Winter Fishing Sydney Harbour: The Perfect Way to Get the Kids Outdoors
Hooked on Fun, One Fish at a Time
A Family Day of Fishing Fun on Sydney Harbour
Sydney Harbour isn’t just a world-class fishing destination — it’s the ultimate outdoor playground for families. With its calm bays, sparkling waters, and stunning city backdrop, the harbour offers a perfect setting to introduce kids to the magic of fishing. Here, children can swap screens for sunshine, learn new skills, and experience the pure excitement of hooking their first fish.
From drifting over sandy flats to exploring rocky shorelines, every spot on the harbour offers the chance to connect with nature and create unforgettable family memories. And for parents, few things match the joy of watching their kids light up with excitement as they reel in a catch — whether it’s a smaller bream or trophy kingfish. Sydney Harbour turns a simple day out into an adventure filled with laughter, learning, and the kind of moments that stick with you long after the rods are packed away.
To take advantage of the great harbour fishing, we teamed up with Craig McGill — an icon of Sydney fishing and expert in catching any species in the harbour! For this winter session, we enlisted Craig’s guidance to help the kids chase some of the harbour’s most active winter fish: hard-fighting salmon and the ever-reliable blackfish (luderick).
Quick Facts
- Australian salmon aren’t true salmon — they belong to the perch family (Arripidae), not Salmonidae.
- Salmon are massive bait-ball hunters, known for surface-feeding frenzies.
- Luderick are herbivores, feeding mostly on algae and seaweed.
- They have flattened, human-like teeth perfect for scraping algae off rocks.
- Both species are active in winter because, salmon chase winter baitfish into the Harbour, while luderick school up to spawn and feed along the rocks.
Our Guide:
Craig McGill from Fishabout Sydney
Craig is a professional fishing guide with over four decades of experience, including a remarkable two-year journey fishing around Australia and numerous expeditions overseas. For the last 33 years, he has made Sydney Harbour his base, innovating techniques that are now widely adopted by fellow guides and anglers.
As a seasoned fishing photojournalist, Craig contributes to major national magazines and has a regular column in NSW Fishing Monthly. He also runs Fishabout Sydney Harbour, one of the premier fishing charters in the harbour, serving around 700 clients a year, including celebrities from the sports and entertainment world. With a strong media presence, Craig has appeared on TV programs, hosted radio segments, and produced best-selling fishing DVDs, all while sharing his passion for fishing with others.
Picking Our Location
Launch: We started from the Mosman Rowing Club then went straight to where the salmon have been holding.
Spots 1: First up, a quick stop at Clontarf Beach to grab some sand for our blackfish session later on.
Spot 2: We then made our way toward Watson’s Bay, aiming for Bottle and Glass Point, where salmon schools had been firing up.
Spot 3: We then made our way back toward Manly, trolling the stretches of Middle Harbour in search of action.
Spot 4: Back we went to Bottle and Glass — word was the salmon were busting up again.
Spot 5: Finally, we shifted our focus to our second target — blackfish near Clark Island.
Australian Salmon
Arripis Trutta
Top Target Species
The Australian Salmon (Arripis trutta) is a powerful, schooling sportfish found along Australia’s southern and eastern coastlines, including Sydney Harbour. Recognisable by their sleek, silver-green bodies and forked tails, they’re renowned for their speed, surface bust-ups, and spectacular aerial fights when hooked. Often found chasing baitfish around headlands, beaches, and harbour points, they can be caught using lures, metals, or flies, offering fast-paced action that’s thrilling for anglers of all levels.
Common Winter Species In Sydney Harbour
Luderick
Girella Tricuspidata
Silver Trevally
Pseudocaranx Dentex
Tailor
Pomatomus Saltatrix
Tackle we used for the day
We ran two setups for the day — a light spin combo for the salmon and a longer rod setup for the blackfish.
Rods: 7ft & 10ft light-medium power rods
Reels: 2500 & 3000 sized spinning reels
Line: 20lb braid with 20lb leader & 10lb braid with 10lb leader
Bait: Diving minnows & metal casting lures for the salmon and algae/seaweed for the blackfish
Our techniques for the day
First fishing location: Craig coached the kids on casting lures, working them to the right depth, and retrieving with the right pace. While we didn’t get any salmon, we did manage one tailor and it was great practice and a fun learning experience.
Second location: Before moving on, we did a quick troll around the bay we were in, then shot across to Manly to do the same, searching for bait balls and salmon schools.
Third location: We raced back to our original spot after hearing the bait balls had returned. Trolling deep-diving minnows, we hooked up immediately. After landing that fish, we spot-locked the trolling motor and switched back to casting diving minnows and lures, picking up another five to six salmon and a bonus tailor.
Last location: After the salmon run, we headed to our final spot to target blackfish. Using floats and fresh algae/seaweed, we landed seven to eight fish, wrapping up an excellent day on the water.
What’s on offer throughout the year
Spring
Kingfish, Whiting, Bream, Flathead, Trevally, Salmon
Summer
Samson Fish, Tailor, Amberjack, Bream, Kingfish, Flathead, Bonito
Autumn
Jewfish, Flathead, Luderick, Bream, Flathead, Whiting, Tailor, Bonito
Winter
Salmon, Trevally, Squid, Bream, Luderick, Tailor, Snapper
Expert Tips from Craig: Winter Fishing Sydney Harbour with the Kids
How do you adjust your fishing style or techniques when guiding families?
Mostly just avoiding rough water and keeping the action going with some consideration for shore based stop.
What’s your top tips for keeping kids excited and engaged while fishing?
Set out with some target fish but if that doesn’t work then default to anything that produces action like catching yakkas or reliable bottom sharks like port Jackson sharks . Kids love sharks.
What are your go-to spots in the harbour for a fun, kid-friendly session?
North harbour is very family friendly with good shore stops and a variety of fish species in calm water.
Which species are the best targets for young anglers during winter?
Salmon , luderick , trevally with a fall back on bottom grubbing sharks like banjo, shovelnose and port jacksons.
What makes winter a good time to take kids fishing on Sydney Harbour?
Mostly lack of crowds
How do you help kids handle disappointment when the fish aren’t biting?
Full sugar soft drinks and red frogs and talk about sharks 🙂
If you could give one piece of advice to parents to help their kids fall in love with fishing, what would it be?
Structure the outing so they don’t get bored and are comfortable physically and mentally.
The kids thoughts on fishing with Craig on the harbour.
Little man said that “I really liked learning about casting really far and reeling in as fast as you can to catch a salmon. I also liked fishing with a bobber or float thing, I’ve never done that before and it was really fun. It’s so cool to watch it go under the water and is different than feeling it pull on the line.
Little miss sassy said “It was a really good experience because I got to learn a lot, like new strategies like how to hook blackfish using a float. It was also really fun to drive around the harbour on a sunny day. I also caught two new species that I never caught before, the salmon and blackfish. It was just really good because we caught so many fish and Craig was just so nice and helpful.”
The kids’ message to other kids: why you should go fishing...and with Craig if you can!
The little boss said that “It’s so exciting to catch and fight something big. Its also good to know how to fish so in case you get stuck somewhere and need to know how to get food.” He also said “You should go with Craig because he gets the job done and is a really, really good fisher.”
Little miss sassy said “Its a great sport to be outdoors and create memories and new experiences. You also get to learn so much while having heaps of fun. Going with Craig helps with your self-esteem because he knows exactly what to do so you will learn things the right way to catch something cool. And if you already know how to fish he will give you skills to add on to your knowledge. Craig is so nice and very good at teaching you how to catch fish”.
Photo gallery of our day on the water with Craig
Get the kids out on the harbour and go fishing!
Sydney Harbour is a fantastic fishing playground for families. With its sheltered bays, iconic landmarks, and active seasonal species, it offers the perfect mix of adventure, learning, and fun for all ages.
Whether you’re chasing salmon bust-ups on light spin gear or drifting baits for luderick along the rocky edges, the harbour delivers excitement and variety at every turn. Easy access points, stunning scenery, and a range of species make it an unbeatable day out — and the best part? It’s an incredible way to get the kids outdoors, learning new skills, and creating memories to talk about for years.
On our trip with Craig, we landed over 14 fish, with the kids reeling in hard-fighting salmon and testing their patience and technique on blackfish. The smiles, laughs, and shouts of excitement were a reminder that it’s not just about the fish count — it’s about the joy of the experience.
Check out Craig’s top tips for winter family fishing on Sydney Harbour, gear up, and give it a go!
Book Craig at FishAboutSydney for your family adventure and create a day full of laughs, learning, and unforgettable fishing memories.
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