Guide
Squid Fishing After Rain
Squid fishing after rain in Australia: why light drizzle is prime time, when freshwater runoff actually matters, and the best jig colours for dirty water.
Can you catch squid after rain?
Yes. Rain itself does not automatically stop squid fishing. The key is water clarity: fish normally if the water remains clean, use glow or stronger contrast if it is slightly stained, and move away from river mouths, drains or shallow runoff when the water turns milky. A light drizzle over clean water can still produce a good session.
Squid fishing after rain has a worse reputation than it deserves. The rain itself is rarely the problem — what matters is whether the water near you stays clean enough for squid to see and track the jig. Get that right and rain can actually work in your favour.
So the question is not “did it rain?” It is “can squid still see and hunt my jig where I’m standing?”
Does Rain Actually Put Squid Off?
This is where I part ways with a lot of anglers. The usual worry is that rain dumps freshwater into the bay, drops the salinity, and squid hate freshwater. That part is true — but only in one place: right at a river mouth, a stormwater drain or pipe, or anywhere a lot of freshwater pours in at once. And in those spots the freshwater almost always arrives with dirty, stirred-up water, so what you are really fighting is clarity, not salt.
Out in the open bay it is a non-issue. The amount of rain that lands on that much seawater barely moves the salinity — it is not worth a second thought.
If anything, rain does the opposite of putting squid off. Rain dimpling the surface seems to switch them on, and in my experience they hunt more actively under it. Give me clean water and I will take a soft, drizzly session over a flat, dry, bright day almost every time. A light drizzle is about the best squid weather going — throw on a raincoat and tough it out. The bonus: the anglers who are not really committed give up their spots on the pier, so you get the good ground to yourself.
June winter update: after a cold front, do not rush back to the same shallow corner just because the rain has stopped. Check whether the water is clearing, compare wind direction in the squid fishing weather guide, and use the winter squid fishing Victoria guide when you are planning the next clean-water window.
When Rain Does Dirty the Water
The exception is heavy, sustained rain. It pushes dirty freshwater runoff into shallow bays, drains, marinas and shoreline edges — the spots where salinity and clarity drop at the same time. There, natural colours disappear and the zone squid can hunt confidently shrinks.
The rule still holds: check the water in front of you, not the rain gauge. If it is clear, fish normally. If runoff has turned it milky, the rest of this guide is about getting the jig seen again or moving to cleaner water.
Look for clean edges
After rain, the best water is often not evenly spread. One side of a bay may be dirty while another side stays fishable.
Look for:
- clear water beside stained water
- deeper edges beyond shallow runoff
- protected corners out of the wind
- weed beds that still have visibility
- tide lines where bait gathers
- pier lights that help squid find prey at night
If the whole shallow area looks milky, move. Do not waste the session forcing a subtle jig into water where squid cannot track it.
Colour changes after rain
When water clarity drops, your jig needs to create a stronger target.
Useful after-rain colours include:
- glow body
- white body
- orange belly
- pink belly
- red foil
- UV finish
- dark back contrast
- gold flash
If the water is only lightly stained, start with contrast but do not go ridiculous. If it is very dirty, go louder or move to cleaner water.
For the red-foil role, the RUI GS06 Red Tiger Red Foil Squid Jig combines dark tiger stripes with a red foil base and copper-red belly, in sizes 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0.
For the full colour logic, read the best squid jig colours for dirty water.
Size and sink rate after rain
Rain often arrives with wind. Wind and chop create line belly, which makes the jig harder to control. If you cannot feel the fall, size up or use a faster-sinking jig.
Try this:
| After-rain condition | Jig choice |
|---|---|
| Clear water after light rain | Natural or mild contrast 3.0 |
| Slightly stained water | Pink, orange or red foil 3.0 |
| Dirty but fishable water | Glow, white, UV or dark contrast |
| Wind plus dirty water | 3.5 with stronger visibility |
| Deep edge after runoff | Faster sink or larger profile |
The point is not to fish bigger every time. The point is to restore visibility and control.
Avoid dead runoff zones
Some areas look convenient after rain but fish poorly because they are full of dirty freshwater, debris and low visibility.
Be cautious around:
- stormwater outlets
- very shallow muddy corners
- areas with floating debris
- wind-blown dirty shorelines
- protected water with no bait movement
If you must fish those areas, use stronger contrast and slow the presentation. But usually, finding cleaner water is the better move.
Night fishing after rain
Night can still work after rain if lights and cleaner edges are available. The light helps bait and squid locate the zone, and glow or contrast jigs can stand out better.
The RUI KR103 New Glow Banana Chartreuse Squid Jig is a full-body glow example, listed in sizes 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 plus a 3.5 Slow Sinking option.
Fish the edge of the light rather than only the brightest patch. Let the jig fall slowly enough for squid to find it.
Read the night squid fishing guide if you are planning an after-rain evening session, then match it with the best squid jig colours for night.
Use local checks before driving
Around Melbourne, wind direction can decide which side of a bay stays cleaner. Use the squid radar before committing to a long drive, then keep a backup location in mind.
If the first spot is dirty, move to:
- a more sheltered side
- a deeper pier
- a cleaner reef edge
- a location with less runoff
- a bay section with clearer water
Sources and methodology
- Check the Australian Bureau of Meteorology rain, wind and marine warnings before travelling or fishing exposed water.
- Use Eging Tactical Radar to compare current wind, tide and water-clarity signals; it does not replace official safety information.
- The fishing advice is based on visible local water condition and RUI field experience. Rainfall totals alone cannot tell you how clear one shoreline will be.
The bottom line
Rain after is not the problem people make it out to be. A light drizzle on clean water is one of my favourite times to fish. It only gets hard when runoff near a river mouth, drain or shallow corner turns the water dirty — and even then it is a clarity problem, not a rain problem. If the water is clean, fish normally. If it is stained, use stronger visibility colours and better sink control. If it is filthy, move until the jig can be seen and fished properly.