Mornington Peninsula (Port Phillip side) fishing spots

The peninsula's bay shore runs from Mornington to Portsea and gets more tidal towards The Rip. Its piers are Victoria's calamari heartland, with King George whiting, flathead, salmon, garfish and pinky snapper too, while boats chase snapper off Mount Martha, gummy sharks in the South Channel and whiting and flathead on the sand banks. Summer crowds are heavy, so fish early or late.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

6 spots here, all fished from land. Seasons follow our Port Phillip and Western Port 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

6 spots: Mornington Peninsula (Port Phillip side)
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Mornington Pier (Schnapper Point)	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	–
2. Mount Martha rocks	Rocks	Land-based and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–
3. Rosebud Pier	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	–
4. Rye Pier	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	–
5. Sorrento Pier	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	–
6. Portsea Pier	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park; no-take zone nearby

1. Mornington Pier (Schnapper Point)

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Schnapper Point Drive, Mornington: parking, toilets and kiosk at the foot of the pier.
What's good here: Peak in October: southern calamari, snapper, sand flathead, silver trevally and leatherjacket. Also in season: Australian salmon and King George whiting. Out of season now: yellowtail kingfish.
Best tide: Any tide; summer and autumn are best.
Best wind: Cast the open side in light winds and fish the harbour side when it is rough.
Note: The pier doubles as the harbour breakwall: cast to open water on one side, fish the calm lee on the other, and drop straight down the pylons for leatherjackets and trevally.
Safety: Waves wash the outer side in strong westerlies.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Yaringa Marine National Park, about 19 km east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -38.21200, 145.03430 · Open in Google Maps (position: Mornington Pier, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Mount Martha rocks

Type: Rocks · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based and kayak. Esplanade, Mount Martha: steep paths down to rock shelves between the beaches.
What's good here: Peak in October: southern calamari, snapper and sand flathead. Also in season: King George whiting and southern garfish.
Best tide: Rising tide.
Best wind: After a strong onshore (westerly) blow for snapper; calm, clear days for calamari. Faces WNW.
Note: Reef, rock and weed beds: small slow-sinking jigs for calamari, baits cast into sand gaps for whiting, and surf rods for snapper after onshore weather. Very snaggy, so bring spares.
Safety: Steep, slippery paths, worst after rain. Wear a lifejacket on the rock shelves.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Yaringa Marine National Park, about 20 km east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -38.26090, 145.01870 · Open in Google Maps (position: Mount Martha Beach North, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Rosebud Pier

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Rosebud foreshore off Point Nepean Road; foreshore parking, busy in summer.
What's good here: Peak in October: southern calamari and sand flathead. Also in season: Australian salmon, yellow-eye mullet and King George whiting.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Light winds; north-westerlies blow onto the pier.
Note: Most of the pier stands over shallow water, so walk to the outer section. Squid are the main night target; berley there for salmon, flathead and mullet, with a whiting now and then.
Safety: Summer foreshore camping crowds.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park, about 13 km north-west. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -38.35150, 144.90790 · Open in Google Maps (position: Rosebud Pier, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Rye Pier

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Rye foreshore off Point Nepean Road; parking near the pier and ramp.
What's good here: Peak in October: southern calamari, sand flathead, silver trevally and snapper. Also in season: King George whiting, Australian salmon and southern garfish.
Best tide: Two hours either side of a tide change, at low light.
Best wind: Fishable in most winds except strong north-westerlies.
Note: The end reaches roughly 6 m of water beside big weed beds. Calamari come to the lights at night, and small baits with a little berley pick up whiting, flathead and pinky snapper.
Safety: Strong current near the end mid-tide.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park, about 10 km north. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -38.36880, 144.82240 · Open in Google Maps (position: Rye Jetty, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Sorrento Pier

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. The Esplanade, Sorrento (Queenscliff ferry terminal); toilets at the pier base, very busy in summer.
What's good here: Peak in October: southern calamari, snapper and leatherjacket. Also in season: King George whiting, Australian salmon and southern garfish.
Best tide: Either side of the change; the current is a little gentler than at Portsea.
Best wind: Sheltered from southerlies; exposed to strong northerlies.
Note: Weed beds and reef beside a dredged ferry channel: excellent calamari, and light rigs with small hooks and berley for whiting, pinkies, leatherjackets, salmon and garfish.
Safety: Ferry berths: stay out of marked areas when ferries arrive.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park, about 4 km north-west. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -38.33560, 144.74580 · Open in Google Maps (position: Sorrento Pier, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Portsea Pier

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Point Nepean Road, Portsea; limited parking.
What's good here: Peak in October: southern calamari, sand flathead and snapper. Also in season: King George whiting.
Best tide: Around the tide changes, ideally the top of the tide; mid-tide flow is fierce here.
Best wind: Sheltered from southerlies.
Note: A calamari pier, with the biggest squid coming after dark over roughly 4 m of water at the end; whiting and flathead feed in the sand holes off the west end.
Safety: Very strong tidal current close to The Heads.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park (Portsea Hole section) is about 470 m north of the pier: no fishing of any kind inside it. Check the boundary markers or the VicFishing app. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -38.31833, 144.71355 · Open in Google Maps (position: PORTSEA PIER, Vicmap Hydro - Water Structure Line)
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 Mornington Peninsula (Port Phillip side) in October: southern calamari, snapper, sand flathead, silver trevally and 5 more. Of the 21 species our Port Phillip and Western Port list has for this part of the coast, 9 peak in October 2026 and 7 more are in season.

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

Also in season: King George whiting, Australian salmon, southern garfish, yellow-eye mullet, rock flathead, estuary perch and flounder.

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

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

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 Mornington Peninsula (Port Phillip side)

Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park (including Point Nepean, Portsea Hole, Popes Eye and Mud Islands) is no-take.
Port Phillip intertidal zone (high-water mark to 2 m deep): the only invertebrates you may collect are marine worms, bass yabbies, squid, octopus and cuttlefish.
Several historic shipwreck protected zones lie in southern Port Phillip; no anchoring or fishing in them without a permit.
Bait nets are banned in Port Phillip; skates and rays cannot be taken within 400 m of a pier.

Marine parks and no-take zones

The zone notes here name Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park. A no-take zone starts close to Portsea Pier: its zone note says where. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at Mornington Peninsula (Port Phillip side)

Towards Portsea and The Rip the tide runs very hard; The Rip itself is for experienced crews in suitable boats only.
The main shipping channel runs close to Rye, Sorrento and Portsea: keep clear of ships and ferries.
Lifejackets are compulsory on all ocean rock platforms between Point Nepean and West Head.

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

Western Port (about 35 km east)
Geelong, Corio Bay and the Bellarine (about 36 km north-west)
Melbourne and northern Port Phillip (about 41 km north)
Phillip Island and San Remo (about 45 km south-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 (Portsea, Sorrento, Rye, Rosebud piers, Mount Martha rocks and boat fishing (VFA)); vfa.vic.gov.au (Mornington and Sorrento pier guides (VFA)); vfa.vic.gov.au (Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park map); vfa.vic.gov.au (Port Phillip intertidal restrictions); vfa.vic.gov.au (Shipwreck protected zones); vfa.vic.gov.au (Rock fishing safety and the 11 zones where lifejackets are compulsory); 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.