The best fishing spots in NSW

We asked Ambassador Mat Cameron, a passionate fisherman, tournament angler, and NSW pro-fisherman for his pro-tips on where to fish in New South Wales.

For avid anglers and fishing newbies alike, Reflections offers a smorgasbord of Australia’s best fishing opportunities in some of the most amazing destinations across New South Wales. Idyllic mountain streams, serene freshwater impoundments, picturesque beach fishing scenes, or lucrative deep-drop fishing off the continental shelf – Reflections has all your fishing needs covered! Here’s a look at some of the gems in the Reflections line-up for those fishing for an unforgettable angling adventure.

Forster Estuary Fishing

It’s no secret, Forster is one of the best estuary systems in Australia for fishing. It ticks all the boxes – gorgeous waterway, big numbers of fish, and many trophy-sized fish. The two main attractions when fishing Forster are the enormous flats within Wallis Lake and the extensive oyster rack structures that reside in the lower regions of the estuary. Fishing in both areas can yield mega flathead, enormous bream, and unbelievable whiting! And with the hostility of oyster rack fishing, it can provide some of the most exhilarating, white-knuckle, close-quarters fishing you’d dare to find! (It’s honestly so much fun!)

Being a shallow flats system primarily, top water stick baits, shallow crankbaits, and lightly weighted soft plastics are the mainstay of most anglers’ tackle selection. Work them around the countless man-made structures or sand patches between weed beds and be ready to catch your trophy fish!

Where to stay in Forster NSW?

Reflections Forster Beach is located right on the Coolongolook River, while Reflections Tuncurry is just on the other side of the Head Street Bridge, both perfectly located next to the water and a few minutes to Wallis Lake.

Burrinjuck Dam Golden Perch

Nestled in the hills not far from Canberra, Burrinjuck Dam provides southern anglers with a fantastic location to kick back, relax, and fish the day away. Despite its peaceful, relaxing appearance, Burrinjuck is a fantastic golden perch fishery, as well as being home to good numbers of Murray cod, silver perch, redfin, and trout.

Golden perch are superb sportfish, as they can be caught in so many areas of the dam and targeted with several techniques. For those new to fishing for golden perch, a great way to start is hopping small blade-style lures down rocky contour banks around the dam, or vertically hopping blades at the base of submerged standing timber. Both techniques imitate shrimp hopping off the bottom, so keep the size of the hop small and be prepared to be whacked by some feisty golden footballs!

Where to stay near Burrinjuck Waters

Reflections Burrinjuck Waters is a beautiful park right on Burrinjuck Dam, complete with sites and cabins.

Seal Rocks Beach Fishing

With the reputation for being one of the most beautiful beaches on the East Coast, Seal Rocks is an absolute must for anglers. Not only is the beach beautiful, but Seal Rocks offers plenty for those wanting to wet a line.

Along the beach, you can expect to find plenty of whiting, bream, dart, and salmon, whilst there are multiple headlands that offer some spectacular land-based game opportunities for kingfish, cobia tuna, and jewfish for the experienced angler. Here are some tips to start you off in the right direction for fishing Seal Rocks – catch (or buy) some fresh local bait such as beachworms, pipis, or garfish. Fresh is always best! And maximize your time by fishing around tide changes and light changes (dawn and dusk). These are the two main factors that affect feeding activity for most fish on the beach.

Where to stay near Seal Rocks

Reflections Seal Rocks is the picture-perfect spot to park your caravan, pitch your tent or pull up to one of their dreamy cabins, surrounded by the sound of waves.

Copeton Dam Murray Cod

Chances are, if you’ve ever fished for Murray cod then you’ve probably heard of Copeton Dam. It’s the largest freshwater impoundment in northern New South Wales and anglers travel countless hours to fish Copeton, in pursuit of mega Murray cod. Catching a trophy fish is a very real possibility at this amazing fishery, with some of the largest captures in recent years exceeding 1.4m!

Trophy cod are caught at Copeton year-round, but the best time of year for targeting them consistently is in winter. Those crisp winter days within a week of the full or new moons are the ultimate.

Lure selection for chasing the freshwater behemoths will vary, depending on conditions. Be sure to pack some large sinking swimbaits, oversized surface paddlers/walkers, extra-large paddle tail plastics, and even big spinnerbaits. The cod will be zoned in on offerings big enough to warrant the effort, but small enough to fit into their enormous mouth. Choose your lure based on its profile and action – select a lure that maximises the time your lure spends in the ‘strikezone’.

Where to stay near Copeton Dam

With easy access to the lake, superb fishing on offer, and some great accommodation options, Reflections Copeton Waters is a fisherman's utopia.

Wee Jasper Fly Fishing

Enjoy staying beside quiet, secluded streams, that offer great fly-fishing opportunities? Then Wee Jasper’s the place for you. Once you’re there, you’d hardly know that Canberra was just over an hour away. And better yet, there’s trout, redfin, and carp to be caught right beside your camp! Like many other streams and rivers in the region, fly fishing is a fantastic way to target fish for travellers who stay at Wee Jasper. Fly fishing allows anglers the exhilaration of seeing the fish take your fly before the light tackle tussle commences.

Being quite a shallow stream, both wet and dry flies will catch fish, but the golden rules should still be applied – match the hatch and do the miles to get the smiles!

Where to stay in Wee Jasper

With 4 equally stunning camping reserves, bring a tent, caravan or motorhome to Reflections Wee Jasper Campground and set up to explore the Hume & Hovell trail, fly fishing in the streams or take in the prime plethora of stars above you.

Coffs Coast Fishing Off The Shelf

Coffs Harbour is spoilt for choice when it comes to different styles and species for fishing. But the real drawcard for many keen anglers is the offshore fishing that keeps them coming back year after year.

Coffs is a renowned inshore snapper fishery, but the fishing options a little wider are often overlooked. Fishing the continental shelf (deep water dropoff, starting from approx.200m deep) is very accessible here and the fishing can be world-class.

Fishing in deep water has multiple challenges, so advice would include choosing days with less current, using your electronics to find fish sounding, using durable baits and preparing rigs that are unlikely to tangle. These tips combined will maximise the time your baits are in the strike zone, in front of fish, with increased chances of scoring that prized blue-eye trevalla or bar cod.

Where to stay on the Coffs Coast

Boambee Creek Reserve offers day visitors a chance to cast their reels for a spot of bream, whiting and flathead fishing as well as BBQs, easy water access, bird watching and stand-up paddleboarding. Reflections Red Rock and Reflections Corindi Beach are great spots to enjoy a slower pace of life, both conveniently on the beach. Only 30 minutes south of Coffs Harbour, Reflections Hungry Head cabins are nestled into the bush, where the quiet and birdsong seep into the soul. Just five minutes up the road, Reflections Urunga is a beautiful, tranquil park right on the river with a range of cabins and sites to choose from. Reflections Coffs Harbour is right on the freeway and perfect for an overnight stop or to explore the region, while Reflections Moonee Beach is located right on the river mouth, with tranquil waterways and a relaxed vibe. Also on the Coffs Coast are Reflections Scotts Head, Reflections Nambucca Heads and Reflections Mylestom are all unique parks with their own nature feel and fab spots to rest your fishing rod.

Whether you like the beach, the estuary, offshore, or freshwater fishing, Reflections has something to suit everyone. Fishing adventures are truly what you make them, and Reflections has some incredible destinations with easy access to water for anglers. Book your stay and make your fishing dreams a reality!