Lagoon Pier, Port Melbourne

Welcome to the Lagoon Pier Fishing guide. The Lagoon pier is located in Port Melbourne, roughly a 15-minute drive from the CBD. It was built in 1889 and overlooks Port Phillip Bay, located on Beach Street. Today, it can produce a wide range of species for anglers all year round. It can also provide spectacular Snapper fishing from mid Spring through to the end of Summer. It’s also a popular spot for walkers and cyclists along the adjacent pathways of Port Melbourne and Albert Park. Lagoon pier has public toilets, parking, and cafes nearby, making it an excellent land-based fishing location.

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Check out this detailed vid about targeting pinkies and snapper around Port Melbourne.

Fishing Lagoon Pier, Port Melbourne

At Lagoon Pier, you can catch

• Snapper
• Flathead
• Barracouta/Snook
• Garfish
• Tailor
• Flounder
• Bream
• King George Whiting
• Australian Salmon
• Trevally
• Snot Nose Trevalla
• Gummy sharks
• Mulloway
• Mullet

Lagoon pier can be a very productive land-based location and often a better choice than neighbouring piers. It has an unusually narrow layout with rocky surroundings prone to snags, so rigging choices need to be made carefully. Port Melbourne is a terrific fishing location for targeting snapper, particularly throughout summer. You can also target flathead, Australian Salmon, gummy shark, snook, garfish, bream, whiting, salmon, trevally, mulloway and mullet. The best time to target snapper here is between October and March, after a few windy days.

For bait fishing, ideally use a 9 to 12-foot surf rod loaded with a bomb sinker to give you ample casting distance into deeper waters and productive snapper grounds. Good bait choices include pilchards, blue bait, squid, pipis, mussels, maggots, whiting fillets, and raw chicken. The best rigs to fish with here are a simple running sinker rig or, if you prefer, a paternoster rig, which offers better casting distance with the sinker on the bottom and allows you to fish with two baits, making it great for targeting multiple species. Using burley can help to bring in the fish and keep the fish around. If you’re targeting large snapper and gummy sharks, then a full pilchard or squid head with a size 5/0 or 6/0 Mustad hook is a great way to go.

In this area, I find it most enjoyable walking up and down the scattered piers, jetties and rock walls, flicking soft plastics into open water and any visible structure for pinkies and Australian salmon. This is also a great location to catch flathead with soft plastics. Our go-to choices have been 4-inch jerk shads, grub-style soft plastics and curl tails. These rigged on a 1/8 or 1/6 ounce jig head are a great combination not only for flathead but also pinkies and salmon. Other good options include crab imitations, blades, and vibes. Good rod choices for flicking soft plastics are either a 7-foot 2-4 kilo rod coupled with a 2500 size reel spooled with 10-pound braid. Alternatively, you can opt for a heavier setup, such as a 3-5 kilo rod with a 3000 size reel spooled with 15-pound braid and an equivalent leader.

Patience is needed at Lagoon pier, especially if you are targeting a bigger fish with heavier gear and big baits. It’s best to follow the tides. The low tide seems to bring good runs of flathead and salmon, and the high tide consistently produces a good volume of snapper, pinkies, and bream. The hours of first and last light are good times to fish, regardless of the tides. The full moon is often a good time to target mulloway and gummy sharks, and the new moon is a good time to target snapper. Many of the bigger fish are usually caught at night. Only two fishing lines are permitted. Always carry your Victorian fishing license, and always follow catch limits.

 

Things to do in Port Melbourne

Port Melbourne is a stylish township where high-rise residential buildings and cafes run along the bay. It’s an excellent place for dinner with many restaurants along Bay Street. You are only a short distance away from the West Gate Bridge, Melbourne CBD. This stretch is very popular for walking, cycling, and jogging along the paved walkways along the beach. There are also dog-friendly beaches. A great time to walk along the coast is at sundown. A scenic area is excellent for photo opportunities. Take the kids for ice cream and play in the sandy beach area. There are many piers along this stretch, such as Kerferd Road Pier, Lagoon Pier, Station Pier, and Princess Pier. Due to its deep waters, many large boats will be moored along Station Pier, including the Spirit of Tasmania, Queen Elizabeth, large shipping vessels and navy vessels.

A short distance away, you can take a hot air balloon ride and overlook the bay and piers along with Port Melbourne. You can also board cruise ships that take you around Port Melbourne, Williamstown, and stretches of the Yarra River. Of course, this area is also well known as a top fishing location around Melbourne. Hence, this Lagoon Pier Fishing Guide. Deep waters are easily accessible, and excellent catches of snapper annually.

Below is a video highlighting great land-based fishing spots around Port Melbourne

Places to fish near Lagoon Pier

Not far from here, you can also try fishing at these destinations

• Kerferd Road Pier
• Station Pier
• Princess Pier
• Web Dock
• Port Phillip Bay
• St Kilda Pier
• West Gate Bridge
• Altona Pier

Rod & Reel Setup fishing around Port Melbourne

Gear selection varies at this location, depending on the species you’re targeting and whether you’re using bait, lures, or soft plastics. For the most part, those using soft plastics will have success here chasing a variety of species with a 7-foot, 2-4-kg spin rod coupled with a 2500-size reel spooled with a 6-12lb line and leader. A combo that is sensitive to feel the bites and inquiries, yet lightweight enough to cast all day. If you plan on casting larger soft plastics or light metal lures for tailor and Australian salmon, then bump that up slightly to a 7-foot 3-5kg rod paired with a 3000-size reel. If you are targeting bigger fish with bait such as snapper, mulloway or Gummy Sharks, then you’ll need a heavier outfit such as a 4-8 kilo fibreglass rod coupled with a 4000-5000 size reel spooled with a 15-20 lb line and leader. You can also choose to go with a longer rod, should you feel the need for greater casting distance. The range of rods and reels on the market is massive, with budgets varying wildly. Therefore, it’s essential to pick something that matches your skill level and budget.

Baits Lagoon Pier, Port Melbourne

At this location, we would highly recommend the baits suggested below. There are several ways to present baits, including a running sinker rig, paternoster rig, or dropper rig. The rig and sinker choice will be dependent on the species you are targeting and the conditions, such as wind and tidal strength.

• Pilchards
• Squid
• Pipis
• Blue bait
• Silver whiting
• Raw chicken strips
• Prawns
• Mussels

Lures and soft plastics for Lagoon Pier, Port Melbourne

At this location, we would highly recommend the following soft plastics. Ideally rigged on a 1/12, 1/8 or 1/6 jig head in size 2-0 through to 4-0. Casting them out, allowing them to sink to the bottom, and working them slowly, imitating a wounded baitfish. This works excellently for pinkies, snapper, Australian salmon and flathead.

• Berkley Gulp Turtleback worm
• 2.5″, 3″ and 4″ curltails ( Gulp Nemesis, Daiwa Wave Minnow, Zman grubZ,  Squidges Wrigglers )
• 3″ and 4″ paddletails in natural colours ( Keitech easy shiner, Zman StreakZ, Munroes 3.75-inch paddle tails )
• 4″ and 5″ inch jerk shads ( Zman scented jerk shads, Berkley Gulp
• Squid and Yabbie Imatations ( Nomad Squidtrex, Berkley Turbo Shrimp, Clone Prawn, Nomad Jerksquid )
• Shallow mid diving hard body lures ( Daiwa Double Clutch )
• Vibes and Blades ( Zerek fish trap, Samaki Vibelicious, EcoGear SX40 )

 

We recommend targeting gummy sharks with a 7-foot, 8-to 15-kilo rod paired with a 4000 to 6000 size reel spooled with 20 to 40 pound line. Finished with a strong leader ranging from 40lb through to 60 pounds. Ideal rigs include a running sinker rig, a single or double snelled rig, or a paternoster rig. You can use an Ezi rig, attaching a sinker to the clip and then tying on a pre-made double snelled rig. Octopus or circle hooks from 5/0 to 7/0 are preferred for presenting chunks of salmon, trevally, squid, mackerel, Eel, mullet, pilchard, yakka’s, & garfish.

 

Targeting Salmon at Lagoon Pier, Port Melbourne

I prefer targeting Australian Salmon with light spin gear. It makes the experience enjoyable and easy to use. A 7-foot 2-5kg spin rod paired with a 2500 or 300 size reel and 12lb braid and leader works excellently. When schooled up and actively feeding, they will smash soft plastics, ideally 4″ paddletails and curltails in natural colours, which imitate a baitfish that they are feeding on. Winter is a great time to target salmon as they’re active and school up in big numbers. Salmon is a powerful sports fish that punches well above its weight. When hooked, they produce intense bursts of speed, powerful runs, and vigorous head shakes. Do keep an eye out for gutters, which are patches of deeper water that Salmon will swim through in schools. The darker colour of the water can identify these. When bait fishing, pick a surf rod between 12 and 15 feet in length, which allows for long casts with heavy sinkers and keeps your lines high above the crashing surf. These will be 6-10 kilo class. We recommend a Paternoster rig with a star sinker. Giving you two baits at different heights. You could also attach a surf popper above.

Check out this instructional video guide on how to catch salmon on soft plastics. Crazy action in this one.

Targeting Mulloway at Lagoon Pier, Port Melbourne

Mulloway, AKA Jewfish, are a prized catch that sits at the top of many Victorian anglers’ bucket lists. A stunning fish with a large mouth and distinctive silver or bronze colour. Patience and dedication are required to catch the elusive Mulloway, which can reach up to 1.8 meters and 60 kilos. The minimum legal size is 60cm with a daily bag limit of 5 over the legal size. Live baits are a top choice when targeting mulloways such as mullet, salmon, and whiting and pinning them behind the neck to allow the bait to swim freely. Other staple dead baits can include pilchard, trevally, garfish, prawns, chicken & squid. A running sinker rig to a single 5/0 – 8/0 hook or a double snelled hook to present the bait nicely. Soft plastics between 80mm and 100mm are also a great option. Good options include flick baits, shads, paddle tails and grubz. You can also purchase pre-made rigs and swimbaits, which are designed to imitate a fish in its surroundings, such as a mullet.

Choosing a Mulloway outfit. Recommended gear to target Mulloway 6-10, 10-15, or 12-24 kilo rod paired with a 4000-8000 spin reel spooled with 20-50 pound line and equivalent leader. Mulloway reside near river mouth entrances. They are often caught near structures such as bridges and pylons. Try to present your baits and lures as naturally as possible, or use live baits. Mulloway can be caught at any time of the day, but are most active at night, during peak tides and moon phases. We have found that lures are quite productive during the day and bait is more productive at night.

Targeting garfish at Lagoon Pier

Garfish or mini marlins are a fun local fish species to target. Generally caught between 20cm and 40 cm with no minimum legal-size limit, but a daily bag limit of 40. Garfish have a large snout but a tiny mouth, so the key to catching them is to use tiny hooks. Small long shanks between sizes 10 and 14 are ideal choices.  The preferred rig setup should consist of using a pencil or quill float, then having a small split shot roughly 20cm above the hooks to keep the bait down. The floats will help suspend baits such as glacies, maggots or small pieces of fish flesh. berleying is an essential tool when targeting garfish. You can purchase premade berley pellets or powder from your local tackle shop or make your own using tuna oil, chook pellets and bread. Catching gars is all about finesse and an ultralight 1-3 or 2-4 kilo nibble tip rod that’s 7 to 9 feet in length. Paired with a 1000, 2000, or 25000 size reel spooled with 4-6 lb line, this setup will be a great choice.

Targeting mullet at Lagoon Pier, Port Melbourne

This is a great location to mullet a bread and butter species that school up in big numbers. They are fun to catch on light spinning gear and a great fish species to introduce beginners to fishing. Mullet respond well to berley, so berley an isolated area with a mix of bread, tuna oil, and chook pellets. Good baits include bread, dough, live maggots, pilchard, and prawns. Remember that Mullet have small mouths, so cut these baits into small pieces. You can also use soft plastics, such as small minnow and grub style soft plastics, with a slow, constant retrieve. Scents such as S-Factor or Procure certainly help. Most mullet are pretty small; therefore, a 7-foot rod in a 1-3 or 2-4 kilo class, paired with a 1000, 2000 or 2500 reel spooled with 2-6-pound braid and equivalent leader.

Images of fish supplied VFA and DEPI. All photos and videos shown on the Lagoon Pier Fishing Guide are Fishing Mad originals. Thanks for reading our Lagoon Pier Fishing Guide. If you believe this location guide is missing key information or requires corrections, please email our team at enquiries@fishingmad.com.au with specific details. Please also feel free to share any fishing pictures you have from this location with us. Thank you