Upper Spencer Gulf Fishing: Whyalla, Point Lowly, Port Augusta and Port Germein
The top of Spencer Gulf is 300 km from open ocean, warm, shallow and run almost entirely by its tides. It used to be famous for snapper and, more recently, for the giant cuttlefish at Point Lowly. In 2026 the snapper are still closed, the cuttlefish had their worst year on record, and half the jetties people search for are fenced off. What’s left is still a good fishery — blue swimmer crabs, yellowfin whiting, garfish and a rare shot at a land-based kingfish — as long as you know which rules apply where.
This guide covers the four land-based spots that matter, working around the head of the gulf from the eastern shore, plus the closures that catch visitors out. Every closure below was checked against PIRSA on 11 October 2026. Rules change at short notice, so check the PIRSA fishing closures page or the free SA Fishing app before you drive four hours from Adelaide.
The Rules First
All four spots are in the Spencer Gulf fishing zone, which changes the answer to most questions Adelaide anglers are used to.
- Snapper — closed. Targeting, take and possession of snapper are prohibited in Spencer Gulf until 30 June 2027, catch-and-release included. Whyalla’s Easter snapper championships went with it.
- Southern calamari — closed. A total closure on southern calamari has applied across the Spencer Gulf zone since 1 May 2026, with no end date listed.
- Cuttlefish — permanently closed. Since 1 May 2023 you must not target or take any cuttlefish species north of a line from near Arno Bay to Wallaroo Jetty. That’s the whole area this guide covers.
- False Bay cephalopod exclusion zone. In False Bay, north of a line from the Point Lowly lighthouse to the Point Bonython jetty and across to the BHP jetty, squid, cuttlefish and octopus can’t be targeted or taken at any time.
- Garfish — open. The 2026 garfish closure covers only Gulf St Vincent and Kangaroo Island. Here garfish are 23 cm with a bag of 30.
- King George whiting are 32 cm with a Spencer Gulf bag of 10. A spawning closure runs from 1 March to 30 June in defined gulf waters, so check PIRSA’s map before targeting them in autumn.
- Razorfish are closed between Commissariat Point and Blanche Harbour from 1 October to the last day of February. Around Port Pirie they’re closed permanently in both heavy-metal zones, and crabs are banned too in zone 1.
The full list is in our SA fishing closures calendar, and the size and bag limits are in the SA fish size and bag limits guide. In short: crabs, gar, whiting and kingfish are in, and anything with tentacles is out.
The Cuttlefish at Point Lowly
Point Lowly is the only known place in the world where giant Australian cuttlefish gather to breed in large numbers. They normally arrive from May to August, on a small patch of shallow rocky reef. In 2026 the population estimate was 1,811 — the lowest on record, against a range of 13,500 in 2013 to 247,000 in 2020. The decline is linked to the harmful algal bloom, though researchers haven’t confirmed the cause.
The state brought in a 90-day in-water exclusion from 1 July 2026 between Black Point and Stony Point. It banned swimming, snorkelling, diving and anchoring, not line fishing, and should have run out around late September. Check it hasn’t been extended before you plan a boat or dive trip. A government and Adelaide University research project runs to 2028.
For anglers the rule is simpler: cuttlefish are look-don’t-touch everywhere in the upper gulf, and the Cuttlefish Coast Sanctuary Zone west of the lighthouse is no-take for everything.
The Spots
Port Germein — crabs off the flats
Port Germein Jetty — about 1.5 km of 1881 timber and the state’s longest wooden jetty — has been closed since storms in May 2025. Repairs are at the approvals stage. The council has floated a reopening around Christmas 2026, but no date is confirmed. The town’s real fishery never needed the jetty anyway. At low tide the water drains away for 700 m to a kilometre, and the flats are some of the best blue swimmer crab raking in SA.
Walk out from about an hour before low with a crab rake and a floating tub, and gauge every crab on the spot. The minimum is 11 cm across the carapace, the bag is 20 and berried females go straight back. On the top half of the tide, fish the gutters for yellowfin whiting — 24 cm, bag 20 — with lightly weighted baits. Port Germein is in Port Pirie heavy-metal zone 2, where razorfish are banned but crabbing is legal. The no-crab water (zone 1) starts around Weeroona Island, about 10 km south.
Port Augusta — winter fishing at the top of the gulf
The 1886 heritage wharf has been fenced off since 2019 and is mid-rebuild, with no reopening date. The structure you can actually fish is the Port Augusta Foreshore Jetty on Wharflands Esplanade, a minute’s walk from the shops, with toilets, BBQs and free parking. It’s the easiest-access spot on the upper gulf.
Here the seasons run backwards. Garfish, flathead and King George whiting fish best in winter, and summer heat pushes fish deeper. Drop nets for blue swimmers are the deck’s best bet — three per person, fish-based bait only. The famous yellowtail kingfish run of June to October is mostly a boat fishery. In summer, the yellowfin whiting game is on the mangrove flats at Redbanks and Back Beach, early on a morning high. Don’t fish Yorkeys Crossing. The causeway is inside Upper Spencer Gulf Sanctuary Zone 1, where nothing may be taken. The power station closed in 2016 and everyone said the kingfish would stop coming. Nobody told the kingfish.
Whyalla — the best-built jetty in the state
The Whyalla circular jetty opened in 2020: a 165 m concrete deck ending in a lit 150 m loop. It has a wheelchair ramp, sliding rail sections for kids and seated anglers, and shade shelters. Fish a float rig over berley for gar and tommy ruff — no size limit, bag 40 — and drop nets for blue swimmers through summer. Live worms or small poppers on the flats will take yellowfin whiting. After dark, the lights pull bait and snook follow. The marina breakwater adds salmon trout, flathead and the odd gummy shark.
Squid ink on the deck used to be how you knew the jetty was firing. These days it means somebody owes PIRSA a conversation.
Point Lowly — ledges and kingfish
Point Lowly is rock ledges and sandy beaches under an 1883 lighthouse — no jetty, no rail, and reef that eats tackle. It’s one of very few genuine land-based kingfish shots in South Australia. Fish a live bait or pilchard under a float or balloon off the ledges from about June to October. Kingfish are 60 cm minimum with a bag of 1 per person. Around that you’ll find Australian salmon, garfish, tommies, mullet and King George whiting on the sand patches.
Mind the boundaries. The lighthouse anchors the False Bay cephalopod exclusion line. A long walk west along the shore takes you into the Cuttlefish Coast Sanctuary Zone, where no fishing of any kind is allowed. Don’t lift rocks for crabs either: taking anything that lives on the bottom of intertidal rocky reef, out to 2 m deep, is illegal statewide. Camping is free along Fitzgerald Bay and $20 a night at the point, booked online in advance.
Gear
- Crabs: a crab rake, floating tub, crab measure and closed water shoes — a blue swimmer’s first instinct is your toes. Drop nets with fish frames only. Meat and chicken in nets are illegal in SA.
- Gar and tommies: a 1–3 kg spin outfit, 4 lb line, a pencil float, size 10–12 long-shanks, gents and a berley bucket.
- Yellowfin whiting: a 7 ft 1–3 kg rod, 4–6 lb braid, a size 6–8 long-shank with live worm, or a 50–70 mm surface popper on 6 lb fluorocarbon.
- Kingfish off the ledges: a heavy spin or live-bait outfit, a balloon or float, and enough drag to turn a fish from the reef. Bring double the sinkers and traces you think you need.
Tides and Conditions
The upper gulf runs on tide. Spring tides of 2–3 m expose flats hundreds of metres wide. Fish the last of the flood and the first of the ebb, and rake on the bottom half. Every fortnight a dodge tide — SA’s name for a neap where the water barely moves for a day — shuts the fishing down with it. Check the SA tide times before you commit to the drive. Swell is almost never a factor up here. The real issue is summer heat on bare flats and concrete decks, so fish early, carry water, and watch the tide on the flats. It comes back in faster than it went out.
FAQ
Can you catch cuttlefish or squid in the Upper Spencer Gulf?
No. Every cuttlefish species has been permanently closed north of a line from near Arno Bay to Wallaroo Jetty since 1 May 2023, and southern calamari has been under a total closure across the Spencer Gulf zone since 1 May 2026 with no end date. Inside the False Bay exclusion zone at Point Lowly, squid, cuttlefish and octopus may not be targeted or taken at any time.
Is snapper open in Spencer Gulf?
No. Snapper is closed to targeting, take and possession in the Spencer Gulf, Gulf St Vincent and Kangaroo Island, and West Coast zones until 30 June 2027. Any snapper hooked in the Upper Spencer Gulf goes straight back, and PIRSA does not guarantee a reopening date.
Are garfish open at Whyalla and Port Augusta?
Yes. The 1 May 2026 garfish closure covers only the Gulf St Vincent and Kangaroo Island zone. In the Spencer Gulf zone, including Whyalla, Point Lowly, Port Augusta and Port Germein, southern garfish are open at a 23 cm minimum with a daily bag of 30.
Are the giant cuttlefish still at Point Lowly?
Far fewer of them. The 2026 population estimate was 1,811 giant Australian cuttlefish, the lowest on record, against a range of 13,500 in 2013 to 247,000 in 2020. The aggregation normally runs from May to August, and a state and university research project is running to 2028.
Is Port Germein jetty open?
No. Port Germein Jetty has been closed since storm damage in May 2025 and no confirmed reopening date has been published, so check the District Council of Mount Remarkable before travelling. The beach and the blue swimmer crab flats remain open.
Do you need a fishing licence in the Upper Spencer Gulf?
No. South Australia has no general recreational fishing licence. Size limits, bag limits and closures still apply, and the free SA Fishing app shows the current rules and closure areas against your location.
The upper gulf rewards anyone who reads a tide chart before a fishing report. Check the SA bite forecast for the four spots above, then go and find the crabs.