Long Reef Rock Platform

Long Reef is the big low rock platform spread off the headland between Collaroy and Dee Why, the most prominent piece of land-based reef on Sydney's Northern Beaches. The platform runs out a long way at low tide and drops into deep, current-swept water, which is why it holds pelagics — kingfish to around 85cm have come off the outer ledges known locally as the Wall and White Rock, alongside snapper, salmon and a steady run of reef species. It sits inside the Long Reef Aquatic Reserve, one of the oldest in NSW, which runs along the shore from the Collaroy rock baths south to the Long Reef surf club and out 100 metres from the low-water mark. The rule that matters for anglers is narrow and strictly drawn — finfish only, by hand-held line or speargun off the rock, with no invertebrates, no marine plants and no bait collecting of any kind. That protected status keeps the platform busy with marine life, which is part of why it fishes so well, and for a spot you can reach by walking off a suburban headland it punches well above its postcode.

The outer ledges are the prize — the Wall and White Rock on the eastern and southern edges put you over deep water where kings, snapper and salmon hold. Locals spin metals and stickbaits into the wash for kings and salmon, float-fish for luderick and blackfish along the lower ledges, and soak fresh squid or mullet strips on a heavier rig for snapper, usually with a berley trail going. Low light at dawn and dusk does the work, and a rising tide over the platform lifts fish up onto the closer ledges. The bottom of the tide exposes the platform and lets you walk further out, but it also leaves the outer rocks more washy. Blackfish come in close to the weed and gutters, while the pelagics want you casting to deeper water off the front.

Yellowtail kingfish are the headline from late spring into autumn, holding off the outer ledges and best on live yellowtail, brought-in squid or fast-retrieved metals — 65cm minimum and a bag of 5. Snapper come year-round on fresh squid and mullet strip with berley, with the better fish in the cooler months, at a 30cm minimum and a bag of 10. Tailor and Australian salmon work the wash — tailor through the year, best from autumn into late winter, at 30cm with a daily bag of 10 and 20 in possession, salmon stronger in winter with no minimum size and a bag of 5. The reef holds rock blackfish (the local pigs) at 30cm and a bag of 10, silver trevally at 30cm inside a shared trevally bag of 10, luderick through the cooler months, leatherjackets and the occasional eastern blue groper. Blue groper is the one to know about — it is a no-take, release-only species everywhere in NSW and line fishing for it is prohibited until 1 March 2028, so any that grabs a bait goes straight back in the water. It is a genuinely mixed bag, and a luderick session interrupted by a kingfish is the appeal.

Fish the outer ledges on a rising tide into dawn or dusk and you cover the kings, snapper and salmon in one window. The reserve rules are strict and enforced, so bring every scrap of bait in with you, squid included — collecting cunjevoi, weed, worms or any other invertebrate inside the reserve is prohibited, and so is fishing for squid or cuttlefish. Finfish by hand-held line, or a speargun off the rock, is the whole of what the reserve allows. The platform draws a crowd on a clean weekend morning, so get there early for the better ledges and give established anglers room rather than crowding a productive corner. Keep a berley trail running for snapper and reef fish; it makes a real difference over the broken bottom.

Turn off Pittwater Road onto Anzac Avenue, Collaroy, and follow it past the Long Reef Golf Club — there's free parking on Anzac Avenue and surrounding streets, plus a paid road that runs in past Fishermans Beach and up toward the headland. Public toilets and showers are at Fishermans Beach near the car park. From there it's a walk: along Fishermans Beach and around the ocean edge to the platform, or up to the headland lookout and down. The platform itself is uneven, weedy rock that gets slippery, so it's not mobility-friendly and not a place for small kids near the outer ledges. The beach and headland walk are fine for a family; the rock platform is for those steady on their feet.

The platform faces east to south-east and takes ocean swell head-on, so it fishes best on a small, clean swell under about 1.5m and blows out fast when the swell builds. A rising tide lifts fish onto the closer ledges; dead low exposes more platform to walk on but leaves the outer rocks washy and exposed. Westerly and offshore winds keep the surface workable, while a strong onshore south-easterly makes the outer ledges dangerous and the float-fishing scrappy. The classic windows are dawn and dusk on a making tide with a light swell. After a big sea or heavy rain the water colours up and the bite drops away.

This is exposed ocean rock and the outer ledges of Long Reef have a real history of anglers being washed in — the platform faces the swell and sets can sweep the lower rocks without warning. A lifejacket is required by law here — the Northern Beaches is a declared area under the NSW Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016, and the Act attaches the duty to fishing with rod, line or handline from naturally occurring rock exposed to ocean swell, which is exactly what you are standing on. It covers anyone helping you and any child under 12 in your care, adults need Australian Standard AS 4758 level 50S or greater and under-12s level 100 or greater, and going without risks a $100 on-the-spot fine. Watch the swell for several minutes before stepping onto any low ledge, never turn your back on the water, and never fish the outer rocks alone or in a building sea. The platform is weedy and slippery — cleated or grippy footwear is essential. Bluebottles wash up on summer onshores, and the rock cuts easily, so a basic first-aid kit and sun cover are worth carrying.

Yes. Long Reef is an aquatic reserve, but fishing for finfish is allowed by hand-held line, subject to normal NSW size and bag limits, and spearguns are permitted off the rock — NSW closes every ocean beach to spearfishing apart from a 20-metre strip at each end, so the beach frontage is out. The reserve runs from the Collaroy rock baths south to the Long Reef surf club and 100 metres out from the low-water mark, and inside it you cannot take or collect any invertebrate, weed or other marine life — no cunjevoi, no worms, no squid or cuttlefish, dead or alive — so bring every bait with you. A NSW Recreational Fishing Fee is required to fish anywhere in NSW and the receipt has to be on you.

Yes. The Northern Beaches is a declared area under the NSW Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016, and the law requires an appropriate lifejacket when you fish with rod, line or handline from naturally occurring rock exposed to ocean swell. Going without can earn a $100 on-the-spot fine. The rule applies to anyone helping you and to any child under 12 in your care — adults need Australian Standard AS 4758 level 50S or greater, under-12s level 100 or greater. The outer Long Reef ledges face the swell head-on, so a lifejacket is genuine safety gear, not just paperwork.

Yellowtail kingfish off the outer ledges from late spring to autumn, snapper year-round on fresh bait and berley, tailor and Australian salmon in the wash, plus luderick, rock blackfish, silver trevally and leatherjackets off the reef. Eastern blue groper turns up too, but it is a no-take species everywhere in NSW and line fishing for it is prohibited until 1 March 2028, so it goes back in the water.

Turn off Pittwater Road onto Anzac Avenue in Collaroy and follow it past the Long Reef Golf Club. There's free street parking plus a paid road running past Fishermans Beach toward the headland, with toilets and showers at the beach. From the car park you walk along the beach and around to the platform.

Dawn or dusk on a rising tide with a small, clean swell under about 1.5 metres. Summer through autumn is the kingfish window; winter swings toward salmon, snapper and luderick. The spot blows out when the swell builds past roughly 1.5m onto the exposed outer ledges.