Middle Brighton Pier
Summary for 24 Oct 2026
Bite Compass is showing a medium fish activity bite score on 24 Oct 2026. Wind is around S at 9 km/h. Solunar feeding windows are listed below.
Feeding Windows
Local Knowledge
Middle Brighton Pier is the open part of a bigger structure. The section from the foreshore to the marina entrance was repaired and reopened in late 2021, and it is good family fishing for calamari and garfish, especially after dark. The breakwater and outer low landing beyond it are fenced off for public safety, so the fishing stops at the fence. The yachts in the marina cost more than your car; cast accordingly.
Fish squid jigs from dusk into dark and a float rig with light berley for garfish. A fine berley trail will bring garfish, whiting and salmon within casting distance of the deck. Paternoster rigs on the sand patches suit whiting, and a lightly weighted bait off the end at dusk is the pinkie and snapper chance.
Calamari off the pier from autumn to spring (combined squid bag 10), and garfish late spring to winter (combined bag 40). King George whiting through summer and autumn (27 cm, bag 20). Pinkies and the odd snapper at dusk off the end (28 cm, bag 10, no more than 3 at 40 cm or more), with salmon and flathead filling gaps. Skates and rays can't be taken within 400 m of the pier.
In Port Phillip Bay's intertidal zone (high-water mark out to 2 m deep) you may only take marine worms, bass yabbies, squid, octopus and cuttlefish — no mussels, crabs or periwinkles off the rocks. Jumping and diving off the pier and other structures is prohibited. A headlamp with a red mode keeps the calamari spot dark enough for the squid and your neighbours. The deck fills on summer evenings, so arrive before the light goes.
Access & Conditions
The pier is off the Esplanade at Middle Brighton, next to the Royal Brighton Yacht Club and on the Bay Trail. Parking nearby is limited and busy in summer. The deck is flat and pram-friendly. The breakwater and outer low landing are fenced off — do not climb the fence or the rocks. Dogs must be on a lead.
The breakwater shelters the marina and the inner pier from the west and south-west. A northerly or easterly leaves the water off the pier calm and clear for squid and whiting, while a strong westerly sends chop and spray along the structure. Dusk into dark is the prime window for calamari and the dusk pinkie bite.
The breakwater and outer low landing are closed because the structure is unsafe — stay behind the fence. Boats enter the marina past the pier end, so keep lines clear of the channel. The pier deck is slippery when wet.
Gear & Rigs
Calamari: size 2.5–3.0 jigs on a 10–15 lb leader, or a baited skewer jig under a float. Garfish: quill float with size 10–12 hooks. Whiting: paternoster, size 6–4 long-shanks on pipi or squid. Pinkies: a 7 ft 3–5 kg rod, light running sinker and 2/0–3/0 hooks on pilchard or squid.
Seasons
Calamari peak from April to October. Garfish run from November into July, whiting from November to April, and salmon visit from March to September. Pinkies are best in spring and autumn, peaking in spring, and flathead are a bonus over the sand, best in the warmer months. Winter nights out here are cold enough that the squid look warm.
If This Spot's Blown Out
Frequently Asked
Yes, on the open section from the foreshore to the marina entrance. It is good family fishing for calamari and garfish, especially after dark.
No. The breakwater and outer low landing are fenced off for public safety because the structure is unsafe. Fish from the open pier section instead.
Yes — calamari are a main target off the pier, especially at night, peaking from April to October. Squid, octopus and cuttlefish share a combined bag of 10.