Jervis Bay is a coastal area located in New South Wales, Australia, about 200 km south of Sydney. It is known for its beautiful beaches, clear waters, and diverse marine life. The bay offers excellent opportunities for both land-based and offshore fishing, targeting species like snapper, kingfish, tuna, salmon, whiting, flathead, and bream. Cape Jervis is a well-known land-based gamefishing destination where marlin and tuna are a possibility from the rocks.
Note: There are plenty of marine parks and sanctuaries. Be careful to check relevant regulations before fishing in Jervis Bay.
These offshore reef systems are a prime Jervis Bay kingfish spots. The best seasons are spring through autumn when the water temperatures are 18-21°C, but fish can be caught year-round. Fish the current lines and watch for bird activity that gives away the location of surface feeding kingfish. An incoming tide around dawn or dusk is ideal for working either hard or soft plastic stickbaits around this system. In the cooler months the fish tend to be deeper and can be targets with small jigs and metal slugs.
For those who are well versed in fishing in Jervis Bay the middle ground needs no introduction. As the name suggests, it’s a reef system in the middle of the bay and a top spot for casting slugs and swimbaits to kingfish feeding on baitfish. The incoming tide around dawn is most productive, with spring and autumn months fishing the best.
Work the headlands and current lines near the bay entrance with metal lures, large swimbaits and stickbaits on the outgoing tide. Kingfish gather in this area to chow down on the baitfish that are swept out by the current. Spring and autumn afternoons are the prime times, but this area is worth a try at any time of day and year.
Bowen Island is located within the Booderee National Park area of Jervis Bay and offers excellent fishing opportunities. Good numbers of squid, yakkas, slimies, and other bait attract predatory species such as kingfish and bonito. Fish the last two hours of the incoming tide around dawn from September through November.
This long beach and it’s rock walls produce good salmon and tailor on lures such as metal slugs and stickbaits. Fish the first two hours of the outgoing tide around dusk, especially in winter when the fish move in close to feed. Bream, flathead, and whiting are also popular targets and can be chased using smaller soft plastics, hard bodies, soft plastic prawns and stickbaits. Fish the last two hours of the run-out tide and work along the drop-offs and gutters.
The deep, rocky areas of this tidal creek fish well for jewfish on larger paddle-tail plastics around the top of the tide changes in winter. The creek gets quite shallow upstream before deepening again – there is excellent flathead fishing on these flats during the runout tides using large soft plastics or topwater lures and during the summer months topwater whiting are a great option.
This rocky headland is accessible by boat or kayak and is known for excellent land-based game fishing in Jervis Bay. Target species include kingfish, bonito, and Australian salmon. The best times are during the summer months when the currents are strong, and the fish are actively feeding. Use stickbaits, slugs, or large metal lures for a chance at hooking a prized kingfish or bonito.
The boat ramp area offers easy land-based access for all anglers. Bream, flathead, and squid can be caught here year-round. The best tides are the first few hours of the run-in when the water is pushing up onto the flats. Use small deep diving hardbodies or soft plastics.
A popular family spot for land-based anglers chasing bream, luderick, and leatherjackets around the wharf pylons. For the casual lure fisher it’s not a bad spot to flick some soft plastics for bream, flathead or whiting. The occasional tailor will turn up here also, usually to snip off a lure intended for other species.
The rocky headlands and bomboras here offer excellent land-based fishing for kingfish, bonito, snapper and morwong. Peak seasons are late spring through summer, when fish tend to be up near the surface and can be targeted with poppers and stickbaits. The area can also be fished in the cooler months, although boat or kayak fishing with jigs or deep diving lures tends to be more successful at these times.
The height of the summer months can be tough fishing in Jervis Bay for key lure fishing species. However, this season can still offer decent opportunities for kingfish, with February being one of the prime months. Tuna species like yellowfin, longtail, and bigeye can also be caught during the early and late parts of summer, though the peak tuna season is in autumn. Bream and flathead fishing can be average during the warmer summer months, but whiting start to fire on the surface in the latter half of summer.
Autumn is an excellent time for fishing in Jervis Bay, with multiple species entering their prime seasons. March through May are the best months for targeting kingfish, tuna, salmon, and whiting. Bream and flathead fishing can also be quite good during this time of year. As the water temperatures start to cool down, many species become more active and aggressive in their feeding patterns.
The winter months are generally considered poor for most inshore and offshore species in Jervis Bay. Snapper is one of the few exceptions, with its prime season running from September through November. However, the cooler winter temperatures can make fishing more challenging, and many anglers may choose to take a break during this period.
Spring is another productive season for fishing in Jervis Bay, particularly for snapper, which is in its prime from September through November. Tuna and salmon can still be caught in the early part of spring, while bream and flathead fishing starts to improve as the water warms up. Kingfish fishing can also be decent during the later spring months as they become more active.
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