Adelaide metro beaches and jetties fishing spots

Adelaide's coast is a string of long jetties over sand and seagrass, from Largs Bay to Brighton, plus the Port River estuary and the Outer Harbor breakwater. Tommies, salmon trout, mullet and yellowfin whiting are the everyday catch, with blue swimmer crabs in summer and bream and mulloway in the river. Garfish, squid and snapper are closed here for now.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

7 spots here, all fished from land. Seasons follow our Gulfs, Fleurieu & KI species list for South Australia. 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

7 spots: Adelaide metro beaches and jetties
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Outer Harbor breakwater (North Haven)	Breakwall	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
2. Port River (Port Adelaide)	River	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–
3. Largs Bay jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
4. Semaphore jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
5. Henley jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
6. Glenelg jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
7. Brighton jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Ocean coast	–

1. Outer Harbor breakwater (North Haven)

Type: Breakwall · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Rock breakwater at the mouth of the Port River; parking at North Haven/Outer Harbor.
What's good here: Peak in October: mulloway and black bream. Also in season: Australian salmon.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Best in easterlies (offshore); westerlies make it rough. Faces W.
Note: Rock wall at the harbour mouth, listed with the Port River spots for bream, mulloway and salmon trout. Seals often work the seaward end.
Safety: Rock walls are slippery and uneven. Shipping channel: big vessels pass close.
Zone: No marine park sanctuary or restricted access zone within 6 km of this point (DEW zoning layer); inside the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Its line rules (no line within 50 m of a visible dolphin, hook-size limits) apply in the inner Port River waterways south-east of Pelican Point, not at the breakwater Guide only, not for navigation: check marineparks.sa.gov.au.
Map: -34.77250, 138.48260 · Open in Google Maps (position: Outer Harbor, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Port River (Port Adelaide)

Type: River · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. Many drive-up spots along the river and North Arm; ramps at North Haven and Garden Island.
What's good here: Peak in October: black bream and mulloway. Also in season: tommy ruff, flathead and blue swimmer crab.
Best tide: Bream reported on the rising (making) tide.
Best wind: Sheltered in most winds.
Note: Industrial estuary with deep channels and rock walls; soft plastics along structure for bream and mulloway, crabs in summer.
Safety: Commercial shipping in the channel. Do not eat shellfish from the Port River system.
Zone: No marine park sanctuary or restricted access zone within 6 km of this point (DEW zoning layer); Inside the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary: keep lines 50 m from dolphins; hook-size limits in the inner Port River; Barker Inlet-St Kilda Aquatic Reserve about 400 m away (gear limits); St Kilda-Chapman Creek Aquatic Reserve about 1200 m away (gear limits); No bivalves may be taken anywhere in the Port River system Guide only, not for navigation: check marineparks.sa.gov.au.
Map: -34.76180, 138.51010 · Open in Google Maps (position: Port River, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Largs Bay jetty

Type: Jetty · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Jetty in front of the Largs Pier Hotel; street parking.
What's good here: In season in October: tommy ruff, yellowfin whiting, Australian salmon and yelloweye mullet.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Best in easterlies (offshore); afternoon sea breezes blow onto it. Faces WNW.
Note: Long metro jetty over sand and weed: tommies, mullet, salmon trout and yellowfin whiting.
Safety: Jetty decks get slippery when wet.
Zone: No marine park sanctuary or restricted access zone within 6 km of this point (DEW zoning layer) Guide only, not for navigation: check marineparks.sa.gov.au.
Map: -34.82440, 138.48420 · Open in Google Maps (position: Largs Bay Jetty, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Semaphore jetty

Type: Jetty · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Jetty at the end of Semaphore Road; parking and food nearby.
What's good here: In season in October: tommy ruff, Australian salmon, yellowfin whiting and blue swimmer crab.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Best in easterlies (offshore); afternoon sea breezes blow onto it. Faces WNW.
Note: Long metro jetty: salmon schools in winter, tommies all year and crabs in the warmer months.
Safety: Jetty decks get slippery when wet.
Zone: No marine park sanctuary or restricted access zone within 6 km of this point (DEW zoning layer) Guide only, not for navigation: check marineparks.sa.gov.au.
Map: -34.83760, 138.47780 · Open in Google Maps (position: Semaphore Jetty, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Henley jetty

Type: Jetty · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Jetty off Henley Square; parking and food nearby.
What's good here: In season in October: yelloweye mullet, blue swimmer crab and yellowfin whiting.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Best in easterlies (offshore); afternoon sea breezes blow onto it. Faces W.
Note: Long jetty into the gulf for mullet and crabs; on warm summer evenings locals wade the shallows nearby for yellowfin whiting.
Safety: Jetty decks get slippery when wet.
Zone: No marine park sanctuary or restricted access zone within 6 km of this point (DEW zoning layer) Guide only, not for navigation: check marineparks.sa.gov.au.
Map: -34.91970, 138.49320 · Open in Google Maps (position: Henley Jetty, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Glenelg jetty

Type: Jetty · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Jetty off Moseley Square at the end of Jetty Road; paid parking.
What's good here: Peak in October: snook. Also in season: tommy ruff, Australian salmon and yellowfin whiting.
Best tide: Dusk and night sessions are reported best.
Best wind: Best in easterlies (offshore); afternoon sea breezes blow onto it. Faces W.
Note: Busy jetty: tommies all year, seasonal salmon, snook at night and whiting on calm summer evenings.
Safety: Jetty decks get slippery when wet. Crowded in summer: cast with care.
Zone: No marine park sanctuary or restricted access zone within 6 km of this point (DEW zoning layer) Guide only, not for navigation: check marineparks.sa.gov.au.
Map: -34.98040, 138.51040 · Open in Google Maps (position: Glenelg Jetty, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

7. Brighton jetty

Type: Jetty · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Jetty at the end of Jetty Road, Brighton; street parking.
What's good here: Peak in October: snook. Also in season: King George whiting, blue swimmer crab, tommy ruff, Australian salmon, silver trevally and flathead.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Best in easterlies (offshore); afternoon sea breezes blow onto it. Faces W.
Note: Often rated the best metro jetty: whiting from the end in winter, crabs in summer, tommies and salmon trout; flathead in the gutters to the south.
Safety: Jetty decks get slippery when wet.
Zone: No marine park sanctuary or restricted access zone within 6 km of this point (DEW zoning layer) Guide only, not for navigation: check marineparks.sa.gov.au.
Map: -35.01740, 138.51440 · Open in Google Maps (position: Brighton Jetty, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

Boat ramps

South Australia's boat ramp layer isn't published under an open licence we could confirm, so we don't list its ramps yet.

What's biting here in October?

In peak season at Adelaide metro beaches and jetties in October: mulloway, snook and black bream. Of the 22 species our Gulfs, Fleurieu & KI list has for this part of the coast, 3 peak in October 2026 and 15 more are in season.

Peak in October: mulloway, snook and black bream.

Also in season: tommy ruff, Australian salmon, yellowfin whiting, blue swimmer crab, flathead, yelloweye mullet, King George whiting, silver trevally, yellowtail kingfish, samsonfish, sweep, gummy shark, bronze whaler, blue morwong and bight redfish and nannygai.

In closed season now (no take): snapper (until 30 June 2027); southern garfish (since 1 May 2026, until further notice); southern calamari (since 1 May 2026, until further notice).

Closed now in part of the area: black bream in Lakes and Coorong waters (spawning closure: no take or possession of black bream) (1 August to 31 January); black bream in Onkaparinga River upstream of the Main South Road bridge, Noarlunga (no fishing for bream) (1 September to 30 November); southern calamari in False Bay cephalopod exclusion zone near Whyalla (permanent, all squid, cuttlefish and octopus) (all year).

Out of season in October: southern bluefin tuna (best Mar–May).

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: South Australia's own size and bag limits are on the official rules page.

Can you fish here? Rules and safety

No recreational fishing licence or fee in SA (checked 9 Oct 2026). Rock lobster pots must be registered: $94 for 1 pot or $261 for 2 (2026-27, expires 31 May). Licence details. Size and bag limits and closed seasons apply: South Australia's limits (checked 9 Oct 2026).

Rules at Adelaide metro beaches and jetties

Gulf St Vincent/KI fishing zone: southern garfish, southern calamari and snapper are closed (no targeting or keeping) and most other bag and boat limits are about halved after the 2025 algal bloom; check the SA Fishing app before each trip.
Metro shark-gear limits (Outer Harbor to Lady Bay, shore to 500 m out, 5 am-9 pm): no wire trace, no mono trace over 1 mm, no large or ganged hooks.
Do not eat self-collected shellfish (algal bloom health advice); fish, crabs and squid you catch are fine to eat once cleaned and gutted.
Port River: no bivalves; Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary rules apply in the inner waterways (lines 50 m from dolphins, hook-size limits); Barker Inlet-St Kilda Aquatic Reserve is rod and line only with no crabbing.
Port Noarlunga Reef and Aldinga Reef are sanctuary zones; no fishing within 25 m of Horseshoe Reef (Christies Beach) or within 200 m of the MV Andrew Wilson wreck off Brighton.

Marine parks and no-take zones

Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at Adelaide metro beaches and jetties

Afternoon sea breezes build quickly in summer and make jetties and small boats uncomfortable.
Jetty decks are slippery when wet and some have low rails.
Sharks are present in the gulf.

South Australia: official links

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

Boating: South Australia boating safety and lifejacket rules. Lifejackets: Motor boats <=4.8m: all wear, underway or at anchor. 4.8-12m: kids 12 and under in open areas; all at heightened risk (alone, night, bar, warnings). From 1 Oct 2026: L100+ when handling cray pots.

Heading out on the water? Log on and off with Volunteer Marine Rescue coastal radio network (SA SES and VMR associations, e.g. Sea Rescue Adelaide, Coast Guard Ardrossan, VMR Tumby Bay, Whyalla Sea Rescue). Contact the relevant Coast Station soon after launching: call sign, departure point, destination, people on board, ETA. Log off when back. Stations' channels and hours vary.

Marine parks and closed areas: SA marine parks - maps and coordinates, PIRSA fishing zones and closures and Australian Marine Parks (South-west network, e.g. Great Australian Bight).

Non-life-threatening marine rescue: SA Police 131 444 for a volunteer marine rescue response. More.
Crayfishing lifejacket rule: From 1 Oct 2026 everyone aboard a recreational vessel in coastal waters must wear Level 100+ when handling, hauling or carrying rock lobster pots. More.

South Australia's 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

Fleurieu gulf coast: Sellicks to Cape Jervis (about 69 km south)
Victor Harbor and Goolwa (about 76 km south)
Yorke Peninsula (about 97 km west)
Kangaroo Island (about 126 km south-west)

Distances are between the middle of each area. Every area in South Australia · 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 and ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 (2021) (Australian Bureau of Statistics), 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: lsa4.geohub.sa.gov.au (DEW State Marine Park Network Zoning layer (Location SA): every spot point-checked against sanctuary and restricted access zones on 9 Oct 2026); marineparks.sa.gov.au (Official marine park zoning maps with coordinates (per park PDFs used as zone.url)); pir.sa.gov.au (Which fishing zone (West Coast, Spencer Gulf, GSV/KI, South East) the area falls in); pir.sa.gov.au (Closures, aquatic reserves, gear restrictions and rock lobster sanctuaries); data.sa.gov.au (SA State Gazetteer jetty points (CC BY 4.0)); lsa4.geohub.sa.gov.au (Location SA Jetties layer: jetty lines (landward end used as the coordinate; seaward bearing used for faces)); lsa4.geohub.sa.gov.au (Location SA Boat Ramps layer (DIT boating facilities): ramp coordinates and record ids); samove.raa.com.au (Brighton jetty squid and crabbing; Port Noarlunga jetty (RAA, Jan 2025)); weekendnotes.com (Brighton jetty species list); weekendnotes.com (Semaphore, Largs, Henley and Outer Harbor species); weekendnotes.com (Metro jetty and Port River species; Port River bream on the rising tide); connectsci.au (Seals and anglers at the seaward end of the Outer Harbor breakwater); onkaparinganow.com (Port Noarlunga jetty line fishing allowed except the end section); pir.sa.gov.au (Halved GSV/KI limits after the 2025 algal bloom); algalbloom.sa.gov.au (SA Government algal bloom health advice on shellfish); cdn.environment.sa.gov.au (Encounter Marine Park map (Port Noarlunga and Aldinga reef sanctuary zones)).
Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.