Where to wet a line
Torquay sits between two very different kinds of water. To the south-west it's surf beaches and reef all the way down the Great Ocean Road. To the north-east the beaches are calmer, then there's the Barwon River estuary, and past that the piers of Port Phillip Bay. So there's somewhere to fish in most weather, as long as you're happy to drive a bit.
This page goes spot by spot, nearest first. Our fishing in Torquay guide has the rules: licences, the no-fishing marine sanctuaries, the boat ramp and rock fishing safety. Read that first, because a lot of the coast near Torquay is off limits. Drive times are from north Torquay, and the fish listed are what the council, the Victorian Fisheries Authority and the regional tourism board say turn up, not a promise.
At a glance
| Spot | Where | Drive | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fishermans Beach | Torquay | About 5 min | Whiting, snapper, gummy shark |
| Zeally Bay | Torquay | About 5 min | Whiting |
| Spring Creek | Torquay (caravan park to the RACV golf course) | About 5 min | Bream, mullet, luderick, salmon |
| Jan Juc beach | Jan Juc | About 10 min | Salmon, gummy shark |
| Thompsons Creek | Breamlea | About 15 min | Bream, estuary perch, mullet |
| Barwon River estuary | Barwon Heads | About 25 min | Salmon, mullet, trevally, flathead, bream |
| Anglesea River | Anglesea | About 25 min | Black bream |
| Point Roadknight | Anglesea | About 25 min | Salmon, snapper, garfish, flounder |
| Cunningham Pier | Geelong | About 25 min | Snapper, whiting, flathead, calamari |
| Point Lonsdale Pier | Point Lonsdale | About 40 min | Snapper, salmon, garfish, calamari |
| Lorne Pier | Lorne | About 45 min | Salmon, garfish, barracouta, trevally |
In Torquay and Jan Juc
Fishermans Beach
The town's fishing beach, next to the boat ramp. Surf Coast Shire's fishing guide says the best of it is at the bottom of Horseshoe Bend Road, about halfway back towards the Torquay point, at low tide and especially in the evening. Whiting and snapper are the targets in September and October, gummy sharks at night, and the odd big snapper or mulloway. It's on the sheltered side of town, so it's often fishable when the surf beaches aren't.
Zeally Bay
The bay beach in front of town. The shire's guide says to fish off the Zeally Bay boat ramp, or from the beach at high tide, early or late in the day. It's mainly whiting.
Jan Juc beach
The surf beach over Spring Creek, for salmon and, after dark, gummy sharks. The shire points to the stretch between the surf life saving club and the bluff. It's proper surf fishing, with long rods and heavy sinkers, so keep well clear of surfers and the flags.
Spring Creek, between the caravan park and the golf course
This is the popular one in town. Spring Creek runs into the sea at the south end of the Torquay surf beach, and its last couple of kilometres wind between the Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park on one bank and the RACV Torquay golf course on the other. There are small fishing platforms and jetties along the banks: one near the mouth, one opposite the first green, and more upstream of the Great Ocean Road bridge, towards the footy oval. It's a lovely spot for an evening with kids, with the beach, barbecues and a playground close by.
It's mainly black bream, with mullet, luderick and the odd salmon, and estuary perch and trevally turn up too. Locals fish small baits like sandworm, yabbies, scrub worms or prawn under a float. Light gear is enough, and expect to lose a few rigs to the weed. The mouth is often closed by a sand bar, and the parks authority opens it when the water's high (most recently in June 2026), so the fishing comes and goes. The Victorian Fisheries Authority isn't keen on it as a fishing trip in its own right, but for a cast or two in the evening, it's hard to beat being this close to town.
The shire's old guide suggests pumping yabbies for bait at Point Danger, at the other end of town. Don't: the reef there is a marine sanctuary now. Buy bait in town instead.
East: Breamlea and the Barwon
Thompsons Creek, Breamlea
About 15 minutes from north Torquay, and locals call it Bream Creek for good reason. The fisheries authority says its 5 km of estuary "provides good fishing most of the time", mostly estuary perch, black bream, salmon and yellow-eye mullet. Breamlea's surf beach and Bancoora are popular for salmon too. Our Breamlea and Lake Connewarre guide has the village and the walks.
Barwon River estuary, Barwon Heads
The lower Barwon, from Lake Connewarre down to the sea at Barwon Heads, is about 25 minutes away. It's a 10 km tidal channel with bank fishing and boat ramps near Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, and the fisheries authority lists Australian salmon, sand and yellow-eye mullet, flathead, silver trevally, black bream and King George whiting. The tide runs hard at the mouth, so fish the turn. Barwon Bluff, on the ocean side of the river mouth, is a marine sanctuary, so there's no fishing on the reef there. See our Barwon Heads day trip for the rest of the town.
West: Anglesea and down the coast
Anglesea River
About 25 minutes away. The estuary has black bream to about a kilogram, plus estuary perch, silver trevally and luderick. The shire says the better fishing is further upstream, with access along the north bank to Bingley Parade and platforms to fish from. Expect a lot of small bream nibbling your bait. At the river mouth it's mostly small fish, with the odd whiting and small snapper.
Point Roadknight
The sheltered point at the south end of Anglesea, with a boat ramp and, the shire says, excellent yabby beds between the ramp and the headland. The ledge at the tip fishes well on calm days at low tide for mullet, flounder, garfish, salmon and snapper. The south side is reefy and usually rough.
Lorne Pier
About 45 minutes, and one the shire calls especially popular. Garfish, salmon, barracouta and trevally, with the salmon running best after a strong south-easterly blow. It's an easy add-on to a Lorne day trip.
Skip Bells and Aireys
Everything from Point Danger past Bells Beach to Point Addis is a marine national park, and Eagle Rock at Aireys Inlet is a sanctuary. No fishing at all, from the shore or a boat.
The piers: Geelong and the Bellarine
For pier fishing with kids, the bay is the better bet. The water is calmer, and Visit Geelong & The Bellarine reckons the area is "brimming with flathead, snapper, whiting and squid".
Cunningham Pier, Geelong
About 25 minutes away on the Geelong waterfront. The 350-metre pier dates from the 1850s and is good for snapper, whiting, salmon, trevally and flathead, with calamari after dark, and bream, leatherjackets and garfish around the pylons. Rippleside Pier is the family-friendlier option nearby, and the 440-metre Wangim Walk wave attenuator gets you out into good water too. Pair it with our Geelong waterfront day trip.
Point Lonsdale Pier
About 40 minutes, under the lighthouse at the entrance to Port Phillip. It's inside a marine national park, but fishing is allowed from the pier itself (only the pier). Big snapper, sharks, salmon, garfish and calamari are all possible. The current is strong this close to the Rip.
Queenscliff, Portarlington and Clifton Springs
Further round the Bellarine, Portarlington Pier, a bit under an hour away, has an artificial reef within casting distance, and the Clifton Springs jetty has recently been doubled in length. Queenscliff, about 45 minutes, has its pier and harbour, and the ferry across to Sorrento if you're making a day of it (see our Queenscliff guide). Watch your catch around the harbours: the seals are cheeky.
Offshore: the Torquay reef
If you've brought a boat, Victoria's largest artificial reef is about 3 km off the coast between Torquay and Breamlea, in 25 metres of water. The Victorian Fisheries Authority put down 25 concrete modules in June 2015, each more than four metres high, to draw baitfish and predators like kingfish. The Fishermans Beach ramp is the closest launch, but it's exposed to the open sea, so pick your day.
Fishing spots near Torquay FAQ
What's the best fishing spot in Torquay?
Fishermans Beach, at the bottom of Horseshoe Bend Road on a low tide in the evening. It's sheltered and close to town.
Is there a fishing pier in Torquay?
No. The nearest piers are at Barwon Heads, Geelong (Cunningham Pier, about 25 minutes), Point Lonsdale (about 40 minutes) and Lorne (about 45 minutes).
Where can kids fish near Torquay?
The platforms along Spring Creek, between the caravan park and the RACV golf course, the calm water at Fishermans Beach, Thompsons Creek at Breamlea, or a pier on the bay like Cunningham Pier or Rippleside in Geelong.
Where can I catch bream near Torquay?
In town, on Spring Creek between the Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park and the RACV golf course. Further out, Thompsons Creek at Breamlea, the Anglesea River and the lower Barwon River.
Where can I catch squid near Torquay?
On the bay: Point Lonsdale Pier, Cunningham Pier after dark, and around Portarlington.
Can I fish at Bells Beach?
No. Bells is inside the Point Addis Marine National Park, where all fishing is banned.
Before you go, read our fishing in Torquay guide for licences and the sanctuary rules, and see Torquay beaches and holidays with kids. Staying in north Torquay? Check dates at Holyday House.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 21 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Surf Coast Fishing guide (PDF) — Surf Coast Shire
- Otway angling waters — Victorian Fisheries Authority
- Spring Creek Estuary — EstuaryWatch (Corangamite CMA)
- Spring Creek Torquay — Fishing Mad
- Barwon angling waters — Victorian Fisheries Authority
- Torquay Offshore Recreational Fishing Reef — Victorian Fisheries Authority
- Boating and fishing — Visit Geelong & The Bellarine
- Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary — Parks Victoria
- Point Addis Marine National Park — Parks Victoria
- Things to do and see — The Breamlea Association