Bermagui River Bridge (south bank)

The Wallaga Lake Road bridge crosses the Bermagui River about a kilometre above the mouth, and the south bank beside it — between the bridge abutment and the boat ramp reserve — is the easiest estuary bank in town. The Bermagui River is a hot spot for whiting from November to April, bream all year and dusky flathead from October to April. The bridge pylons and the deeper channel under them hold bait and fish, while the sand flats upstream and down are whiting and flathead country. It is a flat, family-friendly spot with parking metres from the water.

Most anglers fish from the bank either side of the bridge rather than the bridge itself, casting lightly weighted baits up-current and letting them roll back towards the pylons. Live nippers, bloodworms or peeled prawn on a long trace take whiting and bream on the sand edges, while soft plastics and small blades worked along the drop-off find flathead. The run-out tide suits most species here. Luderick come to weed floated along the rocky abutments in the cooler months.

Sand whiting are the summer drawcard at 27 cm with a bag of 20 shared across the whiting. Yellowfin bream are here all year at 25 cm and a bag of 10 shared with tarwhine. Dusky flathead patrol the channel edges from spring to autumn — only fish between 36 cm and 70 cm may be kept, with a bag of 5. Silver trevally and luderick round out the mix, and the deeper water under the bridge gives the occasional mulloway — 70 cm minimum with a bag of one, so most school fish go back.

Nippers pumped on the flats at low tide, or bought in town, and fished fresh on a long, light trace are the whiting bait. Keep clear of the boat ramp and its jetty when boats are launching, and give the bridge pylons a wide berth with heavy sinkers that will snag in the rubble. The NSW tide tables put Bermagui Bridge about 45 minutes behind Fort Denison for both high and low water. On busy summer days, the first two hours of the morning run-out beat the afternoon crowd.

The bridge carries Wallaga Lake Road over the river on the northern edge of Bermagui. Park in the boat ramp car park on the south bank, just west of the bridge, and walk a few metres to the water. There is a grassed reserve with picnic tables beside the car park, and the cafes on Lamont Street are a short walk away. The bank is flat and close to the parking, which makes this one of the more accessible spots in the area.

As an estuary bank a kilometre inside the mouth, the bridge fishes in most weather and is the obvious fallback when the coast is blown out. A strong westerly or nor'easter puts chop on the water and makes light-line work harder, but rarely stops the fishing. Heavy rain in the catchment colours the river for several days, which slows the whiting but can bring flathead and mulloway on. Clear water, a light breeze and the first half of the run-out are the best combination.

This is a sheltered estuary bank, but the channel under the bridge is deep and runs hard on a big tide, so watch children near the edge. Boat ramp traffic is constant on summer mornings — stay off the ramp and the jetty while boats launch and retrieve. The bridge carries road traffic, so fish from the bank, not the bridge deck or footway, and watch for traffic crossing the road. Stingrays sit on the sand flats, so shuffle your feet if you wade.

Fish from the banks, not the bridge. The Wallaga Lake Road bridge carries road traffic and a footway; the south bank beside the boat ramp car park gives you the same channel and pylons from dry land.

The Bermagui River is a hot spot for whiting (November to April), bream (all year) and dusky flathead (October to April). Luderick, silver trevally and the occasional mulloway are also caught around the bridge.

The NSW tide tables put Bermagui Bridge about 45 minutes behind Fort Denison for both high and low water. The tide times shown with this spot are a marine-model prediction, not a Fort Denison table with an offset added.

Yes, it is one of the easier spots on the Sapphire Coast: parking metres from the water, a grassed reserve and calm estuary water. The channel under the bridge is deep and fast on a big tide, so keep children back from the edge.