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Gippsland Fishing Weather — Welshpool to Mallacoota

From Wilsons Prom to the NSW border. Live wind, swell, tide and a 7-day bite forecast for every Gippsland launch — Port Welshpool, Port Albert, Lakes Entrance, Cape Conran, Marlo, Mallacoota. The big-fish coast where a 5-day high pressure window is worth driving for.

Tide predictions and forecasts may differ from actual conditions. Always check the BoM marine forecast before heading out. Predicted. Not for navigation.
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Conditions right now — every spot

7-day outlook

The Gippsland coast is the big-fish coast

The Gippsland coast — from Wilsons Prom in the west to Mallacoota in the east — is 500 km of mostly empty water with most of Victoria's biggest gamefish. Mako and yellowfin tuna off Lakes Entrance from April. Marlin off Gabo from December. Big snapper at Cape Conran. The catch: it's all weather-dependent. A 25 kt southerly turns the entire coast into a no-go zone, and the closest port might be 90 minutes' drive.

BayCast bundles every Gippsland launch in one page so you can plan a 4-day trip around a 5-day high-pressure window — which is what you actually need for an offshore Lakes Entrance or Mallacoota run.

Where to fish in Gippsland for what

Snapper: Wilsons Prom east (Port Welshpool), Cape Conran reef, October–January. Tuna (yellowfin + albacore): Lakes Entrance offshore canyons, April–July. Striped marlin: Gabo Island, December–April, Tasman Front pushes warm current in. Bream & estuary perch: Marlo, Bemm River, Mallacoota Top Lake — year-round, peaks Sep–Nov on the run-out. Salmon & gummy: McLoughlins Beach, Ninety Mile Beach surf, May–September.

Bar crossings — Lakes Entrance + Mallacoota

The Lakes Entrance bar and the Mallacoota bar are two of the most weather-sensitive crossings on the Victorian coast. Both close to recreational boats in any meaningful swell + outgoing tide combination. Rule of thumb: under 1.5 m swell, top half of the run-in tide, daylight hours. Always check the latest VicChannels bar advice and call the local boat ramp before you launch. BayCast shows you the swell forecast — but the bar is a local-knowledge call.

Wind direction cheat sheet for Gippsland

The Gippsland 5-day window

For an offshore tuna or marlin trip, you don't want one good day — you want a five-day window with the wind staying under 15 kt and swell under 2 m. These windows happen 4–6 times each tuna season. BayCast's 7-day grid at the bottom of this page is your tool for spotting them — look for green cells running consecutively across multiple launches.

Frequently asked

When is tuna season at Lakes Entrance?

Yellowfin and albacore tuna run from April to July off Lakes Entrance, with the peak in May–June. The fish hold along the canyons and shelf 10–15 nautical miles offshore. You need a 5-day window of light winds under 15 kt and swell under 2 m to make the run safely.

When is marlin season off Mallacoota and Gabo?

Striped marlin run off Mallacoota and Gabo from late December through April, with the peak in February–March. The Tasman Front pushes 22°C+ water onto the shelf. Boats fish 15–25 nautical miles offshore in 100–500 m drop-offs.

How do I know if the Lakes Entrance bar is safe?

Don't trust a forecast alone — call the local boat ramp or check the VicChannels bar advisory the morning of. BayCast can tell you the swell is 1.2 m, but the bar combines that with the tide phase, the wind direction and recent rain. Rule of thumb: under 1.5 m swell, top half of the run-in tide, daylight hours, and no big southerly in the previous 24 hours.

Where's the best estuary fishing in East Gippsland?

Marlo (Snowy River mouth), Bemm River and Mallacoota Top Lake are the standouts. Bream peak September–November on the run-out tide in the snags. Estuary perch are best November–January after a fresh in the system.

What's special about the Wilsons Prom snapper grounds?

Port Welshpool sits in the lee of Wilsons Prom and stays fishable in NE and N winds when the rest of Bass Strait is closed. The October–January snapper run inside Corner Inlet is consistent and the fish go bigger than PPB — 8 lb+ models are common.

Other Victorian fishing weather pages