Best Times & Seasons to Fish in Sydney (Complete Guide)
Sydney is one of the most beautiful and visited tourist destinations on earth but it also offers some of the best fishing in all of Australia. Knowing the best times to fish in Sydney can make a huge difference in your success levels.
The best time to fish near Sydney is from November through April as this season offers the best combination of water temperature, fish variety & abundance, and storm-free fishing.
Fishing in Sydney can occur at different times or seasons of the year. But the best time to visit the city for your fishing adventure is during the summer and autumn seasons.
You should target the months of June through November for your fishing trip in Sydney, as this is the time when you will get the most fish to catch.
Click here to learn the best times and seasons for Australian fishing.
Best Time to Fish Sydney
Anglers can experience good fishing in the waters of Sydney at any time of the year. The best time of the year to experience fishing in the region is between November and April.
The best fishing times depend a lot on the fish species that you are targeting. Let’s say that you are going to catch bass in Sydney. In this case, it would be better to go fishing between May and October.
Water temperatures drop in Sydney in the spring, but fishing is still good. Anglers can target a large variety of fish species including bonito, flathead, kingfish, mahi-mahi, marlin, tailor, tuna, and salmon at this time of the year.
The Winter season in Sydney begins in June. Weather is getting colder, temperatures drop and fishing becomes less productive.
Nevertheless, anglers can experience fishing. It’s possible to catch bream, snapper, teraglin, trevally, and tuna during the summer months.
Fall is a great time of the year to target such fish species as bream, tailor, snapper, salmon, striped marlin, and kingfish.
For a complete breakdown of the best seasons to fish in Cairns local waters, check out this guide. For a breakdown of New Zealand fishing each month, check out this article.
Recommended Fishing Charters in Sydney
These Sydney-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a tremendous service. The captains are knowledgeable, friendly, and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.
| Recommended Fishing Charters | Location |
| Ambition Fishing Charters | Sydney |
| Flyboat Fishing Charters | Sydney |
| Deep Blue Charters–Susannah | Sydney |
| Find Fish Fast – Fishfinder | Sydney |
| Best Sydney Fishing Charter | Sydney |
| Sydney Harbour Fishing Tours | Sydney |
Sydney Species Breakdown: Best Times & Seasons
Amberjack
Anglers catch amberjack in Sydney’s waters year-round. However, amberjack fishing is the most successful between January and April. A lot of amberjack can be found near Rushcutters Bay.
Flathead
Flathead is active year-round. However, fishing for flathead in Sydney is best between April and May and between September and October. Oftentimes, fishermen get bites of flathead near Bradley’s Head.
Mahi Mahi
The season to catch mahi-mahi in Sydney begins in September and finishes in April. Mahi-mahi fishing in Sydney is the most productive between December and February.
The best time of day to catch mahi-mahi is early morning. It’s a great idea to target mahi-mahi near the East Australian Current.
Pink Snapper
The season to catch pink snapper begins in the early summer and finishes in the early fall. Fishing for pink snapper is the most productive in the early morning and the late afternoon. A lot of pink snapper can be found in the ocean in the New South Wales area.
Bream
Bream is active year-round. Oftentimes, bream bites well at night. Cooks River is the right place to fish for bream in Sydney.
Black Marlin
It’s possible to fish for black marlin in Sydney from December to May. February and March are the best months to target black marlin in Sydney’s waters. Black marlin bites well in Sydney Harbour.
Blue Marlin
Blue marlin fishing season in Sydney starts in December and finishes in April. Blue marlin are the most active between January and March.
The best time of day to catch blue marlin is morning. Go fishing for blue marlin in Sydney Harbour.
Carp
Carp fishing season in Sydney starts in November and finishes in March. Carp actively feeds in the morning. Manly Vale is a very productive carp fishing spot in Sydney.
Striped Marlin
The season to fish for striped marlin in Sydney starts in January and finishes in April. Morning fishing is the best time of day to target striped marlin. Striped marlin can be found in Sydney Harbour.
Kingfish
The season to catch kingfish in Sydney begins in January and finishes in April. Anglers get bites of kingfish throughout the day. Blues Point Reserve is the perfect place to catch kingfish in Sydney.
Trevally
Trevally fishing in Sydney is the most productive between May and September. Blues Point Reserve is a good place to target trevally in Sydney.
Yellowfin Tuna
Yellowfin tuna fishing season starts in June and finishes in October. The best months to target yellowfin tuna are August and September.
Anglers, who are interested in catching yellowfin tuna during their Sydney fishing adventures, should visit Sydney Harbour.
Sydney Regions: Best Fishing Times
Gosford
The best time of the year to fish in Gosford is October–March.
Kiama
Fishing in Kiama is the most successful between September and April.
Wollongong
Fishing in Wollongong is best between January and May.
Sussex Inlet
The period of time between the early fall and early spring is a great time of the year to fish in Sussex Inlet.
Nowra
The best months to fish in the Nowra are November through April.
Best Time of Day to Fish Sydney
The best time of day to go fishing in Sydney depends on several factors. When selecting the time of day to go fishing anglers need to take into account the season of the year, the fish species that they are targeting as well as the place where they go fishing.
The vast majority of anglers in Sydney choose to go fishing in the early morning. Late afternoons can be great too.
Sydney Fishing & Tidal Impacts
Tides have an impact on the feeding habits of fish. So, fishing bite times depend a lot on tide times in Sydney. That’s why anglers need to study tide times carefully when getting ready for a Sydney fishing trip.
It’s incredibly important for anglers to know when high tides and low tides are in the region. Water rises during incoming tides and fish begin to search for food in the area. As a result, the chance to catch fish increases.
Is Winter Fishing Bad in Sydney?
Summer comes to Sydney in December. The weather is getting warmer and water temperatures rise. That’s why the activity of fish increases and fishing in the region becomes more productive. So, fishing in Sydney is excellent during the winter months.
The fishing season in Sydney begins in December. Anglers can target bonito, kingfish, marlin, salmon, snapper, tailor as well as tuna during this month.
January is a great month to experience fishing in Sydney. It’s time to target marlin and mahi-mahi in the area. Fishing is successful in Sydney in February. Anglers can target mahi-mahi as well as marlin during their fishing trips.
It would be better to fish in Sydney’s waters in the morning during the winter months. Morning fishing is more productive. Also, it’s more comfortable to fish during the morning hours.
Top Fishing Spots in Sydney
Manly Dam
Manly Dam is a good place where a family can have a picnic and spend a day on fishing. Here, anglers can experience fishing and enjoy beautiful natural views.
Manly Dam fishing is fantastic and provides anglers with a lot of fun. Fishermen can catch a great variety of fish species including Australian bass, carp, redfin, and silver perch.
Sydney Harbour
Sydney Harbour is a popular fishing spot in the region. This natural harbor creates the ideal fishing conditions. This area is known for its numerous underwater structures.
There are many reefs and wrecks in the area. When fishing in Sydney Harbour, anglers can catch such species of fish as bream, grouper, flounder, kingfish, marlin, trevally, tuna, redfish, and sharks.
Clifton Gardens
Clifton Gardens are located near Chowder Bay. It is a great place to have a picnic, relax on a beach and enjoy fishing. This fishing location impresses with its beauty. Here, fishing spots provide great picturesque views.
It’s worth noting that fishing spots in Clifton Gardens are often busy. So, it would be better to go fishing early in the morning. Here, fishermen can target bream, garfish, kingfish, and yellowtail.
Rushcutters Bay
Rushcutters Bay offers excellent fishing opportunities. There are many structures in the bay. The structures attract a lot of fish. It also makes sense to fish around Clarke Island.
Rushcutters Bay is home to such species of fish as amberjack, bream, flathead, jewfish, kingfish, snapper, and others.
Rose Bay
Rose Bay is another good location in the Sydney area. Here, a lot of charters and parking places are available for anglers. Fishing in Rose Bay is excellent. While fishing in the bay, anglers can enjoy great views.
The bay impresses with its diversity of fish. Rose Bay is a place where anglers can catch such fish species as bream, flathead, salmon, snapper, tailor, and other species of fish.
Brighton-Le-Sands
This fishing destination is located near the airport. So, anglers can see how planes take off, fly across the river, and land at the airport. Brighton-Le-Sands is the place where the Cooks River into Botany Bay.
That’s why anglers can target both freshwater and saltwater fish species in this area. Here, anglers can fish from a beach. It’s possible to target such species of fish like bream, flathead, salmon, snapper as well as trevally.
Gunnamatta Bay
Gunnamatta Bay is one of the most popular fishing locations in Sydney. The bay is well-known for its calm waters and beautiful parks. Fishing in Gunnamatta Bay is fantastic. Anglers can catch bream, flounder, flathead, salmon, tailor as well as whiting when fishing in the bay.
Booking Guides & Charters in Sydney
– Best season to go
It’s possible to fish Sydney’s waters year-round. However, fishing in the region is the most productive between November and April.
It’s also important to note that the travel season in Sydney starts in December and finishes in February. A lot of anglers visit the city during these months. So, the demand for fishing is high at this time of the year and that’s why fishing is more expensive.
It makes sense for anglers to go fishing in November, March, and April. The demand for fishing is lower and that’s the reason why fishing is less expensive during these months. As a result, a fishing trip will provide you with the best value for money.
– Morning vs. afternoon
A lot of anglers in Sydney choose to go fishing during morning hours and they do this for a good reason. Water cools down at night and temperatures reach their lowest point in the morning. As a result, fish begin to feed actively during the morning hours.
Later, it’s getting hotter and fish go to deep waters. Also, it’s very comfortable to fish in the morning during the hot summer months.
The reality is, anglers can avoid summer heat if they choose to go fishing in the morning. So, fishing in the morning is more suitable for late spring and summer.
Keep in mind that some fishing spots can be busy. So, you may find it difficult to enjoy fishing. If you go fishing early, you’ll get the best spot. However, you have to be an early riser to enjoy fishing in the morning.
Afternoon fishing is more successful during cold months. The water heats up and the activity of fish increases in the afternoon. Also, you don’t have to wake up early to fish during the afternoon hours.
On the other hand, a day is too short during the cold months. That means that you will have less fishing time if you choose to go fishing in the afternoon.
– 1/2 day, full-day, multi-day charters
Half-day fishing trips are worth considering for beginners, anglers who don’t have too much time for fishing, and anglers on a budget. Half-day fishing trips last 4 – 8 hours only.
Nevertheless, 1/2 day trips give anglers enough time to enjoy fishing. On the other hand, half-day fishing trips are not suitable for experienced anglers and avid anglers.
Consider booking a full-day trip if you would like to spend more time fishing. Half-day fishing trips allow anglers to fish in the morning, afternoon, and evening. On the other hand, full-day fishing trips are more expensive than 1/2 day trips.
Multi-day charters are recommended to those anglers who want to get the most out of their Sydney fishing adventures. Such fishing trips last several days. Anglers are provided with meals, drinks, and everything that’s needed to enjoy fishing.
