Lakes Entrance and the Gippsland Lakes fishing spots

Australia's largest lake system meets Bass Strait through the man-made entrance at Lakes Entrance. Black bream are the headline catch, with dusky flathead, luderick, tailor, trevally, King George whiting and garfish in the arms near town and salmon and gummy sharks in the surf. The Tambo and Mitchell rivers are bream country, and nearby Lake Tyers adds trophy bream, flathead and tailor.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

8 spots here, all fished from land. Seasons follow our Gippsland coast species list for Victoria. 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

8 spots: Lakes Entrance and the Gippsland Lakes
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Eastern Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
2. Main Beach & the bar end	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
3. Cunninghame Arm	Estuary	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–
4. Bullock Island bridge & jetties	Wharf	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	–
5. North Arm	Lake	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–
6. Kalimna jetty & rock wall	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	–
7. Metung & Shaving Point	Lake	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–
8. Lake Tyers	Lake	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–

1. Eastern Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Eastern Beach Road onto the Hummocks track to the second Eastern Beach car park, then over the dunes.
What's good here: Peak in October: sand flathead. Also in season: Australian salmon, tailor, yellow-eye mullet and gummy shark.
Best tide: Rising tide into the gutters.
Best wind: Northerly and north-westerly winds flatten the surf; easterlies usually fish poorly. Faces SSE.
Note: Find a deep gutter and cast a paternoster rig with pilchard or blue bait for salmon and tailor; mullet sit in the shore break, and fresh baits after dark can bring gummy sharks.
Safety: Unpatrolled surf with rips and strong side drift.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary, about 67 km east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -37.87610, 148.01550 · Open in Google Maps (position: Eastern Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Main Beach & the bar end

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Footbridge from the town centre over Cunninghame Arm, then walk west towards the bar.
What's good here: Peak in October: snapper and sand flathead. Also in season: Australian salmon, gummy shark and tailor.
Best tide: Rising tide, especially at dawn and dusk.
Best wind: Northerly winds; avoid big onshore swell. Faces SSE.
Note: Long casts into the gutters for flathead, salmon and the odd snapper or gummy shark. Stay off the rocks near the bar unless the sea is calm.
Safety: The rocks by the bar are dangerous in wind and swell: wear a lifejacket or stay off them. Strong currents near the entrance.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary, about 69 km east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -37.88130, 147.99630 · Open in Google Maps (position: Main Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Cunninghame Arm

Type: Estuary · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. The Esplanade foreshore, town jetties and footbridge; boats can run up to the footbridge.
What's good here: Peak in October: black bream and silver trevally. Also in season: dusky flathead, southern garfish, King George whiting and tailor.
Best tide: Run-in tide, which brings clean water and bait up the arm.
Best wind: Sheltered from northerlies; strong easterlies blow down the arm.
Note: Bream on barnacled pylons, flathead basking in the shallows in summer, whiting in sand patches between the weed, and garfish under a float with berley. Local prawns make good bait.
Safety: Boat traffic around the town jetties.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary, about 68 km east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -37.87680, 148.00760 · Open in Google Maps (position: Cunninghame Arm, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Bullock Island bridge & jetties

Type: Wharf · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Bridge from the Esplanade onto Bullock Island, home of the fishing fleet; fish under the bridge and from Reeve Landing jetty.
What's good here: Peak in October: silver trevally and black bream. Also in season: King George whiting, tailor and luderick.
Best tide: Incoming tide.
Best wind: Fishable in most winds.
Note: Pylons and rock walls hold bream and luderick; trevally and tailor move through on the run-in, and whiting feed on nearby sand.
Safety: Working port: keep clear of fishing boats and obey port signs.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary, about 71 km east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -37.88460, 147.97070 · Open in Google Maps (position: Bullock Island, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. North Arm

Type: Lake · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. Foreshore paths and the North Arm ramps at Apex Park and the War Memorial reserve.
What's good here: Peak in October: black bream. Also in season: dusky flathead, southern garfish and yellow-eye mullet. Out of season now: prawns.
Best tide: Late run-in to high tide.
Best wind: Sheltered in most winds.
Note: Calm water for bream and flathead on light lures or prawn, garfish and mullet under a float; prawning is popular in summer (check the gear rules for this arm first).
Safety: Carry a light and watch your footing on the banks at night.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary, about 70 km east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -37.86620, 147.98130 · Open in Google Maps (position: North Arm, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Kalimna jetty & rock wall

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Kalimna, just west of town below the Jemmys Point lookout; short walk from roadside parking.
What's good here: Peak in October: black bream and silver trevally. Also in season: luderick, dusky flathead, tailor, Australian salmon and southern garfish.
Best tide: Run-in tide.
Best wind: Sheltered from northerlies; exposed to strong south-westerlies.
Note: Bream and luderick on the wall and pylons, flathead off the sand, and tailor, salmon and trevally when they push up from the entrance. Pin is Jemmys Point.
Safety: Uneven, slippery rock wall.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary, about 71 km east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -37.88360, 147.96670 · Open in Google Maps (position: Jemmys Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

7. Metung & Shaving Point

Type: Lake · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. Boardwalk and jetties around Metung village; Shaving Point ramp; VFA artificial reefs nearby.
What's good here: Peak in October: black bream, snapper and silver trevally. Also in season: tailor, King George whiting and dusky flathead.
Best tide: Run-out and run-in from Shaving Point towards Kalimna, where the tide is stronger.
Best wind: Pick the lee side of the peninsula: Bancroft Bay in westerlies, the Lake King side in easterlies.
Note: Bream in the creeks and canals, tailor and pinky snapper in deeper holes, whiting and trevally on the stronger tides towards Kalimna, and flathead on the Pelican Island shallows.
Safety: Busy boating area in summer.
Zone: Nearest no-take areas: Ninety Mile Beach Marine National Park, about 81 km south-west, and Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary, about 81 km east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -37.88818, 147.85758 · Open in Google Maps (position: METUNG MARINA, Vicmap Hydro - Water Structure Line)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

8. Lake Tyers

Type: Lake · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. Ramps at Lake Tyers Beach, Fishermans Landing, Mill Point and Nowa Nowa; shore fishing at the town jetty and the Fishermans Landing platform.
What's good here: Peak in October: black bream and silver trevally. Also in season: dusky flathead, tailor, estuary perch and luderick.
Best tide: Usually closed to the sea, so tide matters little; when it opens, fish the run-in near the mouth.
Best wind: The timbered arms are sheltered in most winds.
Note: Trophy bream and dusky flathead plus big tailor: fish points and flats for flathead in summer, snags and ledges for bream, the upper arms for perch, and the VFA reefs in the main lake.
Safety: Steep timbered banks: kayakers should watch for snags.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary, about 57 km east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -37.79320, 148.13170 · Open in Google Maps (position: Lake Tyers, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

Boat ramps

Victoria's boat ramp register 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 Lakes Entrance and the Gippsland Lakes in October: black bream, silver trevally, snapper, sand flathead and 5 more. Of the 25 species our Gippsland coast list has for this part of the coast, 9 peak in October 2026 and 13 more are in season.

Peak in October: black bream, silver trevally, snapper, sand flathead, southern bluespotted flathead, yellowfin bream, mulloway, southern calamari and leatherjacket.

Also in season: tailor, dusky flathead, King George whiting, Australian salmon, southern garfish, luderick, gummy shark, yellow-eye mullet, estuary perch, rock flathead, tiger flathead, Australian bass and flounder.

Out of season in October: prawns (best Dec–Mar); yellowtail kingfish (best Dec–Apr).

Seen now and then, so not rated: southern bluefin tuna.

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

Can you fish here? Rules and safety

Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) needed for all fishing incl. bait, shellfish, prawns, spearfishing unless exempt. From 1 Jul 2026: 3-day $10.00, 28-day $24.70, 1-yr $40.80 online ($43.30 agent), 3-yr $111.20 ($117.40). Exempt: under 18, 70+, Seniors Card, some pension/DVA cards, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Licence details. Size and bag limits and closed seasons apply: Victoria's limits (checked 9 Oct 2026).

Rules at Lakes Entrance and the Gippsland Lakes

Gippsland Lakes and tributaries: black bream must be 28-38 cm and the bag is 7 (Lake Tyers is not part of this rule).
Lake Tyers and every estuary east of it: any flathead caught counts as dusky flathead (30-55 cm slot, bag 5).
Bait nets are banned in North Arm, Cunninghame Arm and the upper Toorloo and Nowa Nowa arms of Lake Tyers; speargun limits apply in most of the lakes.
Ninety Mile Beach Marine National Park (off Seaspray) and Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary (off Cape Conran) are no-take; the SS Glenelg wreck zone off Ninety Mile Beach needs a permit to enter.

Marine parks and no-take zones

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

Safety at Lakes Entrance and the Gippsland Lakes

The Lakes Entrance bar can be very dangerous: check conditions, log on with the local coast guard and do a radio check before crossing.
Strong tidal currents run through the entrance and the arms near town.
The big shallow lakes whip up steep chop quickly; small boats and kayaks should stay near shore in fresh winds.
Blue-green algae blooms occur in the lakes: follow health warnings on eating prawns, shellfish and fish.
Surf beaches are mostly unpatrolled with strong rips.

Victoria: official links

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

Boating: Victoria boating safety, crossing coastal bars and lifejacket rules. Lifejackets: Wear on boats <=4.8m, and on boats up to 12m at heightened risk: crossing a bar, Port Phillip Heads, alone, at night, restricted visibility, or under a BOM gale/storm/severe weather warning.

Heading out on the water? Log on and off with Victoria Marine Search and Rescue (MSAR) network and Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (Victorian flotillas). Log on with TripWatch on the Coast Guard website, or with your local flotilla.

Marine parks and closed areas: Marine national parks and marine sanctuaries (VFA list with maps), Parks Victoria (park pages and boundary coordinates) and Australian Marine Parks (South-east network).

Rock fishing lifejacket zones: Lifejacket required at high-risk rock fishing zones incl. Cape Bridgewater, Lorne area, Point Nepean-West Head, Phillip Island sites, Bore Beach-Kilcunda, Point Roadknight. Fines apply. More.

Victoria's official rules: size and bag limits (checked 9 Oct 2026).

Emergency: 000 (112 from mobiles) · VHF channel 16 for distress.

Nearby fishing areas

Corner Inlet and Port Albert (about 143 km south-west)
Mallacoota (about 163 km east)
Eden and Twofold Bay (NSW) (about 194 km north-east)
Merimbula, Pambula and Tathra (NSW) (about 210 km north-east)

Distances are between the middle of each area. Every area in Victoria · 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 Vicmap Hydro - Water Structure Line (State of Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning)), 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: vfa.vic.gov.au (Spot knowledge for Lakes Entrance, Metung, Tambo, Mitchell and Nicholson rivers (VFA)); vfa.vic.gov.au (Lake Tyers species, ramps, reefs and shore spots (VFA)); vfa.vic.gov.au (Eastern Beach and Main Beach surf fishing, bar rocks warning (VFA)); visiteastgippsland.com.au (Local reports: species in Cunninghame and North arms, Bullock Island); vfa.vic.gov.au (Gippsland Lakes black bream slot and bag); vfa.vic.gov.au (Lake Tyers and east dusky flathead rule); vfa.vic.gov.au (Bait-net and speargun restrictions); vfa.vic.gov.au (SS Glenelg protected zone); boating.vic.gov.au (North Arm East ramp notice); vfa.vic.gov.au (No fishing of any kind in marine national parks and sanctuaries; list and maps); ga.gov.au (Spot coordinates: the site place index (Composite Gazetteer of Australia and ABS localities, CC BY 4.0)); discover.data.vic.gov.au (Jetty, pier and breakwater coordinates (Vicmap Hydro water structure lines, CC BY 4.0; midpoint of the named feature)); safetransport.vic.gov.au (Ramp coordinates, lanes, tide access and facilities from the Safe Transport Victoria boat ramp register (boating.vic.gov.au), CC BY 4.0); discover.data.vic.gov.au (Marine national park and sanctuary boundaries used for the zone checks (PARKRES, CC BY 4.0)).
Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.