Glenelg River (Nelson)

The Glenelg reaches the Southern Ocean at Nelson, a few kilometres from the South Australian border, and its estuary is the longest in Victoria — about 75 km from Nelson to just below Dartmoor, deep and wide for a good distance. It has a reputation as one of Victoria's best mulloway fisheries, with bream and estuary perch close behind. The usual catches are black bream to 900 g, yellow-eye mullet, salmon, estuary perch, mulloway to 7 kg with the occasional bigger fish, luderick, flathead and flounder. The town is small, the river is big, and the mulloway keep their own hours.

Live mullet are the best mulloway bait (live bait must come from the river itself), with fresh squid, pilchard or soft plastics as alternatives; fish them in the lower river after heavy rain flushes small fish downstream. For bream and perch, use light gear and a stealthy approach — vibes in the deeper sections, small soft plastics and crankbaits around snags and edges. Sandworms, whitebait, shrimp, crabs and clickers are the baits. There are land-based options around Nelson, but a boat or kayak is needed for the prime spots.

Mulloway are the prize, and Glenelg fish are often on the smaller side with the occasional 10 kg-plus specimen. Bream are abundant — large numbers of undersized fish are often present, so move around to find bigger ones. Victorian limits: mulloway 60 cm and 5 (changes are pending — check the current VFA guide), bream 28 cm and 10, estuary perch 27 cm with a combined bag of 5 (no more than 2 Australian bass), flathead 27 cm and 20, salmon 21 cm and 20 combined with Australian herring.

The river loops into South Australia upstream — check the VFA guide for the cross-border rules before fishing that section. The best bream water runs from the mouth upstream to Pritchards campground, with better fish around Sapling Creek. Bream and perch must be kept whole until you are off the water.

Nelson has boat hire and launching — McEacherns Landing and the Kellett Street ramp are in town — and campsites in the Lower Glenelg National Park upstream must be booked ahead through Parks Victoria. Bank fishing is possible around the town jetties and landings. Water skiers use the river above Nelson, so expect wakes on summer weekends.

The entrance often closes over, but the estuary keeps fishing upstream. Low flow in dry years affects bream spawning and moves fish around. After heavy rain, mulloway gather in the lower section. Calm mornings and evenings suit lure fishing for bream and perch. Nelson is about as far west as Victoria goes, and the river itself cannot quite decide which state it belongs to.

Deep water close to the banks and jetties. Boat traffic and water skiers in summer. The river mouth and Discovery Bay beach are exposed to Southern Ocean swell — do not wade the entrance.

September to December is best, though mulloway are caught year-round.

Yes, a Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence is required unless you are exempt. The river loops into South Australia upstream — check the VFA guide for the cross-border rules before fishing that section.

From the river mouth upstream to Pritchards campground, with better fish often around Sapling Creek.

Yes, there are land-based options around Nelson, but a boat or kayak is needed for the prime spots.