Beachport Jetty

Beachport's 772-metre jetty is the second-longest in South Australia after Port Germein, and walking the length of it is the thing you do in Beachport, rod or no rod. Built between 1878 and 1882 for the shipping trade and originally stretching past 1.2 kilometres, it runs north-east into Rivoli Bay over a vast spread of shallow sand and seagrass, with deeper water out at the sea end. It is also the jetty that got its timing right — a full structural refurbishment with new decking, steel bracing, railings and safety ladders finished in early 2024, so when the June 2025 storm split the Kingston SE and Robe jetties in two, Beachport stood. And because this is the South East zone, outside both gulfs, the closures that emptied Adelaide's tackle boxes do not reach here — calamari, garfish and even snapper are all open.

Regulars split the jetty by zone. The first stretch covers shallow sand and weed — float-fish it with a berley trail for garfish, tommies and mullet on size 10 long-shank hooks baited with cockles or prawns, the local guide's standard fare. The mid and outer sections are squid and whiting water — work a jig over the weed edges whenever the bay is calm and clear, and cast baits to the sand patches between the seagrass. The local rig is two rods, one bait under a float and one on the bottom, fished an hour either side of the tide. When the winter salmon schools push through Rivoli Bay they take pilchards and metal lures off the deck, though the serious salmon effort happens in the nearby surf — Salmon Hole is named that for a reason. After dark the outer end turns into shark water — soak a fresh salmon slab or squid head for gummies and school sharks, the classic South East progression of salmon by day, gummy by night.

Australian salmon are the marquee fish, building from autumn and peaking through winter — a tackle-store report in late July 2026 had Beachport and Canunda "on fire" with big salmon from the sand, plus gummies and elephant fish on night baits. The salmon bag is 20 for fish of 21 to 35 cm, or 10 once they are bigger than that. Southern calamari are open here at 15 per person with no size limit — this is not the gulfs, and the jigs stay in the rotation. Tommy ruff (bag 40) and yellow-eye mullet are the year-round staples, garfish are on the lists at 23 cm and a bag of 30, and King George whiting run best October to May at 32 cm and a bag of 10 — the South East sits east of the 136°E line, so the larger size limit applies. Mulloway are a warm-months chance off the jetty and the beaches, though the rays are often first to the bait. Snapper are the South East's quiet privilege — closed everywhere else in SA until 30 June 2027, open here at 38 cm with a bag of 5 and a boat limit of 15, provided every keeper is reported through the SA Fishing app or Fishwatch. Here they are mostly a boat proposition on the offshore reefs anyway.

Wind is the gatekeeper. Rivoli Bay is wide open to Southern Ocean weather, and a strong blow makes the outer half unpleasant to unfishable — pick calm mornings and evenings, and keep a squid jig rigged for whenever the water goes glassy. An hour either side of the tide is the local timing advice, and it costs nothing to follow. Take the 772 metres seriously when packing — it is a long walk back for the sinkers you forgot. The April school holidays bring the Rivoli Bay Jetties Junior Fishing Competition for ages 5 to 17 across the Beachport and Southend jetties, which tells you most of what you need to know about how family-friendly this jetty is. One local rule with teeth — the Rivoli Bay Rock Lobster Sanctuary hugs the headland from Glen Point past Cape Martin to Penguin Island, a kilometre or two south-west of the jetty on the surf side. The jetty itself sits outside it and line fishing is unaffected everywhere, but crays in that water are completely protected and the maximum penalty is $35,000, which buys a lot of fish and chips.

The jetty steps off Beach Road at the northern edge of the town centre, with a carpark and coach parking at the base and picnic areas nearby. Access is 24 hours and free. Beachport is a proper holiday town — a caravan park, general store, fuel and the Beachport Hotel are all a short walk away, so the post-session debrief is well catered. The official state tourism listing notes wheelchair access. There is some lighting for evening sessions, though don't bank on all 772 metres being lit. The boat ramp near the jetty is rated poor at low tide and exposed, which is one more argument for fishing off the deck instead.

Rivoli Bay is Southern Ocean water — the town corner offers some protection, but wind and swell find the jetty in any decent blow, and the outer end cops it worst. The pattern is simple. Calm, clear spells fish best for squid, gar and whiting over the weed; a bit of working sea suits the salmon; a genuine gale suits the pub. Most of the jetty's length covers shallow sand and seagrass with modestly deeper water at the sea end, so fish move through with the tide rather than living under the deck — which is why the locals fish the hour either side of it. Winter pushes the big salmon schools through the bay with the gummies in behind them; summer brings the calm-evening squid sessions and the families.

The walk is the main event and the main hazard — 772 metres of exposed, unshaded timber is a long way from the car when a front arrives mid-session, so check the forecast before committing to the far end. The structure itself is in better shape than most of its cousins, with new railings and ladders from the 2024 refurbishment; several of those cousins are no longer standing at all. Wind and swell make the outer end genuinely unpleasant in a blow, and a Southern Ocean bay deserves respect around the ladders and lower landings. Summer sun on a deck this long is its own hazard — carry water and a hat. Watch children near the edges, and obey any signposted no-fishing or works sections rather than assuming.

Yes. It was fully refurbished between September 2022 and early 2024 — new decking, steel bracing, railings and safety ladders — and it came through the June 2025 storms that destroyed the Kingston SE and Robe jetties. At 772 metres it is the second-longest jetty in South Australia after Port Germein, open 24 hours and free.

Australian salmon (best April to September), tommy ruff, yellow-eye mullet, garfish, squid and King George whiting are the staples, with gummy and school sharks at night and the odd mulloway in the warmer months. The local advice is to fish an hour either side of the tide.

Yes, legally. Beachport is in the South East zone, so the total calamari closure covering Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent does not apply — the limit here is 15 per person (combined with cuttlefish) with no size limit. Calm, clear mornings and evenings over the weed edges are the prime sessions.

Yes — the South East is the only zone in SA where snapper are open while the rest of the state is closed until 30 June 2027. Minimum size 38 cm, bag 5, boat limit 15, and every snapper you keep must be reported through the free SA Fishing app or Fishwatch on 1800 065 522. Off the jetty they are an outside chance; the reef fishing is boat territory.

No. South Australia has no general recreational fishing licence. Size and bag limits still apply, and the South East zone's rules differ from the gulfs — the free SA Fishing app has the current rules. One local extra worth knowing is the Rivoli Bay Rock Lobster Sanctuary on the surf side of the Beachport headland — the jetty is outside it and line fishing is unaffected, but crays in the sanctuary are fully protected.

Yes — enough that the Rivoli Bay Jetties Junior Fishing Competition for ages 5 to 17 runs on the Beachport and Southend jetties every April school holidays. Float-fishing for tommies and gar on the shallow first stretch is the easy start; keep small kids close on the outer sections when the wind is up.