Wollongong and Port Kembla fishing spots

Wollongong's harbour walls, the Port Kembla breakwater and the rock platforms from Bellambi to Hill 60 are known for salmon, tailor, bonito, kingfish, drummer and luderick, with snapper and flathead on the inshore reefs and around the Five Islands by boat.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

5 spots here: 4 fished from land and 1 reached only by boat, plus 3 public boat ramps. Seasons follow our NSW Mid Coast to Sydney 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

5 spots: Wollongong and Port Kembla
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Bellambi Point	Headland	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
2. Wollongong Harbour breakwall	Breakwall	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
3. Port Kembla Eastern Breakwater	Breakwall	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
4. Hill 60 (Red Point), Port Kembla	Rocks	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
5. Five Islands (boat)	Island	Boat	Offshore	–

1. Bellambi Point

Type: Headland · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Park at the Bellambi boat ramp car park (Robert Cram Drive) and walk out onto the low rocks of the point.
What's good here: Peak in October: Australian salmon. Also in season: rock blackfish, luderick, tailor, yellowfin bream and silver trevally.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Light westerlies; avoid big north-east to south-east swell. Faces E.
Note: Low reef and washes beside the boat harbour: bread or cabbage weed under berley for drummer, green weed for luderick, and metal lures off the edges when salmon and tailor push in.
Safety: Wollongong is a declared rock-fishing area: lifejackets are compulsory on ocean rock platforms. Low ledges wash over in modest swell; watch several sets before walking out. Lobster traps are banned in the closed area beside the boat ramp breakwater.
Zone: No marine park. Lobster traps are banned in the marked waters beside the Bellambi boat ramp breakwater. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -34.36510, 150.93450 · Open in Google Maps (position: Bellambi Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Wollongong Harbour breakwall

Type: Breakwall · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Parking around Belmore Basin and Flagstaff Point, then a flat walk onto the breakwall.
What's good here: Peak in October: Australian salmon. Also in season: luderick, yellowfin bream, silver trevally, tailor, Australian bonito, southern calamari and eastern sea garfish.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Inside the harbour is sheltered from southerlies; the outer wall is rough in strong north-easters and big east swell. Faces E.
Note: Float weed or bread along the inside of the wall for luderick and bream, jig squid over the weed at dawn and dusk, and spin metals off the outer end for salmon, tailor and bonito.
Safety: Waves break over the outer wall in big east swell. Rock platforms around Flagstaff Point fall under Wollongong's compulsory lifejacket rule. Busy boat ramp and harbour traffic: keep casts clear.
Zone: No marine park or fishing closure on the harbour walls. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -34.42340, 150.90120 · Open in Google Maps (position: Wollongong Harbour, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Port Kembla Eastern Breakwater

Type: Breakwall · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. From the Port Kembla foreshore. NSW Ports opens the breakwater to the public but shuts it in dangerous surf: check its status page first.
What's good here: Peak in October: Australian salmon and snapper. Also in season: tailor, yellowtail kingfish, Australian bonito, silver trevally, luderick and yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Westerlies. NSW Ports closes the wall to the public when dangerous surf is forecast. Faces E.
Note: Coordinate is the Outer Harbour; the breakwater forms its eastern side. Spin or live-bait the end for salmon, tailor, bonito and kingfish; float baits along the inside for trevally, luderick and bream.
Safety: NSW Ports closes the breakwater when dangerous surf is forecast. Large, slippery and gappy rock armour: wear proper footwear. Keep lines clear of ships and pilot vessels.
Zone: No marine park. The Inner Harbour (west of the entrance canal) is closed to all fishing; nets and traps other than a landing net are banned in the Outer Harbour. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -34.46720, 150.90810 · Open in Google Maps (position: Outer Harbour, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Hill 60 (Red Point), Port Kembla

Type: Rocks · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Hill 60 reserve car park, then steep tracks down to the platforms.
What's good here: Peak in October: Australian salmon. Also in season: rock blackfish, luderick, tailor, Australian bonito and yellowtail kingfish.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Light westerlies with a small swell only. Faces ESE.
Note: Deep-water ledges below Hill 60: berley the washes for drummer and luderick, spin metals for salmon, tailor and bonito, and live-bait for kingfish in the warmer months.
Safety: Hill 60 has a long record of rock-fishing drownings. Wollongong declared area: lifejacket compulsory on the platforms. Never fish alone; plan a way out of the water before you start.
Zone: No marine park. The Five Islands offshore are a nature reserve with restricted access. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -34.49010, 150.92620 · Open in Google Maps (position: Red Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Five Islands (boat)

Type: Island · offshore (boat)
Access: Boat. Short run from the Port Kembla boat harbour ramp.
What's good here: Peak in October: snapper, Australian salmon and sand and tiger flathead. Also in season: yellowtail kingfish, Australian bonito and silver trevally.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Westerlies or light winds; exposed to north-east and south-east swell.
Note: Reef and gravel around the islands: lightly weighted baits or plastics for snapper, troll or cast for bonito, salmon and kingfish, and drift the nearby sand for flathead.
Safety: The islands are a nature reserve with restricted access: do not land. Watch for shipping in the Port Kembla approaches. Swell surges hard around the islets.
Zone: No marine park; the islands themselves are Five Islands Nature Reserve. Guide only, not for navigation: check nationalparks.nsw.gov.au.
Map: -34.48180, 150.93450 · Open in Google Maps (position: The Five Islands, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

Boat ramps

3 public boat ramps are listed for Wollongong and Port Kembla, with positions from Maritime NSW Boat Ramps. Lanes, parking and tide access are as the data says: check them on the day.

Boat ramps: Wollongong and Port Kembla
Ramp	Notes	Position
Bellambi Boat Ramp (Main Ramp)	4 lanes, 51-80 car/trailer spaces, water access: shallow at times, pontoon, fish-cleaning table (TfNSW record). Ocean ramp behind a breakwater; the main northern Illawarra launch for the reefs.	-34.36798, 150.92885 Google Maps
Wollongong Harbour	1 lane, 0-10 car/trailer spaces, water access: high tide only, pontoon or jetty nearby (TfNSW record). Inside Belmore Basin; small boats only and very limited parking.	-34.42067, 150.90668 Google Maps
Port Kembla Boat Harbour (Darcy Rd)	3 lanes, 51+ car/trailer spaces, water access: all times, pontoon or jetty nearby, toilets, fish-cleaning table (TfNSW record). Sheltered Outer Harbour launch with a large car park; the usual start for Five Islands trips.	-34.47441, 150.91263 Google Maps

What's biting here in October?

In peak season at Wollongong and Port Kembla in October: Australian salmon, snapper, sand and tiger flathead, dusky flathead and 4 more. Of the 29 species our NSW Mid Coast to Sydney list has for this part of the coast, 8 peak in October 2026 and 16 more are in season.

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

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

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

Seen now and then, so not rated: mangrove jack.

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 Wollongong and Port Kembla

Port Kembla Inner Harbour: no fishing by any method; Outer Harbour: no nets or traps except a landing net.
Bellambi Point: lobster traps banned beside the boat ramp breakwater.
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 Wollongong and Port Kembla

Wollongong is a declared rock-fishing area: lifejackets are compulsory on the high-risk ocean rock platforms shown on the NSW Government map.
Port Kembla is a working port: keep clear of shipping and pilot vessels.
Southerly changes and swell arrive quickly on this open coast.

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

Lake Illawarra and Windang (about 11 km south-west)
Kiama and Shellharbour (about 25 km south)
Botany Bay and Port Hacking (about 52 km north-east)
Jervis Bay and the Shoalhaven (about 62 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 Illawarra closures: Port Kembla harbours and Bellambi Point); dpird.nsw.gov.au (Port Kembla Inner Harbour total closure and Outer Harbour net/trap closure); dpird.nsw.gov.au (Bellambi Point lobster-trap closure); nswports.com.au (Eastern Breakwater public access and dangerous-surf closures (NSW Ports)); nsw.gov.au (Wollongong is a declared rock-fishing lifejacket area); illawarramercury.com.au (Hill 60 rock-fishing fatalities); nationalparks.nsw.gov.au (Five Islands Nature Reserve access restricted); spatial.industry.nsw.gov.au (NSW marine protected areas layer: no marine park or sanctuary zone in this area); opendata.transport.nsw.gov.au (Boat ramp locations and facilities).
Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.