Cowes Jetty

Cowes Jetty, built in 1870, is the centrepiece of Phillip Island's main town, flanked by sheltered family beaches and the ferry service across to Stony Point and French Island. Fishing is the big attraction here, and the species list is one of the longest in Western Port: squid, King George whiting, salmon, silver trevally, gummy shark, elephant fish, barracouta, snapper, flathead and garfish. The end of the jetty gives access to deep water. With a list that long, someone on the deck is nearly always catching something, even if it isn't you. A $1.4 million upgrade in 2020 reinstated emergency-vehicle access and lowered the northern low landing, which makes low-tide fishing easier.

A paternoster rig covers most species, fished a few hours either side of high tide. Squid jigs worked along the piles at dawn and dusk find calamari, and whiting sit on the shallower sand edges while snapper and gummies hold in the deeper water off the end. Pipi, squid strips and pilchard cover the bait bucket; a fillet of salmon or trevally is the gummy bait of choice after dark.

Squid (combined bag of 10), King George whiting (27 cm, bag 20) and salmon (21 cm, combined bag 20 with herring) are the regulars. Silver trevally (20 cm, bag 20) and flathead (27 cm, combined bag 20) are steady, snapper (28 cm, bag 10 with no more than three at 40 cm or over) are a warm-season chance, and gummies (two gummy and/or school shark combined) and elephant fish (one per person) come mostly in the cooler months. Barracouta (bag 20) and garfish (combined bag 40) round out the list.

Holiday periods are busy on the jetty and in town, as are the island's big motorsport weekends — go early or go mid-week. On a school-holiday afternoon the deck has more rods than railings, and most of them are pointed at the same squid. Watch the ferry timetable and keep lines clear of the berth when it is in. Gummies, elephant fish, snapper and whiting have to stay whole until you are off the water.

The jetty is a short walk from the main street, with toilets, barbecues and playgrounds within walking distance and shops and cafés in the main street. Visitors can also arrive on foot by ferry from Stony Point. The deck is broad and flat; railings are not continuous on every section, so watch young children. Dogs must be on lead.

Cowes faces north across Western Port, so it is exposed in strong northerly winds and much more comfortable in a southerly. It is one of the few spots in Victoria where a southerly change counts as good news. The tide still runs hard past the end, and the hours around high water are the productive ones. Water is generally clearer on the flood, which helps the squid jigs.

Jumping and diving from the jetty is prohibited — there are shallow areas and submerged objects. The deep end has a strong current and ferry traffic. In a northerly the outer jetty takes waves and spray.

Expect squid, King George whiting, Australian salmon, silver trevally, gummy shark, elephant fish, barracouta, snapper, flathead and garfish. Squid and whiting are the most reliable; gummies and snapper come from the deeper water off the end.

No — the jetty is exposed in strong northerly winds. Southerly winds make for more comfortable fishing because the island shelters the water.

Yes. Passenger ferries run between Stony Point and Cowes, so you can carry a rod across without driving around through San Remo. Check the timetable, as services are limited.