St Kilda Pier

St Kilda Pier was rebuilt and reopened in December 2024 — a new concrete-and-timber pier about 450 metres long with a wider accessible walkway, new toilets, tiered seating and the heritage kiosk kept on. It is one of the bay's best-known piers for snapper and flathead, with habitat ranging from hard reef to sand gutters and weed patches. On a summer evening fishers chase pinkies, silver trevally, flathead and salmon while half of Melbourne strolls past to see the penguins. Fishing is a pier activity here only: the breakwater belongs to the little penguin colony.

For snapper, cast baits into the deeper water off the outer pier on a long 9–10 ft rod, particularly after a big onshore blow. Lighter gear fished around the reef, sand and weed is the more common approach and delivers pinkies, flathead, whiting and trevally. Soft plastics hopped along the sand gutters find flathead. A float and berley bring garfish and trevally close, and squid jigs over the weed work when the water is clean. Acland Street's cake shops are a short walk back, which makes them the best consolation prize in Melbourne for a fishless evening.

Pinkies are the everyday catch with snapper proper in spring after the big blows (28 cm, bag 10, no more than 3 at 40 cm or more). Flathead (27 cm) run October to March, King George whiting (27 cm, bag 20) through summer and autumn, and silver trevally (20 cm) from spring into autumn. Salmon and calamari fill the cooler months (squid combined bag 10). Skates and rays can't be taken within 400 m of any pier, jetty or rock wall, so banjos and stingrays go back.

Parks Victoria is explicit: fishing, dogs and cats are prohibited on the St Kilda breakwater at all times — that is penguin habitat. Fish from the pier itself and keep lines, hooks and bait scraps away from the breakwater rocks. Jumping and diving off the pier and breakwater are prohibited. Alcohol is prohibited on the pier and breakwater, and there are no bins — take your line, bait bags and rubbish home. The penguin viewing boardwalk runs free, ticketed sessions each night through Phillip Island Nature Parks, which means a lot of foot traffic on the outer pier after dusk — keep rods upright and the walkway clear. Tourists will ask what you've caught; "patience" is an acceptable answer.

The pier runs out from the St Kilda foreshore, a short walk from the Fitzroy Street and Acland Street trams. Foreshore parking is paid and fills quickly on warm evenings. The new pier has a wider, disability-compliant walkway, new toilets, tiered seating and the heritage kiosk, so it is one of the most accessible fishing piers in Melbourne. Dogs are allowed on a lead on the pier, never on the breakwater.

The pier heads west into the bay and is sheltered on its inner side by the breakwater. A northerly or easterly leaves calm, clear water for flathead, whiting and calamari. Big onshore westerlies and south-westerlies stir up the bay and, once they ease, are the snapper windows. Heavy spring rains that flush the Yarra can draw large numbers of snapper toward St Kilda.

Do not climb onto or fish from the breakwater — it is prohibited and the boulders are slippery and unstable. The outer pier catches strong westerly winds and spray; the bay is cold most of the year, so a lifejacket is sensible for solo night sessions. Crowds after dusk mean careful casting and no ganged hooks swinging at head height. If you see sick or dead birds, don't touch them; report them to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Yes. The rebuilt pier (open since December 2024) is a popular destination for a stroll and fishing. Fishing, dogs and cats are prohibited on the St Kilda breakwater at all times because of the little penguin colony — fish from the pier only.

It's a hot spot for snapper and flathead. Pinky snapper, silver trevally, flathead, King George whiting, salmon, garfish and calamari are all caught, with big snapper most likely after a strong onshore blow.

Fishing is prohibited on the breakwater, which is the penguins' home. The pier itself is open to fishing. Keep hooks and line away from the breakwater rocks, and note the penguin viewing boardwalk runs free ticketed sessions every night.

The new concrete-and-timber pier extends about 450 metres, with a wider disability-compliant walkway, new toilets, tiered seating and the retained heritage kiosk.