The Best Fishing Spots for Families in Melbourne and Surrounds

Melbourne and the surrounding regions have bays, lakes, rivers and creeks where families can cast a line and catch a range of fish. Around 20 lakes in and near Melbourne are stocked with ready-to-catch rainbow trout before selected school holidays, providing good opportunities for children and beginners.

This guide covers family fishing lakes, popular piers and accessible shore-based fishing locations around Melbourne, Port Phillip Bay, the Mornington Peninsula, Western Port and Phillip Island.

Recreational Fishing Licence

A Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) covers recreational fishing in Victoria's marine, estuarine and inland waters. Unless you are exempt, you must hold a current Recreational Fishing Licence when taking, or attempting to take, fish from public waters.

A licence may also be required when possessing recreational fishing equipment in, on or next to Victorian waters.

Current online licence prices from 1 July 2026 are:

3-day licence: $10
28-day licence: $24.70
1-year licence: $40.80
3-year licence: $111.20

Higher prices apply when purchasing some licences in person. Licences can be purchased online through Service Victoria.

People under 18 years of age and people aged 70 or over do not require a licence. Other exemptions apply to holders of specified Seniors, Veterans and Pensioner Concession cards, as well as people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Check the current fishing licence exemptions before fishing.

Know Your Limits and Fish by the Rules

It is important to know the rules that apply to fishing. These include bag limits, minimum size limits, closed seasons, permitted equipment and restrictions applying to particular waterways or species.

A bag limit is the maximum number of a particular fish species that a person can take in one day. A minimum size limit determines how large a fish must be before it can legally be kept.

Before going fishing, familiarise yourself with the latest edition of the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide.

Vic Fishing App

The Vic Fishing app produced by the Victorian Fisheries Authority provides information about size and bag limits, closed seasons, equipment restrictions and fishing licences.

Other features include access to the 13FISH illegal fishing reporting line and a marine park and sanctuary boundary locator. This feature uses the device's internal GPS to help fishers determine whether they are in or approaching a marine park or sanctuary.

School Holiday Trout Stocking

Ahead of selected school holidays, ready-to-catch rainbow trout are stocked into lakes around Melbourne and regional Victoria.

The trout are advanced yearlings and can be caught immediately. Rainbow trout are a good option for children and people fishing for the first time because they take a variety of baits and lures.

A daily bag limit of five trout applies, of which no more than two can exceed 35 centimetres.

Stocking locations, dates and quantities can change because of water quality, water levels and fish availability. Check the current school holiday trout-stocking schedule before travelling.

Family fishing lakes in and near Melbourne include:

Albert Park Lake, Lakeside Drive, Albert Park
Guru Nanak Lake, formerly Berwick Springs Estate Lake, Moondarra Drive, Narre Warren South
Caulfield Racecourse Lake, Kambrook Road, Caulfield East
Casey Fields Lake, 365 Casey Fields Boulevard, Cranbourne East
Darlingsford Lake, Darlingsford Boulevard, Melton
Don Lake, 226 Don Road, Healesville
Emerald Lake, Emerald Lake Road, Emerald
Ferntree Gully Quarry, Quarry Road, Ferntree Gully
Garfield Lake, Garfield Recreation Reserve, 2 Beswick Street, Garfield
Karkarook Lake, Fairchild Street, Moorabbin
Lillydale Lake, 435 Swansea Road, Lilydale
Lilliput Lane Reserve, Lilliput Lane, Pakenham
Navan Park Lake, Centenary Avenue, Melton West
Nursery Reservoir, Nursery Road, Macedon
Pakenham Lake, Clearwater Drive, Pakenham
Rowville Lakes, including Sutton Lake and Hill Lake, Lakeside Boulevard, Rowville
McIvor Lake, Donald Cameron Drive, Roxburgh Park
Spavin Lake, Sunbury
Walter J Smith Reserve Lake, 47 Main Road, Riddells Creek
Yarrambat Lake, 649 Yan Yean Road, Yarrambat

Check signs and current health advice before eating fish caught from a lake or waterway. Do not consume fish when warnings are in place for blue-green algae, water contamination or other health risks.

Fishing Around Port Phillip Bay

There are many shore-based fishing locations around Port Phillip Bay.

Popular family fishing locations include:

Queenscliff Pier, Weeroona Parade, Queenscliff - A long pier with a lower landing that is particularly popular for squid fishing
Cunningham Pier, 10 Western Foreshore Road, Geelong - A large pier on the Geelong waterfront offering year-round fishing for different species
Portarlington Pier, Newcombe Street, Portarlington - A long pier and breakwater with extensive fishing space and views across Corio Bay
St Leonards Pier, The Esplanade, St Leonards - A popular fishing pier with shops, toilets and foreshore facilities nearby

Werribee River mouth, Diggers Road, Werribee South - Jetties, open shoreline and fishing access around the river mouth
Altona Pier, The Esplanade at Pier Street, Altona - A rebuilt pier with dedicated fishing space, seating and an accessible lower landing. Cafes, toilets, barbecues, picnic areas and a playground are nearby
Ferguson Street Pier, Ferguson Street, Williamstown - A picturesque fishing pier close to shops, cafes, restaurants, toilets and playgrounds
Gem Pier, Syme Street, Williamstown - A waterfront pier close to Nelson Place, Commonwealth Reserve, shops and family facilities

Station Pier, Waterfront Place, Port Melbourne - Fishing is permitted from the publicly accessible southern end of the pier. Access hours change seasonally and the pier closes on some days for ship operations and maintenance, so check current access before visiting
Princes Pier, Pier Street, Port Melbourne - A historic pier with fishing access and views across the bay
Lagoon Pier, Beach Street, Port Melbourne - A smaller pier with public toilets, parking, cafes and foreshore facilities nearby
Kerferd Road Pier, Beaconsfield Parade at Kerferd Road, Albert Park - A convenient inner-city fishing location close to the beach and foreshore paths
St Kilda Pier, Pier Road, St Kilda - The redeveloped pier provides fishing access, city views and nearby cafes, toilets and other visitor facilities

Mordialloc Pier, Beach Road, Mordialloc - A popular family fishing pier with parking, toilets, a kiosk, shelter and a playground nearby

Patterson River, Launching Way, Carrum - Jetties, landings and open sections of riverbank with parking, toilets, seating and fish-cleaning facilities

Mornington Pier, Schnapper Point Drive, Mornington - A popular fishing pier where anglers can cast from the exposed breakwater side, fish the sheltered side or drop a line beside the pylons

Rye Pier, Point Nepean Road, Rye - A long pier with deep-water fishing access, toilets, shops, cafes, a beach and playground nearby
Sorrento Pier, Esplanade, Sorrento - A wide pier with access to deep water that also incorporates the Sorrento ferry terminal. Strong currents and ferry movements require care
Portsea Pier, Point Nepean Road, Portsea - A popular location for catching snapper, squid and other bay species

Fishing Around Western Port

Popular fishing locations around Western Port include:

Flinders Pier, The Esplanade, Flinders - A pier particularly well known for squid fishing. The full length of the pier reopened following the completion of safety works in 2026
Merricks Beach, Merricks Beach Road, Merricks - A long sandy shoreline offering beach fishing

Stony Point Pier, Cook Road, Crib Point - A fishing pier that is also used by passenger ferries travelling to French Island and Phillip Island. Keep clear of operational areas and arriving vessels
Hastings Jetty, Marine Parade, Hastings - A year-round fishing location with parking and toilets. Fred Smith Reserve, its playground and barbecue facilities are nearby
Tooradin Inlet, Foreshore Road, Tooradin - Fishing is available from the jetty and along sections of the bank. Toilets, barbecues, picnic areas, shelters, a playground, shops and cafes are nearby
Corinella Pier, Peter Street, Corinella - A popular deep-water fishing location with public toilets at the adjoining caravan park and a general store nearby

San Remo Jetty, Marine Parade, San Remo - A working jetty beside a foreshore reserve with toilets, barbecues and a playground. Shops, cafes, parking and a tackle store are nearby
Rhyll Jetty, Beach Road, Rhyll - A long jetty that is popular during holiday periods, with parking and shops nearby
Cowes Jetty, The Esplanade, Cowes - A deep-water fishing location close to public toilets, a playground, shops and cafes. It can become very busy during holiday periods

Family Fishing Safety

Fishing is an enjoyable family activity, but children require close supervision around lakes, rivers, beaches, piers and fishing equipment.

Check the weather, wind, tides and water conditions before leaving home
Never fish alone and tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return
Closely supervise children near the water and when they are handling hooks, sinkers and other tackle
Wear suitable clothing and enclosed footwear with non-slip soles
Carry a mobile phone, drinking water, sun protection and a first-aid kit
Wear a properly fitted lifejacket whenever conditions or regulations require one
Keep clear of boats, ferry berths, commercial vessels and operational areas
Watch the water because conditions can change quickly
Do not fish from exposed rocks during rough weather or large swells
Follow warning signs, barriers and instructions from pier or port staff

Web Links