Cremorne Point (Robertsons Point)

Cremorne Point is the narrow peninsula between Shell Cove and Mosman Bay, and its southern tip, Robertsons Point, carries a small harbour light and drops into the main channel opposite Mrs Macquaries Point. Almost the whole peninsula is public foreshore reserve, so a land-based angler can walk the edge and pick whichever side suits the wind. DPIRD's Sydney Harbour guide lists both the Cremorne Point ferry wharf and Cremorne Point Reserve as fishing sites. It sits east of the Harbour Bridge, which makes it one of the closer North Shore points where a fish can be kept within the health advice.

The rocks around the light at the tip get the most rod hours, because the tide runs hardest there and pelagics push bait against the point. Salmon, school kingfish and summer bonito are taken on 20–40g metals and small soft plastics cast across the current, especially when birds are working. Squid are jigged over the weedier edges either side of the tip at dawn and dusk, then fished alive under a float for kingfish. Bream, trevally and luderick sit along the rocky foreshore — prawn or mullet strip on a size 2–1/0 circle hook with light berley for the first two, weed under a stem float for the third. The ferry wharf just west of the tip is fishable between services, with ferries and passengers always given right of way.

Yellowtail kingfish and Australian salmon are the sport fish, with salmon peaking from October to April and kingfish building from late spring, and bonito join them in the warm months. Squid are the year-round standby and the best live bait on the point. Yellowfin bream, silver trevally, luderick and leatherjackets fill the gaps around the rock, and dusky flathead turn up on the sandier patches through the warmer half of the year.

Bring bait rather than gathering it — the harbour foreshore is an Intertidal Protected Area, so nippers, crabs, worms, cunjevoi and oysters stay put. East of the Bridge the NSW advice is generally no more than 150 grams of harbour fish a month, and it varies by species — bream are limited to one 150-gram serve a month, squid to four, and kingfish, flathead and luderick to twelve, each figure assuming that is the only harbour species eaten that month. That makes this a good place to keep a kingfish and a poor place to keep a bag of bream. On the ferry wharf, clear lines and gear when a vessel approaches, keep tackle off the seating and the noise down after 10pm, and wash away scales and ink before leaving. Low light on a run-out tide is the session the regulars plan around.

The easy way in is the ferry — Cremorne Point wharf is near the tip, about 200 m from the light. By car, Milson Road runs down the spine of the peninsula to the reserve, but kerbside parking is residential and fills quickly, so read the signs. A public toilet sits beside the ferry wharf. The foreshore walk around the point has steps and uneven sections, and the last scramble onto the rocks at the light is short but rough underfoot.

The tip faces the main channel and the Opera House, so a southerly or south-westerly puts chop straight onto it, while the Mosman Bay and Shell Cove sides offer shelter from whichever wind is blowing across. There is no ocean swell here, but ferry and commercial wash from the main channel and the Mosman Bay ferries rounding the point surges onto low rock after each pass. A moving tide matters more than the weather, and the bite tends to die on the slack. After heavy rain the harbour colours up and it takes a couple of days to clear.

The rocks around the light are uneven sandstone, slick with weed and spray near the waterline, and they drop straight into deep water — grippy shoes are non-negotiable, and children belong well back from the edge. Ferry and commercial wash rolls onto the low rock without warning, so keep gear and feet back from the edge. North Sydney is not a declared rock-fishing lifejacket area and this is harbour rather than ocean rock, but a lifejacket is strongly recommended on the lower rock, especially at night. The foreshore track has steps and roots and no lighting along much of it, so bring a headtorch for the walk out.

Yes. DPIRD's Sydney Harbour land-based guide lists both Cremorne Point Reserve and the Cremorne Point ferry wharf as fishing sites. The foreshore is part of the harbour-wide Intertidal Protected Area, so bring your bait rather than collecting it, and carry your NSW Recreational Fishing Fee receipt.

Cremorne Point is not on Transport for NSW's list of ferry wharves with a 24/7 fishing ban, and DPIRD lists it as a land-based fishing site. Ferries and passengers always have right of way, so clear your lines when a vessel approaches and check the signs on the wharf before setting up. Fishing where it is banned carries a $250 fine, or $1,500 in court.

Yes, within limits. Cremorne Point is east of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, where NSW advice is generally no more than 150 grams of harbour fish a month. The limit varies by species — one 150-gram serve of bream a month, four of squid, and twelve of kingfish, dusky flathead or luderick, each assuming it is the only harbour species eaten that month.

Yellowtail kingfish have a 65cm minimum size and a bag limit of 5. Australian salmon have no minimum size in NSW and a bag limit of 5. Yellowfin bream are 25cm with a bag of 10 shared with tarwhine, and squid and cuttlefish share a bag of 20. Check the current NSW DPIRD limits before keeping a fish.