide: Run-in for bream and luderick; drummer in the wash on any tide.
Best wind: Fairly sheltered from southerlies; best with a small swell. Faces NE.
Note: Town rocks at South West Rocks: ledges for bream, luderick and drummer, tailor at dawn.
Safety: Rock fishing: wear a lifejacket and non-slip footwear, never fish alone, and watch the swell for 15 minutes before you go down.
Zone: Not in a marine park Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -30.88220, 153.03940 · Open in Google Maps (position: Point Briner, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Trial Bay (Front Beach)

Type: Bay · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based and boat. Front Beach at South West Rocks; Trial Bay beach ramp at Arakoon.
What's good here: Peak in October: sand whiting, dusky flathead and snapper. Also in season: yellowfin bream and tailor.
Best tide: Rising tide for whiting and bream off the sand.
Best wind: Sheltered from southerly weather. Faces NNE.
Note: Broad bay sheltered from the south: whiting and bream off the sand in summer, flathead on the drift, tailor at dusk, and snapper on the reefs when it cools.
Safety: Boats launch off the beach at Arakoon.
Zone: Not in a marine park Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -30.88170, 153.05110 · Open in Google Maps (position: Trial Bay, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Laggers Point (Trial Bay Gaol)

Type: Headland · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Arakoon National Park (Trial Bay Gaol); park fees may apply.
What's good here: In season in October: yellowfin bream, luderick, tailor, mackerel tuna and rock blackfish.
Best tide: Run-in for bream and luderick.
Best wind: Sheltered from southerlies on the bay side. Faces NNE.
Note: Rocks and the old breakwall below Trial Bay Gaol: bream, luderick and drummer, with tailor and tuna passing the point.
Safety: Rock fishing: wear a lifejacket and non-slip footwear, never fish alone, and watch the swell for 15 minutes before you go down.
Zone: Not in a marine park Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -30.88170, 153.06780 · Open in Google Maps (position: Laggers Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Smoky Cape

Type: Headland · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Lighthouse road in Hat Head National Park, then walk down.
What's good here: Peak in October: mulloway. Also in season: tailor, rock blackfish, yellowfin bream and mackerel tuna.
Best tide: Drummer in the wash on any tide; tailor and tuna at dawn.
Best wind: Light westerlies and a small swell only. Faces E.
Note: Exposed cape below the lighthouse: deep-water ledges for drummer, bream and tailor, with pelagics in summer. For experienced rock anglers only.
Safety: Rock fishing: wear a lifejacket and non-slip footwear, never fish alone, and watch the swell for 15 minutes before you go down. Deep water and heavy wash close to the ledges.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. Green Island and Fish Rock, each within about 2 km of the cape, are grey nurse critical habitat sites: line fishing with bait is banned in them (lures, soft plastics and vegetable baits allowed); check the site maps Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -30.91510, 153.10110 · Open in Google Maps (position: Smoky Cape, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

7. South Smoky Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. 4WD with a council beach permit and a national park pass, from Smoky Cape campground or Hat Head Road.
What's good here: Peak in October: sand whiting and mulloway. Also in season: tailor and yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Rising tide; mulloway around the changes after dark.
Best wind: Light westerlies. Faces SE.
Note: About 14 km of beach in Hat Head National Park: tailor, bream and whiting in the gutters, mulloway after dark. The northern 500 m is closed to vehicles.
Safety: Remote and unpatrolled; soft sand and tides for drivers.
Zone: Not in a marine park Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -30.93170, 153.08440 · Open in Google Maps (position: South Smoky Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

8. Hat Head

Type: Headland · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Hat Head village, then tracks onto the headland (national park).
What's good here: Peak in October: mulloway. Also in season: tailor, rock blackfish, yellowfin bream and luderick.
Best tide: Drummer in the wash on any tide; bream and luderick on the run-in.
Best wind: Light westerlies. Faces NE.
Note: Headland in Hat Head National Park beside Korogoro Creek: drummer, bream and luderick off the ledges, tailor at dawn, and bream and whiting in the clear creek.
Safety: Rock fishing: wear a lifejacket and non-slip footwear, never fish alone, and watch the swell for 15 minutes before you go down. Korogoro Creek entrance is a designated coastal bar.
Zone: Not in a marine park Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -31.04840, 153.06780 · Open in Google Maps (position: Hat Head, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

9. Crescent Head & Killick Creek

Type: Headland · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Crescent Head village; Killick Creek runs out beside the point.
What's good here: Peak in October: sand whiting. Also in season: yellowfin bream, tailor, rock blackfish and luderick.
Best tide: Bream and luderick on the run-in; whiting in the creek on the rising tide.
Best wind: Light westerlies; the north side of the point is sheltered in southerlies. Faces ESE.
Note: Famous point break with Killick Creek beside it: bream, drummer and luderick off the rocks, tailor at dawn, whiting and bream in the creek.
Safety: Rock fishing: wear a lifejacket and non-slip footwear, never fish alone, and watch the swell for 15 minutes before you go down. Killick Creek entrance is a designated coastal bar.
Zone: Not in a marine park Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -31.19010, 152.97610 · Open in Google Maps (position: Crescent Head, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

Boat ramps

6 public boat ramps are listed for South West Rocks and the Macleay, with positions from Maritime NSW Boat Ramps. Lanes, parking and tide access are as the data says: check them on the day.

Boat ramps: South West Rocks and the Macleay
Ramp	Notes	Position
Mattys Flat ramp, South West Rocks	Macleay River. 2 lanes with pontoon; about 10-20 trailer parks; usable at all tides; toilets, fish-cleaning table; condition good (TfNSW).	-30.89594, 153.01632 Google Maps
Back Creek ramp, South West Rocks	South West Rocks Creek. 2 lanes; about 11-20 trailer parks; usable at all tides; fish-cleaning table; condition fair (TfNSW). South West Rocks Creek bar is a designated coastal bar.	-30.88804, 153.03103 Google Maps
Trial Bay ramp, Arakoon	Tasman Sea. 1 lane; about 11-20 trailer parks; shallow at low tide; toilets; condition good (TfNSW). Beach launch into Trial Bay.	-30.87648, 153.06834 Google Maps
Stuarts Point ramp	Macleay River. 2 lanes; about 0-10 trailer parks; high tide only; toilets; condition poor (TfNSW).	-30.82097, 152.99522 Google Maps
Hat Head ramp (Korogoro Creek)	Korogoro Creek. 2 lanes; about 11-20 trailer parks; shallow at low tide; toilets, fish-cleaning table; condition good (TfNSW).	-31.05491, 153.05611 Google Maps
Killick Creek ramp, Crescent Head	Killick Creek. 2 lanes; about 0-5 trailer parks; shallow at low tide; toilets, fish-cleaning table; condition fair (TfNSW).	-31.18721, 152.97865 Google Maps

What's biting here in October?

In peak season at South West Rocks and the Macleay in October: sand whiting, mulloway, dusky flathead, snapper and 2 more. Of the 29 species our NSW North Coast list has for this part of the coast, 6 peak in October 2026 and 18 more are in season.

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

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

Out of season in October: mahi mahi (best Dec–Apr); Spanish mackerel (best Feb–May); cobia (best Feb–May).

Seen now and then, so not rated: Australian salmon and estuary perch.

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 South West Rocks and the Macleay

Fish Rock and Green Island grey nurse critical habitat: line fishing with bait is banned (lures, soft plastics and vegetable baits allowed); spearfishing within 200 m of Fish Rock only for listed pelagics.
Beach driving needs the joint Kempsey, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Nambucca permit; South Smoky Beach also needs a national park pass.

Marine parks and no-take zones

A no-take zone starts close to Smoky Cape: its zone note says where. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at South West Rocks and the Macleay

Macleay River, South West Rocks Creek, Korogoro Creek and Killick Creek entrances are designated coastal bars.
Smoky Cape, Hat Head and Crescent Head are exposed ocean rocks: lifejacket and a partner.

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

Nambucca Heads and Urunga (about 40 km north)
Port Macquarie and the Hastings (about 56 km south)
Coffs Harbour and Sawtell (about 70 km north)
Camden Haven (about 82 km south)

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 grey nurse rules at Fish Rock and Green Island (bait ban, spearfishing limits)); visitnsw.com (South West Rocks: mulloway from the entrance walls, river bream, luderick, flathead, whiting, bass upstream; Trial Bay sheltered cove); kempsey.nsw.gov.au (Kempsey beach driving permit (joint with Port Macquarie-Hastings and Nambucca)); nsw.gov.au (South Smoky Beach 4WD: length, access points, northern corner closed, national park pass); dpird.nsw.gov.au (DPIRD Coffs Coast guide: jacks in estuaries from South West Rocks north); nsw.gov.au (Designated NSW coastal bars on the north coast (Transport for NSW)); placenames.gov.au (Spot coordinates: the site place index (public/data/places), built from the Composite Gazetteer of Australia (Geoscience Australia and state naming authorities) and ABS ASGS 2021, CC BY 4.0); opendata.transport.nsw.gov.au (Boat ramp coordinates, lanes, parking, tide access and facilities: Maritime NSW Boat Ramps dataset (Transport for NSW, Creative Commons Attribution), metadata updated 3 Oct 2026); spatial.industry.nsw.gov.au (Zone check of every spot and ramp: NSW Marine Protected Areas zone polygons (DPIRD spatial service), distances computed 9 Oct 2026).
Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.