Best Land-Based Squid Fishing Spots in Melbourne & Surrounds

The short answer is to start at Rye Pier if you are learning, use Beaumaris Pier when you want a compact metro option with useful shelter, and save Flinders Jetty for a more technical session with the chance of larger calamari. None of them produces every day. The best pier is the one that matches the wind, water clarity, current and light when you fish.

In this guide, “Melbourne” means the practical land-based squid circuit around metro Port Phillip, the Mornington Peninsula, the Bellarine side of the bay and nearby Western Port. Some of these spots are a substantial drive from the CBD, but they are the locations Melbourne anglers commonly compare when planning a squid session.

Melbourne Squid Fishing Spots at a Glance

Best season for squid fishing in Melbourne

Melbourne squid can be caught throughout the year, so there is no single closed-off season. The useful question is how each season changes water clarity, pier pressure and the time of day you should prioritise.

Season	What to expect	Best starting plan	Useful location guides
Autumn (March-May)	Cooling water, more stable evening sessions and good opportunities for quality calamari	Fish dawn, dusk or early night with a 3.0-3.5; prioritise clean water after settled weather	Rye Pier, Mornington Pier, Portarlington Pier
Winter (June-August)	Fewer crowds, colder clear-water windows and larger squid opportunities when conditions settle	Use natural colours by day and glow or contrast at night; bring a landing gaff for higher piers	Flinders Jetty, Portsea Pier, St Leonards Pier
Spring (September-November)	More variable wind with active squid around shallow weed and pier structure	Choose the protected side of the bay first, then match jig size to wind and weed depth	Beaumaris Pier, Blairgowrie Pier, Western Port
Summer (December-February)	Longer daylight, busier public piers and productive low-light windows	Fish early or late, avoid peak crowds and use smaller natural jigs in calm clear water	Rye Pier, Sorrento Pier, Mordialloc Pier

Season is a planning shortcut, not a guarantee. Check wind direction, recent rain, water clarity and current before committing to a long drive. The Best Time to Catch Squid Australia guide explains the wider timing system.

1. Rye Pier: The Easiest Place to Start

Rye is the most forgiving first choice on this list. It combines straightforward foreshore access, a long public pier, useful lighting and broken ground that lets a beginner practise sink control without starting in the heavy flow found closer to the Heads.

Choose Rye for a calm, clear evening and begin with a 2.5 or 3.0 jig. A hard northerly can make line control and the pier experience uncomfortable, so easy access does not mean the weather can be ignored.

Read the full Rye Pier squid fishing guide for access, parking, wind and night-fishing detail.

2. Beaumaris Pier: A Sheltered Metro Option

Beaumaris is the closest compact squid option in this group for many metro anglers. The public pier sits beside the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron and is protected on three sides, which can keep the water controlled when larger open piers are uncomfortable. A strong southerly is the main warning because it blows into the pocket.

This is a small-jig location rather than a place to start with a heavy 3.5. A 2.5 is the local baseline, and customer reports make the RUI KR148 in size 2.5 a useful first colour rather than a universal guarantee.

Check the BMYS weather and webcam before leaving, then use the Beaumaris Pier squid fishing guide for public parking, the walking route and casting zones.

3. Flinders Jetty: The Big-Calamari Option

Flinders is the high-reward, high-consequence choice. Its kelp forest and Western Port water can hold genuinely large southern calamari, but the same ground catches jigs and punishes weak line control. This is not the pier to recommend as the easiest all-round Melbourne option.

Watch the tide, loose weed and easterly wind. Slower water around a neap-tide window is easier to control than peak flow. A 3.5 slow-sinking jig can hang above the kelp, while a 4.0 adds profile when the water and tackle allow it.

Read the full Flinders Jetty squid fishing guide before planning the trip, especially the kelp, leader and landing sections.

4. Blairgowrie Pier: Three Zones in One Location

Blairgowrie gives you open broken ground, a sheltered marina edge and pier lights after dark. The breakwall divides the exposed and protected sides, so the useful zone changes with the wind. A westerly can leave the marina side workable even when the open side is uncomfortable.

Fish the broken ground at dawn or dusk, then consider the lights after dark. Keep casts controlled near the marina and never cast over moored boats.

The Blairgowrie Pier squid fishing guide covers the parking area, breakwall layout and the difference between its open and marina sides.

5. Portsea Pier: Deep Water and Heavy Flow

Portsea sits close enough to the bay entrance for depth and tidal flow to dominate the plan. The water can be exceptionally clear, but a standard light jig may wash out before it reaches the useful depth. It is a technical location, not simply Rye with deeper water.

Slack water is the most forgiving starting window. Carry 3.5 and 4.0 jigs, watch swell around the Heads and use a landing tool rather than lifting a heavy squid by the rod.

Use the Portsea Pier squid fishing guide for tide, sink-rate and gaff guidance.

6. Mornington Pier: A Small-Jig Specialist

Mornington is accessible and close to town, but its real distinction is the way small jigs can work in clear wharf water. That makes the draft’s blanket 3.0 recommendation too broad for this location. A 1.8, 2.0 or 2.5 can be the better presentation when it still reaches the required depth.

The important question is not whether the jig looks subtle. It is whether you can let it free-fall naturally while maintaining enough contact to know where it is. Add weight carelessly and you lose the sink posture that makes a small egi effective.

Read the Mornington Pier squid fishing guide for the full small-jig and free-fall method.

7. Portarlington Pier: A Bellarine Wind Alternative

Portarlington provides a different shoreline orientation from the Mornington side and can remain workable in southerly or south-westerly conditions that make other areas uncomfortable. The main pattern is broad weed and seagrass with lighter sand lanes, plus enough distance from the breakwall to make casting control important.

A 3.5 is the practical breakwall starting jig when distance and profile matter. Drop to 3.0 or 2.5 when shallow water, heavy weed or calmer conditions make the larger jig unnecessary.

Read the Portarlington Pier squid fishing guide for satellite views, parking and weed-edge strategy.

8. St Leonards Pier: Clean Bellarine Seagrass

St Leonards is a strong Bellarine option built around shallow seagrass, sand gaps, pier structure and a nearby drop-off. It usually carries less pressure than the best-known Mornington Peninsula piers, but it is a long drive from central Melbourne and the wind still decides whether the water stays clean.

The L-shaped pier makes several light to moderate wind directions workable. A strong north-easterly is the main warning because it pushes chop into the exposed side. Start with a 3.0, move down to 2.5 in shallow calm water, or step up to 3.5 for wind and the deeper edge.

Read the St Leonards Pier squid fishing guide for the seagrass pattern, higher-tide option and pier layout.

Other Land-Based Spots Worth Comparing

The comparison table above is not a complete list. It is a practical shortlist with different wind angles, difficulty levels and travel distances. Also compare:

• Sorrento Pier for another southern Mornington Peninsula option.
• Mordialloc Pier for a metro pier with its own water-clarity pattern.
• Point Lonsdale Pier and Queenscliff South Pier for more technical entrance-side water.
• Stony Point Jetty for another Western Port current and access decision.
• Brighton Pier for a closer metro alternative when conditions line up.

For the full regional structure, use the Port Phillip Bay squid fishing guide and Western Port squid fishing guide.

How to Pick the Right Pier Today

Do not choose from reputation alone. Work through the conditions in this order:

1. Wind direction: look for a shoreline, breakwall or pier side that gives you controllable line rather than a famous name.
2. Water clarity: clean water usually matters more than chasing the theoretically perfect tide in dirty runoff.
3. Current and depth: Portsea and Flinders need more tide and sink-rate planning than Rye or Beaumaris.
4. Light: dawn, dusk and early night are efficient starting windows, but clear daytime water can still produce.
5. Landing height and safety: carry a suitable net or gaff where lifting a squid directly is unrealistic.

Open the Eging Tactical Radar to compare local conditions before committing to a long drive. Treat its score as a planning signal, then confirm the actual pier, swell, access and water in front of you.

What Squid Jigs to Carry

There is no single jig size that is correct at all these locations. A compact Melbourne pier kit should cover three jobs:

• 2.5: sheltered, shallow or clear water such as Beaumaris, plus cautious squid around pier lights.
• 3.0: the all-round option for Rye, Blairgowrie, St Leonards and many general pier sessions.
• 3.5: deeper water, more wind, longer casts and stronger current around Portarlington, Portsea or Flinders.

Add a natural colour for clean water, a brighter pink or orange option for visibility, and a glow or high-contrast jig for low light. Change depth control and sink count before assuming colour is the only problem.

For those natural and glow roles, the RUI GS05 Mullet Grey Silver Natural Squid Jig is listed in sizes 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0, while the RUI KR103 New Glow Banana Chartreuse Squid Jig has a full-body glow finish in the same sizes plus a 3.5 Slow Sinking option.

For the decision process, read the Best Squid Jig Australia guide, Squid Jig Size Guide and Squid Jig Colours Australia. Elevated piers also make the Best Squid Gaff Australia guide worth reading.

FAQ

Where is the best land-based squid fishing in Melbourne?

Rye Pier is a forgiving place to learn, Beaumaris is a useful sheltered metro option, and Flinders Jetty is the higher-skill choice for anglers chasing larger calamari. The best location on a given day still depends on wind, water clarity and current.

Can you catch squid from Melbourne piers?

Yes. Piers around Port Phillip Bay and Western Port give land-based anglers access to seagrass, weed edges, reef, pylons, lights and deeper drop-offs used by southern calamari.

Which Melbourne squid fishing spot is best for beginners?

Rye Pier is usually the easiest starting point because access is simple and the water is generally more forgiving than the stronger current and heavy kelp around Flinders or Portsea.

When is the best time to catch squid from a Melbourne pier?

Dawn, dusk and the first part of the night are reliable starting windows, especially when the water is clear and the wind is manageable. At current-heavy locations such as Portsea and Flinders, tide speed can matter as much as light level. See the Best Time to Catch Squid guide for the wider timing system.

What size squid jig should I use from Melbourne piers?

A size 3.0 is a practical all-round starting point. Use 2.5 or smaller in shallow sheltered water, and move to 3.5 or 4.0 where casting distance, depth, wind or current demand more control.