Catch Signal

Yorke Peninsula fishing spots

Yorke Peninsula is ringed by town jetties: the Copper Coast jetties face Spencer Gulf, the east coast jetties face Gulf St Vincent, and the foot has surf beaches in Innes National Park. Expect tommies, gar, snook and whiting year-round, blue swimmer crabs in summer (Ardrossan above all) and salmon on the southern surf beaches.

Updated

2 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

2 spots: Yorke Peninsula
SpotTypeFished fromWaterMarine park
1. Browns Beach (Innes National Park)BeachLand-basedOcean coastSouthern Spencer Gulf Marine Park
2. Ardrossan jettyJettyLand-basedOcean coast–

1. Browns Beach (Innes National Park)

Type
Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access
Land-based. Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park (entry fee); camping nearby; the walk to the sand needs some fitness.
What's good here
Peak in October: mulloway. Also in season: Australian salmon, yelloweye mullet and silver trevally.
Best tide
Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind
Best in light easterlies (offshore) with a small swell. Faces W.
Note
An outer reef forms a lagoon where big salmon schools gather, best in winter and spring; mulloway and trevally in summer, big mullet in autumn.
Safety
Surf beach with rips and big swell. National park: entry permit required.
Zone
Point sits in a habitat protection zone (line fishing allowed); No marine park sanctuary or restricted access zone within 6 km of this point (DEW zoning layer) Guide only, not for navigation: check cdn.environment.sa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map
-35.17880, 136.89400 · Open in Google Maps (position: Browns Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast
Forecast for this spot

2. Ardrossan jetty

Type
Jetty · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access
Land-based. Town jetty below the cliffs in Ardrossan (place index calls it "Town Jetty").
What's good here
Peak in October: snook. Also in season: blue swimmer crab, tommy ruff, Australian salmon and yelloweye mullet.
Best tide
Late afternoon to early evening in the warmer months.
Best wind
Best in westerlies (offshore); easterlies blow onto it. Faces SE.
Note
Best known for blue swimmer crabs off the jetty and flats in the warmer months; tommies, snook, salmon trout and mullet late in the day.
Safety
Jetty decks get slippery when wet. Crabbing on the flats: watch the tide.
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
-34.42310, 137.92210 · Open in Google Maps (position: Town 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 Yorke Peninsula 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: Australian salmon, yelloweye mullet, tommy ruff, blue swimmer crab, silver trevally, King George whiting, yellowfin whiting, flathead, 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: southern calamari in False Bay cephalopod exclusion zone near Whyalla (permanent, all squid, cuttlefish and octopus) (all year); 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).

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 Yorke Peninsula

  • The west coast north of Gleesons Landing is in the Spencer Gulf zone (calamari closed, snapper closed to 30 Jun 2027); the foot and east coast are in the Gulf St Vincent/KI zone, where garfish, calamari and snapper are all closed and most other limits are halved.
  • From 2027, no King George whiting may be targeted or kept 1 Mar-30 Jun in the spawning closure around the foot of Yorke (Port Victoria to Innes, and south of Edithburgh).
  • Line fishing only in the Coobowie and Troubridge Hill aquatic reserves; Gleesons Landing is a rock lobster sanctuary.
  • Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park needs a park entry permit.

Marine parks and no-take zones

The zone notes here name Southern Spencer Gulf Marine Park. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at Yorke Peninsula

  • Surf beaches at the foot of the peninsula have rips and big swell.
  • Strong tidal currents run past several jetties; take care climbing down to lower landings.
  • 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

Distances are between the middle of each area. Every area in South Australia · all fishing spot guides.

Sources and checked dates