Phillip Island and San Remo fishing spots

Phillip Island sits across the mouth of Western Port, giving sheltered jetty fishing on its northern side and Bass Strait surf to the south. Calamari and King George whiting are the jetty staples, with salmon, trevally, snapper, gummy sharks and elephant fish in season. The fast-running Eastern Passage between San Remo and Newhaven is the busiest water, and Cape Woolamai's surf beach is the salmon hotspot.

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: Phillip Island and San Remo
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. San Remo jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	Churchill Island Marine National Park; no-take zone nearby
2. Newhaven jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	Churchill Island Marine National Park; no-take zone nearby
3. Cleeland Bight	Bay	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–
4. Woolamai Surf Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
5. Cowes jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	–
6. Rhyll jetty & inlet flats	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	Churchill Island Marine National Park; no-take zone nearby

1. San Remo jetty

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Marine Parade on the mainland side of the bridge, beside the fishermen's co-op; foreshore parking, toilets and a tackle shop nearby.
What's good here: Peak in October: southern calamari, silver trevally, snapper and leatherjacket. Also in season: King George whiting and Australian salmon.
Best tide: A few hours either side of high tide, and around slack water when the current eases.
Best wind: Fishable in most winds; the tide matters more than the breeze here.
Note: A deep channel runs past the end: heavy sinkers away from slack water, squid jigs for calamari, and metal or soft-plastic baitfish imitations for salmon and trevally.
Safety: Very strong tidal current: keep children well back from the edge.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. Churchill Island Marine National Park is about 2.1 km north-west: 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: -38.52038, 145.36439 · Open in Google Maps (position: SAN REMO PIER, Vicmap Hydro - Water Structure Line)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Newhaven jetty

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Island side of the San Remo bridge at Newhaven, near the boat ramp.
What's good here: Peak in October: southern calamari, silver trevally and sand flathead. Also in season: King George whiting and Australian salmon.
Best tide: Either side of slack water.
Best wind: Fishable in most winds.
Note: Like San Remo across the passage, this jetty sits on fast water: fish the slower spells around the change for calamari, whiting, salmon and trevally.
Safety: Strong current and boat traffic from the nearby ramp.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. Churchill Island Marine National Park is about 1.9 km north-west: 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: -38.51568, 145.36439 · Open in Google Maps (position: NEWHAVEN JETTY, Vicmap Hydro - Water Structure Line)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Cleeland Bight

Type: Bay · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. From Cape Woolamai township on foot or by boat from Newhaven; stay on the proper side of the channel markers.
What's good here: Peak in October: southern calamari and sand flathead. Also in season: King George whiting and Australian salmon.
Best tide: High tide; night-time high tides for calamari.
Best wind: Calmer than the bridge area in north-westerly winds.
Note: Fish the edge of the big sand bar for flathead, cast a baited jig into the channel at night for calamari, and look for whiting over the sand on the tide.
Safety: A large sand bar sits beside the channel: follow the markers.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Churchill Island Marine National Park, about 3 km north. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -38.53790, 145.34670 · Open in Google Maps (position: Cleeland Bight, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Woolamai Surf Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Cape Woolamai surf beach car park, then onto the sand.
What's good here: Peak in October: gummy shark, snapper and sand flathead. Also in season: Australian salmon. Out of season now: elephant fish.
Best tide: Rising tide into the known deep gutters; low light.
Best wind: Northerly winds flatten the surf. Faces SSE.
Note: The island's most reliable salmon beach, especially in winter: a paternoster rig with blue bait, or metal lures, in the deep gutters. Gummies and the odd snapper bite after dark.
Safety: Powerful surf and rips: for experienced surf anglers. Slippery rock flats at the ends of the beach.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Churchill Island Marine National Park, about 3 km north. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -38.53990, 145.33430 · Open in Google Maps (position: Woolamai Surf Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Cowes jetty

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Cowes foreshore in the town centre; toilets, playground and shops nearby. Very busy in holidays.
What's good here: Peak in October: southern calamari, silver trevally and gummy shark. Also in season: King George whiting, Australian salmon and southern garfish. Out of season now: elephant fish.
Best tide: A few hours either side of high tide.
Best wind: Southerly winds; the jetty is exposed to strong northerlies.
Note: Family-friendly jetty with deep water at the end: paternoster rigs for whiting and trevally, jigs for calamari, and bigger baits for gummies and autumn elephant fish.
Safety: Crowded in holidays: watch your casts.
Zone: Nearest no-take area: Churchill Island Marine National Park, about 7 km south-east. Guide only, not for navigation: check vfa.vic.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -38.44655, 145.23986 · Open in Google Maps (position: COWES JETTY, Vicmap Hydro - Water Structure Line)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Rhyll jetty & inlet flats

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Rhyll foreshore with a car park at the base of the long jetty; bait, food and tackle at the local service station.
What's good here: Peak in October: silver trevally and sand flathead. Also in season: King George whiting, Australian salmon, yellow-eye mullet and southern garfish.
Best tide: Rising tide through to high.
Best wind: Sheltered in southerly and south-westerly winds.
Note: Light tackle and small long-shank hooks on paternoster rigs; pump bass yabbies on the surrounding mudflats for bait.
Safety: The mudflats drain a long way at low tide: watch the incoming tide.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. Churchill Island Marine National Park is about 2.2 km south: 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: -38.46648, 145.30899 · Open in Google Maps (position: RHYLL JETTY, 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 Phillip Island and San Remo in October: sand flathead, southern calamari, silver trevally, snapper 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: sand flathead, southern calamari, silver trevally, snapper, gummy shark, leatherjacket, southern bluespotted flathead, black bream and mulloway.

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

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

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 Phillip Island and San Remo

Churchill Island Marine National Park, beside Newhaven and Churchill Island, is no-take.
Skates and rays cannot be taken within 400 m of a pier, jetty, wharf, rock wall or breakwater.
Bait nets are banned in Western Port.

Marine parks and no-take zones

The zone notes here name Churchill Island Marine National Park. A no-take zone starts close to San Remo jetty, Newhaven jetty and Rhyll jetty & inlet flats: each one's zone note says where. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at Phillip Island and San Remo

Lifejackets are compulsory on several island rock platforms (Pyramid Rock, Kitty Miller Bay, Cowries Rock and Sunderland Bay) and on all platforms from Bore Beach, San Remo, to Kilcunda.
The Eastern Passage and Western Port entrances run very hard: time small-boat trips around slack water.
South-coast beaches face Bass Strait swell with strong rips; rock flats are slippery.
Shark sightings are not unusual around Cape Woolamai.

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 18 km north)
Mornington Peninsula (Port Phillip side) (about 45 km north-west)
Melbourne and northern Port Phillip (about 71 km north-west)
Geelong, Corio Bay and the Bellarine (about 81 km north-west)

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 (San Remo, Rhyll and Cowes jetties: species, tides, winds, amenities (VFA)); autopiatours.com.au (Cleeland Bight, Woolamai Surf Beach, Newhaven and island jetties); phillip-island-balcony.com (Local overview of island land-based spots); vfa.vic.gov.au (Churchill Island Marine National Park map); vfa.vic.gov.au (Rays within 400 m of piers rule); vfa.vic.gov.au (Bait nets banned in Western Port); 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.