Lagoon Pier fishing is considered to be all year round. Because it’s so close to the city it can get busy at times.
I’ve tended to catch smaller flathead and pinkies here. Most I returned to the water, a few were of legal size. Some fishos report catching bream, mullet, salmon and trevally.
The pier can be a good spot for calamari at times.
When fishing Lagoon Pier light. Standard spinning rod of 8′ to 9′ in length.
Fishing Lagoon Pier Tips
I’ve found the fish tend to start biting here on the tide change.
Like many pier fishing locations on Port Phillip Bay, strong wind conditions tend to see an increase in snapper catches.
There are a lot of rocks, so you need to cast out a bit further to avoid snagging your line on them.
For this reason, I tend to use a paternoster rig at Lagoon pier – along with a break-off sinker that I fasten with a cut-down hair clip.
Lagoon Pier Fishing Tackle
When fishing Lagoon Pier I tend to use lighter tackle, no more than a 10lb main line, up to 15 to 20lb leader.
A whiting style paternoster rig makes a good all-round rig on these kinds of piers in my opinion.
However, go heavier in rougher conditions when targeting big snapper and flathead.
A spinning rod with a length of around 8′ to 9′ is ideal. Some fishos recommend a running sinker. I personally prefer a paternoster rig here.
Lagoon Pier Bait & Lures
Soft plastics work well as lures.
You can try a variety of retrieval techniques, as well as “bait and wait” fishing with sandworm or prawn soft-plastics set up on a standard paternoster rig.
As with all fishing, berley is your friend at Lagoon Pier.
Breadcrumbs, tuna oil, chicken, garlic, and aniseed all make good ingredients for your berley.
Good baits include pilchards, whitebait, prawns, sandworm, pippies and chicken.
Snapper and pinkies are more likely on the rising and high tide. While the low tide and running out seems to be when flathead’s on.
Note – the restriction on two fishing lines is only here.
My choice here is a paternoster rig. For smaller fish like flathead, bream and pinkies this is ideal.
A paternoster rig works with a variety of baits including pilchards, whitebait, bluebait, squid tentacles or chicken. A Whiting Rig is ideal for this.
For larger snapper, a snapper rig is a good choice, baited up with pilchards and/or squid tentacles.
For Calamari, I’ve found a darker squid jig with some fluorescent striping or patches to work well. Including Black, dark reds etc with vivid green and blue floro’s.
Lagoon Pier Fish Species
| Fish Species | Quick Info |
|---|---|
 Pinky Snapper (Juvenile Snapper)Mugilidae sp | Much more prevalent during warmer months. This name applies to juvenile specimens of Snapper. Bait: Bluebait, Chicken Breast, Flathead Fillets, Mullet Fillets, Mussels, Pilchards, Pipis, Prawns, Sandworms, Squid Hoods, Squid Tentacles, Whitebait, Whiting Fillets |
 SnapperMugilidae sp | Much more prevalent during warmer months. This name applies to juvenile specimens of Snapper. Bait: Bluebait, Chicken Breast, Flathead Fillets, Mullet Fillets, Mussels, Pilchards, Pipis, Prawns, Sandworms, Squid Hoods, Squid Tentacles, Whitebait, Whiting Fillets |
 FlatheadPlatycephalus sp | But much more prevalent during warmer months.. Bait: Bluebait, Chicken Breast, Flathead Fillets, Mullet Fillets, Mussels, Pilchards, Pipis, Prawns, Sandworms, Squid Tentacles, Whitebait, Whiting Fillets |
 Australian SalmonArripis trutta | Common for schools to move through, chopping up the water before moving on. Can be common during cooler months. Bait: Bluebait, Chicken Breast, Flathead Fillets, Mullet Fillets, Mussels, Pilchards, Pipis, Prawns, Sandworms, Squid Hoods, Squid Tentacles, Whitebait, Whiting Fillets |
 WhitingSp | Generic Name for a number of Whiting Species found in Australia. Bait: |
 MulletMugilidae sp | Can sometimes be the only game in town during cooler weather. Bait: luebait, Chicken Breast, Earthworms, Mussels, Pilchards, Pipis, Prawns, Squid Tentacles |
 Southern Black BreamAcanthopagrus butcheri | Can become less active during Winter. Activity picking up in late August. Active during warmer months. Bait: Bluebait, Chicken Breast, Crabs, Earthworms, Mussels, Pilchards, Pipis, Prawns, Sandworms, Whitebait |
Lagoon Pier Fishing Review Summary
Lagoon Pier is a great spot for some land-based fishing close to Melbourne.
A good selection of fish species is regularly caught here.
During a big blow, some larger snapper models come in within range.
At other times there are plenty of pinkies, flathead and bream to satisfy.
Because it’s a heavily fished pier I recommend strongly the use of berley and scents!!
Pros
- Close and easy access from around Melbourne
- Family-friendly – children under strict supervision
- Good range of fish habitats and fish species
- In the right conditions, you can target big Snapper
Cons
- Parking good, but can work out expensive during the day.
- Difficult to get on hot summer days.
- Toilets unpredictable. Usually OK, but sometimes rancid.
- Surrounding roads get pretty busy during peak hours.
