Painkalac Creek (Aireys Inlet)

Painkalac Creek is the narrow estuary that winds behind Aireys Inlet before meeting the sea at the Aireys Inlet end of Fairhaven Beach. It holds estuary perch, black bream, mullet, flounder and at times luderick; the Bambra Road stretch is the easy, popular access, and perch are the specialist fish. It is a small water that rewards a quiet approach, because the perch can hear a crunch of gravel from the next bend and will act accordingly.

Estuary perch live in the heavy timber and snags upstream and along the bank edges, so fish tight to structure. A long-tailed fly with a few small split shot ahead of it, worked slowly, is the classic perch method; small soft plastics and hard-body lures cast at the snags do the same job on spin gear. For bream, use sandworm, bass yabby or prawn on a light running rig. Mullet come up to bread berley and a small float.

Estuary perch and black bream are the main event, with mullet, flounder and the odd luderick filling in. Victorian limits: estuary perch 27 cm with a combined bag of 5 (including Australian bass, no more than 2 bass), black bream 28 cm and 10, mullet no minimum and 40 combined, flounder 23 cm and 20 combined, luderick 23 cm and 10. Estuary perch and black bream cannot be filleted on or near the water — keep them whole until you are away from it. Many anglers release perch, which are slow-growing.

Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary sits off Split Point, a few hundred metres east of the creek mouth, and it is no-take — do not carry your rod out onto the rocks below the lighthouse. Fish the creek and its banks instead. Walk upstream for the better perch water, and keep noise down; the fish are spooky in clear, shallow water.

The creek is reached from the Bambra Road side of Aireys Inlet, with kayak launch and fishing platform points mapped on the lower creek off River Road. Parking is on the residential streets nearby, and the walk to the water is short. Banks are a mix of grass and mud, so it suits a calm family session more than a long hike. Town amenities are in Aireys Inlet along the Great Ocean Road. It is the one spot in Aireys where the lighthouse is not the main attraction, at least not to you.

Being a small estuary, the creek is sheltered from the swell and fishes in most winds. Clear, low water makes perch shy, so early mornings, evenings and overcast days are best. A fresh after rain colours the water up and often switches the bream on. The mouth closes behind a sand bar for long spells and opens after heavy rain or a big sea, so water levels, tide and clarity change between visits.

Mud banks can be soft and deep near the water's edge — test your footing and keep children back from undercut banks. Snakes are active along the creek in warmer months. The creek mouth opens onto a surf beach with rips, so do not wade the entrance. Wear sun protection; there is little shade on the lower creek.

Estuary perch, black bream, mullet, flounder and, at times, luderick.

The Bambra Road area is the popular, easy access, with more estuary perch upstream among the timber and snags.

Not in the water below it. Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary off Split Point is a no-take area.

Sandworms, bass yabbies and prawns.