Coffs Harbour Eastern Breakwater (Corambirra Point)

The eastern breakwater is the outer wall of Coffs Harbour, running roughly 400 m north-east from Corambirra Point to form the southern side of the harbour entrance. DPIRD calls it the eastern breakwater; many locals just call it the southern wall — not to be confused with the short inner marina wall. It puts land-based anglers over the deepest, most current-swept water in the harbour, with the inside face sheltered and the outside face open to the sea. It sits outside Solitary Islands Marine Park, which begins on the north side of Muttonbird Island.

The harbour (inside) face is fished for bream, luderick and trevally with float-fished weed and lightly weighted baits close to the rocks. Tailor are spun with metals off the outer half at dawn and dusk. Mulloway anglers fish live bait, squid or fresh strip on the tide changes after dark, mostly from the inside of the wall towards the tip. Drummer feed in the wash along the outer face when the swell allows. Summer brings the chance of kingfish chasing bait around the tip.

Bream, luderick, silver trevally and drummer are the regulars, best in the cooler months. Tailor push through from autumn into winter. Mulloway (70 cm, bag 1) are the night prize, and yellowtail kingfish (65 cm, bag 5) show in summer. Eastern blue groper can't be taken by any method in NSW until the end of February 2028 — release any you hook.

Fish the inside face in any real swell and keep off the outer rocks when waves are breaking over the wall. Dawn is the best window for tailor and kingfish before boat traffic picks up. Corambirra Point is also the Gallows surf break — keep well clear of surfers off the point. The only DPIRD closure in the harbour is for lobster traps, so line fishing from the wall is unaffected.

Drive to Corambirra Point at the southern end of the harbour via Jordan Esplanade and park near the point. A footpath and track lead onto the wall, which is uneven rock-armour beyond the first stretch and unsuitable for prams or wheelchairs. Toilets and facilities are around the marina and Jetty Foreshores. The walk out is fine for steady adults; keep children well back from the edges.

The inside face is sheltered from southerly and easterly swell and fishes in most conditions. The outer face and tip take waves in any decent easterly sea and become dangerous above roughly 1.5–2 m. Light winds and a clean swell are the pick; tide changes at dawn and dusk produce most fish. Heavy rain colours the harbour.

The outer face and tip are exposed to the open sea: waves break over the wall in an easterly swell and the rock is slippery wet or dry. Check the swell forecast and watch the sets for ten minutes before walking out, keep off the wet lower rocks, never turn your back on the sea, never fish the tip alone or at night in a swell, and wear grippy footwear and light clothing you can swim in. Coffs Harbour is not one of the ten council areas declared under the Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016, but a lifejacket is strongly recommended on the outer wall. If you go in, swim clear of the wall rather than climbing the stones in the surge, float, signal and have your mate call 000, and know your retreat along the wall. Boats and the occasional large vessel use the harbour entrance beside the tip — keep lines clear.

Yes. The eastern breakwater at Corambirra Point is fished from both its harbour side and its ocean side, and it's outside Solitary Islands Marine Park. The only DPIRD closure in the harbour applies to lobster traps. A NSW Recreational Fishing Fee is required unless you're exempt.

Locals often call the outer wall at Corambirra Point the southern breakwall; DPIRD calls it the eastern breakwater. It runs about 400 m from Corambirra Point to the southern side of the harbour entrance. The wall to Muttonbird Island is the northern breakwall.

Tailor, bream, luderick, drummer and silver trevally, with mulloway at night and kingfish in summer. Mulloway are 70 cm minimum with a bag of one; kingfish 65 cm with a bag of 5; tailor 30 cm with a bag of 10.

The harbour side is reasonably sheltered, but the outer face and tip take waves in an easterly swell. Coffs Harbour is not one of the ten council areas declared under the Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016, but a lifejacket and cleated footwear are strongly recommended, and the outer rocks should be avoided in a big sea.