What can you catch off Shoal Bay Wharf?

In the warmer months it's a standout spot for garfish, bonito and sand whiting, with dusky flathead and bream around as well. As the water cools it turns over to tailor, Australian salmon and luderick (blackfish), and squid hang around the pylons most of the year. The odd kingfish or longtail tuna follows bait into the entrance in summer but they're a bonus, not a sure thing. You'll need a NSW Recreational Fishing Fee to fish here, like everywhere in NSW, and the wharf sits inside the Port Stephens–Great Lakes Marine Park, so check the zoning map before you fish.

Is Shoal Bay Wharf good for fishing with kids?

It's one of the safest land-based spots in Port Stephens for families — the wharf is large, modern and railed, the water is calm and sheltered, and toilets, picnic shelters, BBQs and a beach are right there. Whiting, bream and garfish are all catchable on simple light gear, which keeps younger anglers busy. Just mind the slippery timber and the oyster-covered pylons.

When is the best time to fish Shoal Bay Wharf?

Dawn and dusk on a moving tide are the prime windows, with the run-in and the first of the run-out pushing bait past the wharf. For garfish and whiting the warm months from October to April are best; for tailor, salmon and luderick the cooler half of the year fishes better. A steady berley trail makes a big difference for the surface and sand species.

Do you need a fishing licence to fish at Shoal Bay Wharf?

Yes — a NSW Recreational Fishing Fee is required to fish anywhere in NSW, salt or fresh, including off this wharf, with only limited exemptions. It's a small fee payable for a few days up to a year and the receipt must be carried while fishing. Standard NSW size and bag limits apply too, including the 36–70cm slot for dusky flathead, so release any duskies over 70cm.

Does Shoal Bay Wharf fish well when the coast is blown out?

Often, yes. The bay faces north and sits behind the entrance, so it stays sheltered from southerly swell and southerly-to-westerly winds that close the open beaches and rock ledges. A strong northerly or heavy rain is what slows it down by putting chop and colour through the otherwise clear entrance water.

Bite Compass

Bite Forecast

Shoal Bay Wharf

Sat 19 Sep 2026 · Australia/Sydney

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19 Sep

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Today Tomorrow Sat 19 Sep

📍 Shoal Bay Wharf

first quarter · 48%

Weather: Sunny Wind: E 69° · 7 km/h Swell: 1.0 m @ 9 s S Water: 18.8 °C Pressure: 1025.9 hPa ↓ falling

★★★★☆

High Fish Activity

▸ Why this score?

At the day's peak · 6:00 pm

Solunar Major window

Time of day Dusk

Tide Moving

Wind NE 12 km/h

Moon first quarter all day

Water temp 18.8 °C all day

Learn how the score works →

Activity Forecast

Day timeline

Major Minor Tide Twilight

First light 5:21 am Last light 6:09 pm

High 1:06 am Low 6:30 am High 1:45 pm Low 8:50 pm

Drag or use arrow keys to explore

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

5:00 pm → 7:30 pm

2h 30m

Good

5:00 am → 7:00 am

Good

2:00 pm → 3:00 pm

Good

9:00 pm → 10:00 pm

First light

5:21 am

Last light

6:09 pm

Sunrise

5:45 am

Sunset

5:45 pm

Moonrise

10:31 am

Moonset

—

High tide

1:06 am

Low tide

6:30 am

High tide

1:45 pm

Low tide

8:50 pm

Hourly Wind

High Bite Hours Highlighted

12am

☀️

11°

↑︎

16°

11 km/h

1am

☀️

10°

↑︎

17°

10 km/h

2am

☀️

10°

↑︎

7°

8 km/h

3am

☀️

9°

↖︎

337°

5 km/h

4am

☀️

8°

↖︎

305°

5 km/h

5am

☀️

9°

↖︎

299°

7 km/h

6am

☀️

12°

↖︎

301°

6 km/h

7am

☀️

15°

↖︎

306°

4 km/h

8am

☀️

18°

↖︎

328°

2 km/h

9am

☀️

20°

↗︎

24°

2 km/h

10am

☀️

22°

↗︎

57°

3 km/h

11am

☀️

23°

↗︎

66°

5 km/h

12pm

☀️

24°

→︎

69°

7 km/h

1pm

☀️

24°

→︎

70°

10 km/h

2pm

☀️

24°

→︎

69°

12 km/h

3pm

☀️

24°

→︎

69°

13 km/h

4pm

☀️

23°

↗︎

66°

14 km/h

5pm

☀️

22°

↗︎

62°

14 km/h

6pm

☀️

20°

↗︎

56°

12 km/h

7pm

☀️

18°

↗︎

45°

11 km/h

8pm

☀️

16°

↗︎

32°

10 km/h

9pm

☀️

14°

↑︎

16°

9 km/h

10pm

☀️

13°

↑︎

1°

9 km/h

11pm

☀️

12°

↑︎

345°

8 km/h

Hourly Swell

Easing 1.3 → 0.8 m S

12am

1.3 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

1am

1.2 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

2am

1.2 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

3am

1.2 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

4am

1.2 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

5am

1.1 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

6am

1.1 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

7am

1.1 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

8am

1.1 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

9am

1.1 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

10am

1.1 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

11am

1.0 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

12pm

1.0 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Moderate

1pm

1.0 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

2pm

1.0 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

3pm

1.0 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

4pm

0.9 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

5pm

0.9 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

6pm

0.9 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

7pm

0.9 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

8pm

0.8 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

9pm

0.8 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

10pm

0.8 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

11pm

0.8 m

@ 9 s

↓︎

Slight

Water Temp (°C)

→ steady around 18.8°

Wed

16 Sep

19.1°

Thu

17 Sep

18.6°

Fri

18 Sep

18.6°

Sat

19 Sep

18.8°

Sun

20 Sep

19.0°

Mon

21 Sep

19.2°

Tue

22 Sep

19.4°

Wed

23 Sep

—

Thu

24 Sep

—

Fri

25 Sep

—

Wind Map

Wind data (text)

Now: 7 km/h E (69°).

Wind map data: ECMWF HRES (operational), updated every 6 hours. Not for navigation.

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

5:00 pm → 7:30 pm

2h 30m

Good

5:00 am → 7:00 am

Good

2:00 pm → 3:00 pm

Good

9:00 pm → 10:00 pm

First light

5:21 am

Last light

6:09 pm

Sunrise

5:45 am

Sunset

5:45 pm

Moonrise

10:31 am

Moonset

—

High tide

1:06 am

Low tide

6:30 am

High tide

1:45 pm

Low tide

8:50 pm

Nearby spots

Species at this spot

Sand Whiting
Garfish
Bonito
Dusky Flathead
Yellowfin Bream
Luderick
Tailor
Australian Salmon