Is Mary Ann Reserve good for fishing?

It is the easiest Murray bank in the state rather than the best. About 350 metres of mown lawn runs straight to the water in the middle of town, with parking, barbecues, a kiosk and a boat ramp, and willows restrict bank access almost everywhere else on this reach. The long-standing local guides say catches improve upstream, but the winter 2026 tackle-shop reports still named Mannum alongside Cadell and Blanchetown for a hot callop bite.

Can you fish for Murray cod at Mannum?

Not between 1 August and 31 December. Targeting Murray cod is prohibited across the South Australian River Murray in that window, trolling from a moving boat included, with penalties up to $20,000. From 1 January to 31 July it is catch and release only, because taking Murray cod is prohibited at all times in the River Murray proper and Lakes Albert and Alexandrina, and barbless hooks and a knotless landing net are required.

What can you catch at Mary Ann Reserve?

Callop, or golden perch, are the target at 33 cm minimum with a bag of 5, and they were biting well at Mannum through winter 2026 on scrubworms and lipless vibes. Redfin perch and European carp make up most of the rest, and both are declared noxious, so neither may be returned to the water. Silver perch, freshwater catfish and Murray crayfish are fully protected and must go back straight away.

Are the Mannum ferries free, and can you fish near them?

The two cable ferries are free and run 24 hours in normal conditions, crossing to Cowirra about 600 metres upstream of the reserve. Do not fish, swim or drift into the crossing lines, because the ferries run on cables that sweep the river. The ferries are the easy way to reach the east bank and the lagoons opposite when the town frontage is crowded.

Can you use opera house nets for yabbies in South Australia?

No. Opera-house nets and yabby pots are illegal in South Australia, and drum nets, set lines, fish traps and gill nets are prohibited as well. Three pyramid nets, one hand net or one shrimp trap all remain legal, but only one of those may go out alongside a rod. Hoop nets are a separate device with their own cap of ten alone, or three beside a rod. Yabbies themselves have no size limit, a bag of 200 and a boat limit of 600, and berried females are totally protected.

Bite Compass

Bite Forecast

Mary Ann Reserve (Mannum)

Mon 19 Oct 2026 · Australia/Adelaide

Forecast updated Sun 18 Oct, 10:44pm ACDT

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19 Oct

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📍 Mary Ann Reserve (Mannum)

first quarter · 53%

Weather: Sunny Wind: N 12° · 25 km/h Pressure: 1019.1 hPa Sheltered water: wind direction matters less here

★★★☆☆

Medium Fish Activity

▸ Why this score?

At the day's peak · 8:00 pm

Solunar Major window

Time of day Dusk

Wind NE 11 km/h

Moon first quarter all day

Learn how the score works →

Activity Forecast

Now

Day Timeline

Major Minor Twilight

First light 6:00 am Last light 7:56 pm

Drag or use arrow keys to explore

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

7:00 pm → 9:00 pm

Good

5:30 am → 8:30 am

First light

6:00 am

Last light

7:56 pm

Sunrise

6:25 am

Sunset

7:30 pm

Moonrise

12:28 pm

Moonset

2:24 am

Hourly Wind

High Bite Hours Highlighted

Now

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20°

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35°

18 km/h

1am

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20°

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28°

17 km/h

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Wind Map

Wind data (text)

Now: 25 km/h N (12°).

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

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

7:00 pm → 9:00 pm

Good

5:30 am → 8:30 am

First light

6:00 am

Last light

7:56 pm

Sunrise

6:25 am

Sunset

7:30 pm

Moonrise

12:28 pm

Moonset

2:24 am

Nearby Spots

Sturt Reserve (Murray Bridge) 22.9 km

Species at This Spot