Lagoon Pier

Lagoon Pier sits on the Port Melbourne beachfront between Station Pier and Kerferd Road Pier, and it's a popular fishing pier. It has none of Station Pier's ship schedules or security guards, which is its charm — walk out, set up, fish. The sandy bottom off the Port Melbourne beaches is classic flathead ground, and the northern bay's pinkies, trevally, salmon and garfish all come past. It is a no-frills pier, and on a still autumn evening that is exactly the point.

Cast lightly weighted baits or soft plastics out over the sand and work them back slowly for flathead. Pinkies take pilchard or squid on a running sinker cast toward the end, especially at dusk. A float and a trickle of berley pulls garfish, trevally and salmon in close. When the water is clear, a squid jig worked slowly near any weed patches is worth a try. Flathead lie still and wait; so, apparently, do the regulars.

Flathead (27 cm, combined bag 20) are the steadiest fish over the warmer months. Pinkies (28 cm) are around all year and bigger snapper come into the northern bay in spring, especially after rain flushes the Yarra. Silver trevally, salmon and garfish visit under berley, and calamari now and then in clear water. Skates and rays can't be taken within 400 m of any pier, jetty or rock wall, so banjos and stingrays go back.

Fish the change of light — the northern bay is busy with swimmers and paddlers through summer days. Jumping and diving off the pier is prohibited because of shallow areas and submerged objects. Keep the berley under 10 litres, as the Port Phillip limit requires. After big spring rains, the flush from the Yarra can draw huge numbers of snapper up toward Port Melbourne. The apartment balconies along Beach Street give you an audience on a still evening, so land the fish cleanly.

Lagoon Pier runs off Beach Street, Port Melbourne, with public toilets, cafes, kiosks and restaurants a very short walk away. Street parking along Beach Street is metered or time-limited and busy in summer. The pier is a short, flat walk from the footpath and the Bay Trail, which makes it easy with kids. Dogs must be on a lead.

Port Melbourne faces south across the top of the bay, so northerlies leave the water flat and clear, while a southerly or south-westerly pushes chop and weed onto the beach. Flathead like clear, settled water over sand; snapper like it rough and dirty. Summer sea breezes usually arrive by early afternoon, so mornings are calmer.

Shallow water and submerged objects around the pier — no jumping or diving. Wet decking is slippery. The beach is a popular swimming spot in summer, so cast away from swimmers and paddleboarders. A strong southerly makes the end wet and choppy; the bay is cold most of the year.

Yes — it's a popular fishing pier. Jumping and diving are prohibited, and dogs must be on a lead.

Flathead over the sand in the warmer months, pinky snapper year-round with bigger snapper in spring, plus silver trevally, garfish, Australian salmon and the occasional calamari. Flathead are 27 cm minimum and snapper 28 cm.

Street parking along Beach Street, Port Melbourne, which is time-limited and busy in summer. Toilets and cafes are within a very short walk.