Spearfishing Victoria
Victoria is really two coasts in one state. Sheltered Port Phillip Bay piers and reef on one side; exposed Southern Ocean rock from Torquay to Portland on the other, where crayfish and abalone live.
Inside the bay the diving is pier and basalt reef in 2-7 m - Rye, Blairgowrie, Portsea and Frankston piers, Brighton and Black Rock reef, Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff at the Heads where the Rip runs and slack is the only safe window. Outside, from Torquay and Anglesea through Apollo Bay, Port Fairy and Portland, it is Southern Ocean water: granite and basalt reef, kelp, 3-25 m, and swell in every month of the year. Fish and shellfish are the cool-temperate set - snapper, King George whiting, calamari, bluethroat wrasse, banded morwong, bastard trumpeter and Australian salmon - plus the two things Victorians actually dive for, southern rock lobster and abalone.
There is no clean season here, only windows. Port Phillip works on clear neap tides and light winds; the ocean coast reads a bad sector of roughly 120-260 degrees (150-260 for most towns) and needs a genuine flat spell. Summer and early autumn give the warmest, clearest water, but Apollo Bay, Phillip Island and Portland take Southern Ocean swell all year, so a trip is planned around a lull rather than a month. Rock lobster closed seasons bite: males are closed 15 September to 15 November and females 1 June to 15 November.
Rules: the Victorian Fisheries Authority. A recreational fishing licence is required and covers spearfishing. Spearfishing is banned in marine national parks and marine sanctuaries; a speargun or hand spear may not be used or possessed in or beside any inland water; a spear or speargun may never be used to take rock lobster (you may carry a speargun while diving for cray, but not use it on one); and both speargun and hand spear are banned within 30 m of any jetty or pier and within 30 m of any creek or river mouth. Named restricted waters include Anderson Inlet, Corner Inlet, Lake Tyers, Shallow Inlet, Wingan Inlet and most of the Gippsland Lakes. Unlike NSW, Queensland and South Australia, Victoria sets no statewide SCUBA ban for spearfishing. See https://vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-fishing. Safety, conditionally: the Rip at Port Phillip Heads is dived on slack only, the Southern Ocean coast washes rock platforms year round, and white sharks are recorded fauna along the western coast with Port Fairy and Portland rated moderate in our data.
Top spots
| Spot | Nearest city | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Picnic Point | Melbourne (Port Phillip Bay) | Rocky headland off Melbourne: reef and boulder ground wrapping the… |
| Portsea Pier | Mornington Peninsula | Deep bay pier at the Rip's edge |
| Indented Head | Queenscliff / Bellarine | Headland ground on the Port Phillip side of the Bellarine |
| Observation Point | Phillip Island | Reef and boulder ground on a headland on the Western Port side of… |
| Point Roadknight | Torquay / Anglesea | A rocky point: reef and boulders round the headland, 3–11 m |
| Cape Otway | Apollo Bay | The point is boulder and reef ground wrapped around a headland, 3–7 m,… |
Reserves & no-take zones
- Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary — No-take / spearfishing banned: Spearfishing banned in this protected marine zone.
- Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park — No-take / spearfishing banned: Spearfishing banned in this protected marine zone.
- Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary — No-take / spearfishing banned: Spearfishing banned in this protected marine zone.
- Point Addis Marine National Park — No-take / spearfishing banned: Spearfishing banned in this protected marine zone.
- Twelve Apostles Marine National Park — No-take / spearfishing banned: Spearfishing banned in this protected marine zone.
Cities in this region
- Melbourne (Port Phillip Bay)
- Mornington Peninsula
- Queenscliff / Bellarine
- Phillip Island
- Torquay / Anglesea
- Apollo Bay
- Port Fairy / Warrnambool
- Portland
- Portarlington
- Inverloch
- Aireys Inlet
- Mallacoota
- Geelong
- Lakes Entrance
- San Remo
- Lorne
- Blind Bight
- Coronet Bay
- Loch Sport
- Port Campbell
- Port Welshpool
- St Leonards
- Arthurs Seat
- Barwon Heads
- Bemm River
- Flinders
- Golden Beach
- Kilcunda
- Marlo
- Mcloughlins Beach
- Nelson
- Peterborough
- Port Albert
- Princetown
- Sandy Point
- Seaspray
- Toora
- Venus Bay
- Walkerville
- Waratah Bay
- Woodside Beach
- Wyndham Harbour
- Yanakie
- Cape Schanck
FAQ
Do you need a licence to spearfish in Victoria?
Yes. A Victorian recreational fishing licence is required and covers spearfishing. VFA lists 3-day, 28-day, 1-year and 3-year options.
Can you spear crayfish in Victoria?
No. A spear or speargun may not be used to take rock lobster. You may carry a speargun while diving for cray, but it must not be used to capture or assist the capture of one. Closed seasons also apply: males 15 September to 15 November, females 1 June to 15 November.
Where is spearfishing banned in Victoria?
In marine national parks and marine sanctuaries, in and beside all inland waters, within 30 m of any jetty or pier and within 30 m of any creek or river mouth, and in named restricted waters such as Anderson Inlet, Corner Inlet, Lake Tyers, Shallow Inlet, Wingan Inlet and most of the Gippsland Lakes.
When does Victoria dive best?
Summer and early autumn give the warmest and clearest water, and Port Phillip is best on clear neap tides. The ocean coast reads a bad sector of roughly 120-260 degrees and takes Southern Ocean swell all year, so plan around a flat spell rather than a month.
See also: QLD Tropical North · SA Gulfs & Fleurieu