Summer might be the season most of us picture for a day on the water, but winter is no barrier to a good session. Sydney’s cooler months actually serve up some of the calmest water and most predictable weather of the year, and the fish are still very much on the chew. The trick is to adjust your approach: where you fish, what you target, the bait you use, how you dress, and even how you cook the catch. Here are our top five winter fishing tips to help you make the most of it.
Best Winter Fishing Spots Sydney
One of the quiet joys of winter is having the water largely to yourself. With fewer boats out and less rain and algae in the system, the water runs clearer and the fish are easier to find. Land-based anglers do well off the rock platforms at North Curl Curl and Long Reef, while inside the heads there are reliable hotspots around Sydney Harbour, including Watsons Bay and Middle Head. Up the Northern Beaches, Narrabeen Beach, Palm Beach and Dee Why Beach are all worth a look. Further afield, Botany Bay, the Pittwater beaches, Wisemans Ferry, Bar Point and Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River, and the Port Hacking estuary around Gunnamatta Bay all fish well through the colder months. On a charter with us, we simply run to wherever is firing on the day.
Best Fish to Catch in Winter
As the water temperature drops, fish slow down and school up in deeper, warmer pockets, so you often need to fish a little deeper and work your bait more patiently. The upside is that winter concentrates the fish, and when you find them, you can find plenty.
Winter concentrates the fish. Find them, and you can find plenty.
Snapper are a standout, moving in closer to shore over the cooler months, while yellowfin and black bream hold tight around rocky structure. Kingfish are also very active during winter, feeding on squid and pilchards. Round out the list with flathead, Australian salmon, bluefin tuna, drummer, groper, luderick, silver trevally, tailor and whiting, and there is rarely a quiet day on the water.
Best Fishing Bait to Use in Winter
In cold water, fish feed less often and less aggressively, so bait selection matters more than ever. A good rule is to match your bait to the pace of the fish: fish live bait slowly and naturally, and give them time to commit.
Cold water fish are particularly keen on pilchards for their oily flavour, squid due to their attractive texture and scent, and peeled prawns because they are a natural food source. Beach worms and cuttlefish are also hard to beat. If you prefer lures, soft plastics in natural colours, ganged hooks, jigs, stemmed floats and skirted lures all earn their place in a winter kit.
Must-Have Cold Weather Fishing Gear
Sydney winters are mild by most standards, but it can still get genuinely cold out on the water, especially early and with a bit of wind chill. Dressing in layers is the key to staying out longer. Start with fleece-lined tops and jumpers, then add a windproof and waterproof jacket and a pair of gloves. For your lower half, nylon pants breathe well and wick moisture, and thermal socks under deck boots or gumboots keep your feet warm and dry.
Don’t forget sun protection, because winter glare off the water is deceptive: a wide-brim hat, sunglasses and sunscreen still belong in the bag. Beyond clothing, pack the right rods, reels, lures, lines and tackle for what you are chasing, along with the safety basics like a first aid kit, phone charger and flares. On our boats, all of the fishing gear is supplied, so you only need to bring yourself and something warm to wear.
Tasty Winter Fish Recipes
Half the reward of a winter session is a warm feed at the end of it. Cooler weather is made for slow, comforting dishes, and your catch is the perfect centrepiece. Groper works a treat in a potato au gratin, baked with cream and garlic until golden.
Snapper suits a Thai-style fish curry, simmered with coconut milk, onions, curry paste, lime juice and fish sauce and served over rice. Salmon loves a stovetop-to-oven finish alongside a tray of roasted vegetables.
A fish pie is another classic winter fish feast, and flathead is perfect for pies because it has nice white fillets. And if you have a mixed bag, chunks of trevally lift a hearty fish soup made with stock, vegetables and a splash of white wine. However you cook it, nothing beats eating a fish you caught yourself that morning.
Want more winter fishing tips, or ready to lock in a day on the water? Send us an enquiry or book a deep sea fishing charter today, and let George and the crew put you on the fish.
