What fish can you catch at The Entrance bridge and channel?

The bridge pylons and the channel edges hold yellowfin bream year-round, dusky flathead on most tides, sand whiting over the warmer months and the occasional mulloway after dark. Work a soft plastic or a baited rig down the current seams from the bank, where the prawns and crabs hold. The bridge is a live road bridge and fishing from the deck is not permitted, so fish from the foreshore, the channel edges and the training walls instead. Most adult anglers need to have paid the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee to fish here — limited exemptions apply, including under-18s and Pensioner Concession Card holders.

Do you need a fishing licence to fish The Entrance Channel?

There is no separate licence, but a NSW Recreational Fishing Fee is required to fish anywhere in NSW saltwater or freshwater. Most adult anglers need to pay it — limited exemptions apply, including under-18s and Pensioner Concession Card holders. It costs $7 for three days, $14 for a month, $35 for a year or $85 for three years, and you must carry proof of payment while fishing — even having a rod beside the water without a receipt is the offence. Pay online through Service NSW, by phone, at a fishing fee agent or at a Service NSW self-serve kiosk.

What is the size limit for flathead at The Entrance?

Dusky flathead in NSW have a 36–70cm slot. You can only keep fish between 36cm and 70cm, and anything over 70cm — usually a big breeding female — must be released. The daily bag limit is 5, with 10 in possession. Check the current NSW rules before you go, as limits change.

When is the best time to fish The Entrance Channel?

Fish the tide change rather than the clock — the last of the run-in into the first of the run-out is the prime window, and current direction matters more than time of day. Dawn and after dark on a weekday avoid the bridge crowds, and the northern side under the bridge lights fishes well near the top of the tide at night.

Is The Entrance Channel good for fishing with kids?

Yes. Memorial Park on Marine Parade has sealed parking, play equipment and flat paths right by the water, and the shallow sand flats are a forgiving place to learn. The daily 3.30pm pelican feed is a bonus and runs every day of the year. Just mind the boat and personal-watercraft traffic in the channel and keep little ones clear of the slippery rock walls at the ocean end.

Bite Compass

Bite Forecast

The Entrance Channel (Tuggerah Lake)

Fri 18 Sep 2026 · Australia/Sydney

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18 Sep

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Today Tomorrow Sat 19 Sep

📍 The Entrance Channel (Tuggerah Lake)

first quarter · 38%

Weather: Sunny Wind: E 95° · 10 km/h Swell: 1.5 m @ 8 s S Water: 18.6 °C Pressure: 1029.9 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 10 km/h

Moon first quarter all day

Water temp 18.6 °C all day

Learn how the score works →

Activity Forecast

Day timeline

Major Minor Tide Twilight

First light 5:25 am Last light 6:11 pm

Low 5:39 am High 12:30 pm Low 7:30 pm

Drag or use arrow keys to explore

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

4:30 pm → 8:00 pm

3h 30m

Good

5:00 am → 7:00 am

Good

12:30 pm → 2:00 pm

1h 30m

First light

5:25 am

Last light

6:11 pm

Sunrise

5:49 am

Sunset

5:47 pm

Moonrise

9:42 am

Moonset

12:52 am

Low tide

5:39 am

High tide

12:30 pm

Low tide

7:30 pm

Hourly Wind

High Bite Hours Highlighted

12am

☀️

12°

↙︎

234°

8 km/h

1am

☀️

10°

←︎

257°

11 km/h

2am

☀️

10°

←︎

260°

12 km/h

3am

☀️

9°

←︎

259°

11 km/h

4am

☀️

9°

←︎

257°

11 km/h

5am

☀️

9°

←︎

259°

10 km/h

6am

☀️

9°

←︎

262°

10 km/h

7am

☀️

10°

←︎

264°

8 km/h

8am

☀️

13°

←︎

263°

6 km/h

9am

☀️

16°

←︎

259°

3 km/h

10am

☀️

18°

↘︎

121°

1 km/h

11am

☀️

19°

→︎

98°

5 km/h

12pm

☀️

19°

→︎

95°

10 km/h

1pm

☀️

19°

→︎

92°

13 km/h

2pm

☀️

19°

→︎

87°

14 km/h

3pm

☀️

19°

→︎

79°

13 km/h

4pm

☀️

18°

→︎

69°

12 km/h

5pm

☀️

17°

↗︎

56°

11 km/h

6pm

☀️

15°

↗︎

39°

10 km/h

7pm

☀️

14°

↑︎

22°

10 km/h

8pm

☀️

14°

↑︎

6°

7 km/h

9pm

☀️

13°

↑︎

343°

8 km/h

10pm

☀️

12°

↖︎

331°

9 km/h

11pm

☀️

11°

↖︎

325°

9 km/h

Hourly Swell

Easing 2.1 → 1.2 m S

12am

2.1 m

@ 7 s

↓︎

Solid

chop

1am

2.0 m

@ 7 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

2am

1.9 m

@ 7 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

3am

1.8 m

@ 7 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

4am

1.8 m

@ 7 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

5am

1.6 m

@ 7 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

6am

1.5 m

@ 7 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

7am

1.3 m

@ 7 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

8am

1.4 m

@ 7 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

9am

1.5 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

10am

1.6 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

11am

1.5 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

12pm

1.5 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

1pm

1.4 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

2pm

1.4 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

3pm

1.4 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

4pm

1.3 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

5pm

1.3 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

6pm

1.3 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

chop

7pm

1.3 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

8pm

1.2 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

9pm

1.2 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

10pm

1.2 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

11pm

1.2 m

@ 8 s

↓︎

Moderate

Water Temp (°C)

↘ cooling — down 0.4° over the last 3 days

Tue

15 Sep

19.0°

Wed

16 Sep

18.9°

Thu

17 Sep

18.6°

Fri

18 Sep

18.6°

Sat

19 Sep

18.8°

Sun

20 Sep

18.9°

Mon

21 Sep

18.9°

Tue

22 Sep

18.9°

Wed

23 Sep

—

Thu

24 Sep

—

Wind Map

Wind data (text)

Now: 10 km/h E (95°).

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

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

4:30 pm → 8:00 pm

3h 30m

Good

5:00 am → 7:00 am

Good

12:30 pm → 2:00 pm

1h 30m

First light

5:25 am

Last light

6:11 pm

Sunrise

5:49 am

Sunset

5:47 pm

Moonrise

9:42 am

Moonset

12:52 am

Low tide

5:39 am

High tide

12:30 pm

Low tide

7:30 pm

Nearby spots

Species at this spot

Dusky Flathead
Yellowfin Bream
Sand Whiting
Mulloway (Jewfish)
Luderick
Tailor
Silver Trevally