Coffin Bay fishing spots

Coffin Bay pairs a maze of sheltered inner bays, best known for King George whiting, with wild Southern Ocean surf beaches in Coffin Bay National Park that produce salmon. Small jetties at the township and Mount Dutton Bay suit light tackle, and kingfish move into the bay in spring. Six marine park sanctuary zones sit inside the bay.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

5 spots here: 4 fished from land and 1 reached only by boat or kayak. Seasons follow our West Coast & Bight 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

5 spots: Coffin Bay
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Farm Beach	Beach	Land-based and boat	Bay, estuary or river	Thorny Passage Marine Park; no-take zone nearby
2. Mount Dutton Bay jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	Thorny Passage Marine Park; no-take zone nearby
3. Seal Corner (boat whiting grounds)	Channel	Boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	Thorny Passage Marine Park
4. Almonta Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	Thorny Passage Marine Park
5. Gunyah Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	Thorny Passage Marine Park

1. Farm Beach

Type: Beach · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based and boat. Beach launching site north of Coffin Bay; tractor and 4WD launches are common.
What's good here: In season in October: King George whiting and southern garfish.
Best tide: Early mornings with little wind have been reported best.
Best wind: Best when the wind is down; it is open to westerlies.
Note: Shallow beach on the outer bay best known as a boat launch for the whiting grounds; shore anglers do best early on calm mornings.
Safety: Soft sand: launching and retrieving needs care and the right vehicle. Wind can rise quickly on the open bay.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. Point is on the shore, outside the zoning polygons; Mount Dutton Creek sanctuary zone (Thorny Passage Marine Park) about 850 m from this point: no fishing inside it Guide only, not for navigation: check cdn.environment.sa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -34.50600, 135.38940 · Open in Google Maps (position: Farm Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Mount Dutton Bay jetty

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Old wool-loading jetty at the Mount Dutton Bay settlement.
What's good here: In season in October: King George whiting, tommy ruff, southern garfish, Australian salmon, flathead and yelloweye mullet.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Sheltered in most winds; strong southerlies blow onto it. Faces SSW.
Note: Heritage jetty in a sheltered arm of the bay; light baits over the weed edges for whiting, gar, tommies and mullet.
Safety: Jetty decks get slippery when wet.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. Point sits in a habitat protection zone (line fishing allowed); Mount Dutton Bay sanctuary zone (Thorny Passage Marine Park) about 1.3 km from this point: no fishing inside it Guide only, not for navigation: check cdn.environment.sa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -34.53260, 135.43210 · Open in Google Maps (position: Mount Dutton Jetty, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Seal Corner (boat whiting grounds)

Type: Channel · bay, estuary or river
Access: Boat and kayak. Reached by boat from the Coffin Bay or Mount Dutton Bay ramps.
What's good here: In season in October: King George whiting and silver trevally.
Best tide: First light, the top of the tide and dusk have been the reported bite times.
Best wind: Fishable in most winds inside the bay; strong westerlies make the open stretches choppy.
Note: Named whiting ground inside the bay (fish to about 38 cm reported); drift sand holes beside weed with cockle or squid baits. Sanctuary zones are nearby.
Safety: Shallow banks and oyster leases: watch the channel markers.
Zone: Point lies in the water outside the zoning polygons, beside the Coffin Bay harbor special purpose area; Horse Peninsula sanctuary zone (Thorny Passage Marine Park) about 3.0 km from this point: no fishing inside it Guide only, not for navigation: check cdn.environment.sa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -34.60330, 135.43190 · Open in Google Maps (position: Seal Corner, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Almonta Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Coffin Bay National Park (entry fee); short walk from the car park.
What's good here: In season in October: Australian salmon, yelloweye mullet, tommy ruff and gummy shark.
Best tide: Salmon reported on the incoming tide.
Best wind: Best in light winds or northerlies (offshore) with a small swell. Faces SSW.
Note: Surf beach in the national park with gutters close to shore; salted pilchards on the run-in tide for salmon, and gummies after dark.
Safety: Surf beach with rips and big swell. National park: entry permit required.
Zone: Point is on the shore, outside the zoning polygons; Yangie Bay sanctuary zone (Thorny Passage Marine Park) about 4.6 km from this point: no fishing inside it Guide only, not for navigation: check cdn.environment.sa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -34.68050, 135.34720 · Open in Google Maps (position: Almonta Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Gunyah Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. 4WD only through Coffin Bay National Park (entry fee); soft sand, lower tyre pressures.
What's good here: In season in October: Australian salmon, yelloweye mullet, tommy ruff and gummy shark.
Best tide: Salmon reported on the incoming tide.
Best wind: Best in light winds or northerlies (offshore) with a small swell. Faces S.
Note: Long remote surf beach rated for salmon; look for dark gutters and fish them with bait or metals.
Safety: Soft sand and tides can trap vehicles. Remote surf beach: rips and big swell. Gunyah Beach sanctuary zone lies further along this coast: check the map.
Zone: Point is on the shore, outside the zoning polygons; Yangie Bay sanctuary zone (Thorny Passage Marine Park) about 4.6 km from this point: no fishing inside it; Gunyah Beach sanctuary zone starts about 5.2 km east along this beach: no fishing inside it, so check the map before driving the beach Guide only, not for navigation: check cdn.environment.sa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -34.68600, 135.37680 · Open in Google Maps (position: Gunyah Beach, 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 Coffin Bay in October: mulloway, snook and yellowtail kingfish. Of the 21 species our West Coast & Bight 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 yellowtail kingfish.

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

In closed season now (no take): southern calamari (since 1 May 2026, until further notice).

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

Seen now and then, so not rated: black bream.

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 Coffin Bay

Coffin Bay is in the Spencer Gulf fishing zone even though it faces the West Coast: southern calamari closed and snapper closed until 30 Jun 2027.
Thorny Passage Marine Park has six sanctuary zones inside Coffin Bay (Eely Point, Yangie Bay, Kellidie Bay, Mount Dutton Bay, Mount Dutton Creek, Horse Peninsula) plus Gunyah Beach on the ocean side: no fishing in them, except shore-based line fishing on two marked stretches of the Yangie Bay shore (special purpose areas).
Coffin Bay National Park needs a park entry permit.
Western blue groper may not be taken in the gulfs.

Marine parks and no-take zones

The zone notes here name Thorny Passage Marine Park. A no-take zone starts close to Farm Beach and Mount Dutton Bay jetty: each one's zone note says where. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at Coffin Bay

Surf beaches in the national park have rips and big swell; 4WD tracks need experience and lowered tyres.
The inner bays are shallow with oyster leases and banks: keep to marked channels.
White sharks are present in SA waters.

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

Port Lincoln and Tumby Bay (about 44 km east)
Yorke Peninsula (about 191 km east)
Kangaroo Island (about 242 km south-east)
Whyalla and upper Spencer Gulf (about 255 km north-east)

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); traveller.com.au (Almonta and Gunyah salmon, mullet, tommies and gummies; 4WD access; town wharf and Mount Dutton Bay jetty species); portlincolntimes.com.au (Farm Beach mornings, Seal Corner whiting, Almonta/Gunyah salmon on the incoming tide (Jan 2026)); portlincolntimes.com.au (Coffin Bay whiting grounds and bite times); landscape.sa.gov.au (Kingfish return to Coffin Bay in spring); parks.sa.gov.au (Coffin Bay National Park access and permits); cdn.environment.sa.gov.au (Thorny Passage Marine Park zoning map).
Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.