Last fact-verified Thu, 30 Apr 2026 against Victorian Fisheries Authority. If any bag limit, size limit, or licence requirement on this page differs from current VFA advice, VFA's current guidance takes precedence.
Quick facts
| Common name | Australian Salmon |
| Scientific name | Arripis trutta and Arripis truttaceus |
| Also known as | kahawai, salmon |
| Bag limit | 20 per person per day, combined total of Australian salmon and Australian herring |
| Minimum size limit | 21cm total length |
| Season | June to August (winter Bass Strait run) |
| Primary water | Bass Strait fringe (also Port Phillip Bay) |
| Licence required | Yes. Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence required. |
Source for bag limit, size limit, and closed season: VFA species page. Last fact-verified Thu, 30 Apr 2026.
What Australian salmon actually is
Despite the name, Australian salmon (Arripis trutta, eastern; Arripis truttaceus, western) has no relationship to Atlantic or Pacific salmon. It belongs to the family Arripidae, a distinctly Australian family, and is one of the few commercially significant fish endemic to southern Australia. The species reaches approximately 90cm and several kilograms at maximum size, though Peninsula beach fish typically run 30 to 55cm. Heavily built, torpedo-shaped, with a forked tail and a dark blue-green back fading to silver. Peninsula anglers sometimes call them “kahawai” (a New Zealand term for the same species group) or simply “salmon.”
The western Bass Strait migration is the relevant pattern for Peninsula anglers. Schools move eastward along the Bass Strait coast from autumn through winter, pushed by cooling water temperatures and following whitebait and other small pelagic baitfish. The surf beaches on the ocean side of the Peninsula (Gunnamatta, Sorrento Ocean Beach, Rye Ocean Beach, and the beach sections near Cape Schanck) are on this migration route. When the schools are running, they are visible as dark boils in the surf gutters, and the bite can be intense. When the run is between locations, the beach produces nothing.
The table quality is a topic of active disagreement among Peninsula anglers. The flesh is dark, oily, and strongly flavoured, comparable to mackerel or skipjack tuna rather than white-fleshed table fish. Bled immediately on capture, iced quickly, and eaten the same day, salmon is perfectly acceptable smoked or curried. Kept warm and cooked days after capture, it is poor. Most Peninsula anglers release larger fish; the species’ value is primarily as a sportfish.
Season and tide
Australian salmon fishing from surf beaches is governed less by tide than by reading surf structure. The productive zone is the gutter, the deeper channel that runs parallel to the beach, separated from the sandbar by the break zone. Salmon hunt baitfish in these gutters, and a well-cast metal slug or ganged rig dropped into the gutter at the right moment produces a strike quickly.
Reading the gutter. A gutter appears as a darker band of calmer water between the white water on the sandbar and the beach face. At low tide, gutters are more clearly defined. At high tide, the gutter may merge with the main swell and become harder to distinguish.
Tide preference. Many surf anglers prefer the incoming tide for salmon; as water floods the gutter, baitfish concentrate and salmon follow. The two hours either side of high water are often productive. A flat sea is not the ideal condition; moderate swell (1 to 1.5m) that keeps the gutter agitated and baitfish disoriented is better than a glassy surface.
Safety on ocean beaches. Gunnamatta is a high-energy surf beach with dangerous rips. Do not wade into the surf zone to extend casting distance. Fish from above the high-water mark during active swell periods. The beach is patrolled in summer by Gunnamatta Surf Life Saving Club; sessions outside patrol hours require individual risk assessment.
For swell forecasts, use Willyweather or check the Bass Strait swell models at the Bureau of Meteorology before driving to the coast.
Technique and gear
- Rod. A 10 to 12 foot surf rod rated 5 to 10kg (heavy enough to throw 40 to 60g lures into a headwind). Fast-tip graphite is preferable to through-action fibreglass for distance casting and lure work.
- Reel. A 5000 to 6000 size fixed-spool surf reel with high line capacity. 20 to 30lb braid mainline with a 30 to 40lb monofilament leader of 1 to 1.5m to handle the surf abrasion.
- Lures. Metal slugs (20 to 60g) are the standard. Cast well beyond the gutter, allow the slug to sink, then retrieve at moderate speed with irregular pauses. Chrome or silver in clear conditions; red or orange in darker winter water.
- Bait alternative. Ganged-hook rigs (3 by 4/0 ganged hooks with a whole or half pilchard) and a 30 to 60g sinker above a swivel are equally effective. Pilchard bait is available from local tackle stores across the Peninsula.
- Retrieve. A straight moderate retrieve often outperforms complex jigging; salmon are aggressive feeders and will chase a lure that is not darting evasively. Vary retrieve speed until a strike pattern is established.
Bag and size limits, licence
- Minimum size limit. 21cm total length.
- Bag limit. 20 per person per day, combined total of Australian salmon and Australian herring.
- Season. Open year-round.
- Licence. A Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence is required for anglers aged 18 and over.
Source: Victorian Fisheries Authority. Last fact-verified Thu, 30 Apr 2026.
Opportunity ranking by location
- Gunnamatta Surf Beach, surf cast metal slug, June to August, incoming tide. The premier Bass Strait salmon beach on the Peninsula. When the winter run is through, schools are visible in the gutters and the bite is immediate. A metal slug cast into the gutter delivers results within minutes. Requires a 10-plus foot rod and ability to cast 60m-plus.
- Sorrento Ocean Beach, surf cast or ganged pilchard, May to September. A slightly less exposed option than Gunnamatta, with rockpool and gutter structure along the beach. Accessible and reliable during the run.
- Cape Schanck rock platform, metal lure, April to August. Rock fishing off the Cape Schanck platform into Bass Strait. Higher risk than beach fishing but reaches deeper water; productive for salmon and occasionally kingfish through autumn and winter. Exercise extreme caution; check Parks Victoria safety conditions before fishing elevated rock platforms.
- Portsea front beach and adjacent pier, bait or metal, April to August. Salmon occasionally enter Weeroona Bay during strong Bass Strait runs. The pier and the front beach produce opportunistically during these incursions.
- Flinders Pier, Port Phillip side, autumn run. Bass Strait-edge pier; takes salmon through the autumn run, particularly when schools are moving past the Heads.
Where to catch australian salmon on the Peninsula
- Flinders Pier · Bass Strait fringe · April to July (squid peak); November to March (whiting)
- Gunnamatta Beach · Bass Strait fringe · June to August (peak salmon run); October to April (mulloway night sessions)
- Point Leo Beach · Bass Strait fringe · April to August (winter salmon run); October to March (snapper opportunistic)
- Portsea Pier · Port Phillip Bay · December to March (kingfish summer); year-round (squid)
Charter operators that target australian salmon
Operators are listed because they demonstrably target australian salmon, not as a default reference. Browse all Peninsula charters to compare across species and seasons.
Where to cook your catch
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to catch Australian salmon on the Peninsula?
June through August is the peak winter run on the Bass Strait beaches. Schools track east along the coast pushed by cooling water temperatures and following whitebait. In some years the run begins in late April and extends through September; in others it is compressed into six weeks. Watch for dark boils in the surf gutters as the visible signal.
What is the bag and size limit for Australian salmon in Victoria?
Twenty per person per day, combined total of Australian salmon and Australian herring. Minimum size is 21cm total length. Open year-round, no closed season. Source: VFA. Confirm before fishing.
Are Australian salmon worth eating?
Divisive. The flesh is dark, oily, and strongly flavoured, comparable to mackerel or skipjack tuna rather than white-fleshed table fish. Bled immediately on capture, iced quickly, and eaten the same day, salmon is acceptable smoked or curried. Kept warm and cooked days after capture, it is poor. Most Peninsula anglers release larger fish after landing; the species' value is primarily as a sportfish.
Is Gunnamatta safe for surf fishing?
Gunnamatta is a high-energy surf beach with dangerous rips. Do not wade into the surf zone to extend casting distance. Fish from above the high-water mark during active swell periods. The beach is patrolled in summer by Gunnamatta Surf Life Saving Club; sessions outside patrol hours require individual risk assessment. Surf Life Saving Victoria publishes rip identification guidance worth reading before you visit.
What gear do I need for Peninsula surf-casting?
A 10 to 12 foot surf rod rated 5 to 10kg (heavy enough to throw 40 to 60g lures into a headwind). A 5000 to 6000 size fixed-spool surf reel with high line capacity, 20 to 30lb braid mainline, and a 30 to 40lb monofilament leader of 1 to 1.5m. Metal slugs (30 to 50g) for lure work or ganged-hook pilchard rigs for bait.
Verified stamp
Key facts last verified Thu, 30 Apr 2026 against the Victorian Fisheries Authority. If any bag limit, size limit, or licence requirement on this page differs from VFA's current guidance, VFA's current guidance takes precedence. Regulations change. Confirm before fishing.