SA Fishing Closures 2026–27: The Snapper Ban, Season Dates and Which Jetties Are Shut

Adelaide is a city where everyone knows everyone, which makes it remarkable how many people at the boat ramp still don’t know the snapper ban is on. Between the snapper closure, the 2026 gulf closures on calamari and garfish, and a list of jetties under repair, a South Australian fishing year now runs on dates rather than vibes.

This is the calendar: what’s closed, where, when it opens, and where PIRSA keeps the official version. Every fishing closure below was checked against PIRSA on 5 October 2026; the jetty dates come from the state and the councils that run them. Closures change at short notice, so check the PIRSA fishing closures page or the free SA Fishing app — it has a GPS map of the closure areas — before every trip. For bag and size limits, see our SA fish size and bag limits guide.

The Closures at a Glance

Checked against PIRSA on 5 October 2026. “GSV/KI” is the Gulf St Vincent and Kangaroo Island fishing zone, which includes Adelaide.

Month by Month

• October — southern-zone rock lobster opened 6 am on 1 October; Upper Spencer Gulf razorfish closed.
• November — pipis reopen on Sunday 1 November 2026, bait only; northern-zone rock lobster opens at 12 noon. Coorong Area 1 mesh nets close until 31 March.
• December — Onkaparinga bream reopens.
• January — Murray cod catch-and-release opens.
• February — Lakes and Coorong black bream reopen on the 1st.
• March — razorfish reopen; the whiting spawning closure starts.
• May — rock lobster closes in both zones at 6 pm on the 31st.
• June — pipis close on the 1st; the whiting closure ends on the 30th, as does the snapper closure in 2027.
• August — Lakes and Coorong black bream and Murray cod targeting close.
• September — Onkaparinga bream closes.

Stick it on the fridge next to the Christmas Pageant road closures, the other list of dates Adelaide plans its weekends around.

Snapper: Closed Until 30 June 2027, Except the South East

Targeting, taking and possessing snapper is prohibited in the West Coast, Spencer Gulf, and Gulf St Vincent and Kangaroo Island zones until 30 June 2027. Catch-and-release is prohibited in closed waters. You also can’t transit a closed area with legally caught snapper on board, so no bringing South East fish back to ramps like Cape Jervis, Wirrina or Penneshaw.

The South East zone is open at 38 cm, a bag of 5 and a boat limit of 15. Every snapper kept must be reported through the SA Fishing app or Fishwatch on 1800 065 522.

Don’t bank on a July 2027 reopening. PIRSA’s rebuilding plan “does not guarantee fishing will reopen by a particular date” — it depends on stock assessments and recruitment.

Calamari and Garfish

Since 1 May 2026, southern calamari have been under a total closure — targeting, take and possession — in the Spencer Gulf and GSV/KI zones, and garfish in the GSV/KI zone. PIRSA lists no end date. That covers every Adelaide metro jetty and the Wirrina Cove walls. Calamari remain open on the West Coast and in the South East; garfish remain open in Spencer Gulf and all other waters. Upper Spencer Gulf also has permanent cephalopod and cuttlefish closures.

King George Whiting Spawning Closure

From 1 March to 30 June each year you can’t target, take or possess King George whiting in the defined closure waters. Don’t guess the boundary — open PIRSA’s closure map or the SA Fishing app.

Rock Lobster

The dividing line is longitude 139°0’4.80”E. Southern zone: closed 6 pm 31 May to 6 am 1 October, so it’s open now. Northern zone: closed 6 pm 31 May to 12 noon 1 November. Pots must be registered each year, and from 1 October 2026 everyone aboard a recreational vessel must wear a level 100 or higher lifejacket while handling, hauling or carrying cray pots. Five rock lobster sanctuaries are fully protected — the list is on PIRSA’s closures page.

For the South East, 1 October is a public holiday in all but name. Nobody has told the Public Holidays Act.

Goolwa Cockles (Pipis)

Pipis are closed statewide from 1 June to 31 October and can never be taken on the Younghusband Peninsula between the Murray Mouth and 28 Mile Crossing, which is a commercial zone. Since 16 April 2026 PIRSA has set recreational pipi collection as bait only, not for eating, until further notice, because of brevetoxin from the algal bloom. Season dates, limits and the health advice are in our Goolwa cockles season guide.

Bream and Murray Cod

• Onkaparinga River — no bream fishing upstream of the Main South Road Bridge at Noarlunga, 1 September to 30 November. The river mouth is downstream of the bridge.
• Lakes and Coorong — no fishing for or possessing black bream, 1 August to 31 January. Our Goolwa barrage page covers what that means for the bream there.
• Murray cod — no take ever in the River Murray proper or Lakes Albert and Alexandrina. Catch-and-release only from 1 January to 31 July (not on the Chowilla floodplain), and no targeting at all, trolling included, from 1 August to 31 December.

The Smaller Closures People Trip Over

• Prawns — no take from any SA water less than 10 m deep.
• Abalone — no take from the Murray Mouth to the Victorian border since 6 March 2025.
• Port River — no bivalves from West Lakes to Port Gawler. Port Pirie — heavy-metal closures on crabs, razorfish and mussels.
• Intertidal reefs — nothing bottom-dwelling may be taken from rocky intertidal reef out to 2 m deep.
• Western blue groper — closed in both gulfs, Investigator Strait and Backstairs Passage.
• New reefs — no fishing at the Wirrina and Nepean Bay artificial reefs for 12 months from 25 May 2026, or within 200 m of the scuttled MV Andrew Wilson off Brighton for 12 months from 7 September 2026.

Marine Park Sanctuary Zones

Sanctuary zones are no-take — no fishing, no gear in the water — though you can motor or anchor through one with fish aboard. Maps and coordinates are on the SA Marine Parks site, and the SA Fishing app’s GPS map shows the closure zones and aquatic reserves against your location.

Jetty Access

• Edithburgh Jetty — closed to the public since 24 July 2026 for repairs. The Department for Infrastructure and Transport says “through to April 2027”; Yorke Peninsula Council says “until mid-2027”. Check Yorke Peninsula Council before you drive down.
• Ardrossan Jetty — open. It reopened in August 2026 after almost a year of renewal works.
• Port Germein Jetty — closed since storm damage. The District Council of Mount Remarkable lists repairs at the design and approvals stage, with no construction or reopening date published. The beach and crabbing flats are unaffected.

The whiting under Edithburgh Jetty have taken the closure well.

For the metro jetties, see Adelaide jetty fishing: what’s open. For what’s actually biting, see the Adelaide fishing report. If you’re heading south of the snapper line, start with Victor Harbor and Encounter Bay fishing.

FAQ

Is the snapper ban still on in South Australia?

Yes. Snapper is closed in the West Coast, Spencer Gulf, and Gulf St Vincent and Kangaroo Island zones until 30 June 2027, with no guaranteed reopening date after that. It is open only in the South East zone, where every snapper kept must be reported.

Is Edithburgh jetty closed?

Yes. Edithburgh Jetty closed on 24 July 2026 for repairs. The state says through to April 2027 and Yorke Peninsula Council says mid-2027, so check the council before you travel.

Is Ardrossan jetty open?

Yes. Ardrossan Jetty reopened in August 2026 after almost a year of structural repairs, according to the Department for Infrastructure and Transport.

When does rock lobster season open in SA?

The southern zone opens at 6 am on 1 October and the northern zone at 12 noon on 1 November. Both zones close at 6 pm on 31 May, and pots must be registered with PIRSA.

When is the King George whiting spawning closure in SA?

It runs from 1 March to 30 June each year in defined waters only. Check PIRSA’s King George whiting spawning closure map or the SA Fishing app for the exact area.

When can you fish for Murray cod in SA?

Murray cod can never be taken from the SA River Murray proper or Lakes Albert and Alexandrina. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed there from 1 January to 31 July, except on the Chowilla floodplain, and targeting Murray cod at all, trolling included, is banned from 1 August to 31 December.

Every boat ramp in Adelaide comes with a free opinion on what’s open.

PIRSA’s page is the one that counts, so check it first, then check the SA bite forecast and SA tide times for the spot that’s actually open.