Merimbula Wharf
Summary for 3 Nov 2026
Bite Compass is showing a medium fish activity bite score on 3 Nov 2026. Wind is around SE at 15 km/h. Solunar feeding windows are listed below.
Merimbula Wharf fishing times this week Merimbula Wharf tide times
Feeding Windows
Local Knowledge
Merimbula Wharf sits on the red rock shoreline on the northern side of Merimbula Bay, with the Merimbula Wharf Restaurant and the Merimbula Aquarium at its land end. It is a short timber wharf, but it stands in deep, clean bay water over reef and sand, which is why it holds a far wider mix of fish than its size suggests. Bream, flathead, snapper, tailor, squid, gummy shark and whiting are the main catch, and it is a standout squid spot in the cooler months.
Squid are taken on size 2.0–3.0 jigs cast and slowly worked back over the weed and reef, especially in the half hour before sunset. Bait anglers berley lightly off the end and fish pilchard pieces, squid strips or prawn on a running sinker for snapper, bream and flathead on the sand. Tailor are taken on metal lures or ganged pilchards when they push into the bay.
Squid (calamari) have no minimum size and a bag of 20 in total across squid and cuttlefish. Snapper are 30 cm and a bag of 10, bream 25 cm and a bag of 10 shared with tarwhine, and tailor 30 cm with a bag of 10. Whiting (27 cm, a bag of 20 shared) and flathead come off the sand patches around the wharf. Gummy sharks are an occasional catch.
Arrive before sunset — the wharf is small and the good positions go early on summer evenings. When squid jigging, let the jig sink close to the bottom before a slow retrieve, and keep it out of other anglers' lines. Dolphins and stingrays are regular visitors under the wharf, and whales pass through the bay in spring. Rinse squid ink off the deck before you leave; the wharf is shared with restaurant diners and sightseers.
Access & Conditions
Follow Lake Street around to the wharf on the northern side of the bay, where there is parking beside the restaurant and aquarium, and public toilets. Disabled access is available; check details with the operator. A walkway to the left of the wharf leads to the red rock formations along the shoreline.
The wharf is on the northern shore of Merimbula Bay and faces south across it, so the headland shelters it from northerlies and north-easterlies, while a southerly blows straight in. Clean blue water and a light breeze give the best squid and snapper fishing. After heavy rain, dirty water from Merimbula Lake and Merimbula Creek can push out across the bay and slow the bite. Low light at dawn and dusk matters more than the tide here.
The deck stands well above deep water, so stay back from the edge and keep a close eye on kids. The red rocks beside the wharf are slippery and can be washed by swell — do not climb down onto them to land a fish. Squid ink and fish slime make the deck slippery. The wharf is busy with restaurant and aquarium visitors, so check behind you before every cast.
Gear & Rigs
For squid, a 7–8 ft light spin rod with 10–15 lb braid, a 10–15 lb fluorocarbon leader and 2.0–3.0 size jigs. For snapper, bream and flathead, a 7–8 ft rod rated 3–6 kg, 10–15 lb braid, a 15–20 lb leader and a running ball sinker to a 2/0–4/0 hook. Tailor want a 20–40 g metal or ganged 3/0 hooks with a pilchard. A drop net or long-handled gaff is needed to land bigger fish from the deck.
Seasons
Squid fish all year but are best through the cooler months, from about April to September. Snapper and tailor follow a similar autumn-to-winter peak. Bream are around all year, and whiting and flathead fish best through the warmer months from spring to autumn.
If This Spot's Blown Out
Frequently Asked
Yes. Merimbula Wharf, beside the restaurant and aquarium on the northern side of Merimbula Bay, is a popular land-based fishing spot. Standard NSW bag and size limits apply, and a NSW Recreational Fishing Fee is required.
About half an hour before sunset. Squid are best in the cooler months, while whiting and flathead fish better through the warmer months.
Yes. The wharf is great for squid in the cooler months. Squid have no minimum size and a bag of 20 in total across squid and cuttlefish.
They share the site. The Merimbula Aquarium and the Merimbula Wharf Restaurant are at the land end of the wharf; the fishing is from the wharf deck in front of them.