There’s nothing like watching your child reel in their very first fish, and Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens have no shortage of places to make it happen. From calm jetties perfect for a first try with preschoolers to wharves worth the drive for older kids chasing their next FishTok moment, this guide rounds up the best family fishing spots across the region.
Every spot below comes with the practical details that actually matter on the day, like parking, toilets and where to grab food nearby. We’ve also included a quick gear and bait rundown and answered the questions parents ask us most, including whether kids need a fishing licence in NSW.
Jump to: Newcastle Fishing Spots | Lake Macquarie Fishing Spots | Port Stephens Fishing Spots | Hunter Valley Fishing Spots
Newcastle Fishing Spots
Carrington Wharf
Carrington Wharf is a fun, low key spot tucked under the bridge at Carrington. Cast your line from the wharf or the marina and you’ve got a good chance at bream and flathead, plus plenty of toadfish to keep things interesting for younger anglers. Keep an eye out for cyclists on the shared path when you’re setting up.
Parking: Fish Co-op car park.
Toilets: None on site, so plan accordingly.
Food and drinks: Bubblers along the walking track, plus the Fishermen’s Co-operative for fresh fish and prawns, and the Newcastle Yacht Club and Wickham Boatshed nearby for a sit down meal.
Honeysuckle Wharf
Right in the middle of the city with views out to Nobbys Lighthouse, Honeysuckle Wharf is an easy spot to introduce kids to fishing. Tailor, bream, whiting and the occasional pufferfish are all on the cards. It’s a fair drop from the wharf down to the water, so keep little ones close. Honeysuckle Park, just behind the wharf, is worth a wander afterwards.
Parking: Several paid parking stations along Honeysuckle Drive, or try for a spot on Wharf Road.
Toilets: Yes, at Honeysuckle Park and inside Newcastle Museum.
Food and drinks: Plenty of choices at Honeysuckle
A couple of other Newcastle Harbour options are worth keeping in mind. Queens Wharf is popular for evening fishing and bigger catches like mulloway, though the after dark timing suits older kids and teens more than little ones. Stockton Foreshore, on the calmer harbour side across from Carrington, gives younger kids more room to spread out away from boat traffic.
Kooragang Wetlands in Hunter Wetlands National Park
For a quieter spot to fish, head to Hunter Wetlands National Park (Kooragang Wetlands) also known as Ash Island. Arrive at Riverside Park and use this as your base. You can relax and enjoy the views overlooking the Hunter River and drop in a line and see if you can catch some flathead.
There’s plenty of picnic facilities and places for kids to run around as well as toilet facilities.
Parking: Plenty of parking
Toilets: Yes
Food and drinks: Bring your own
Lake Macquarie Fishing Spots
Murray’s Beach
Murray’s Beach in eastern Lake Macquarie is one of our top picks for a first fishing trip. The jetty gives plenty of room to spread out, and the calm water means it’s genuinely safe for kids to wade in the shallows while you cast a line. Come early on a nice day, since it gets busy fast. Fishing straight off the lake shore works too, though be ready for some snags in the weed. There’s a boat ramp here as well if you want to take it further.
Parking: Off Saltwater Road, near the picnic area.
Toilets: Yes.
Food and drinks: No water fountains on site, so bring your own. There’s a lovely park and BBQ area, plus a café right on the water for coffee, breakfast and lunch.
Green Point Reserve and Jetty
Green Point Reserve is a beautiful bush setting on Lake Macquarie’s eastern side, with a long jetty that gives you plenty of room to find your own spot. You can also fish off the beach while the kids wade and play in the shallows. Flathead, bream and the occasional snapper have all been pulled from these waters.
Parking: Dilkera Avenue at the Valentine end, or Shores Way at the Belmont entrance.
Toilets: Yes, at the Shores Way entrance, Sea Eagle Park in Belmont, and Bennett Park in Valentine.
Food and drinks: Bubblers along the shared path, but pack a picnic if you want food.
Wangi Wangi
The calm waters of Wangi Wangi on western Lake Macquarie make for a relaxed family fishing trip, with sailboats and kayakers to watch while you wait for a bite. Wangi Point has great views back over to Swansea and bait available nearby at Wangi Point Holiday Park, while Pebbly Beach is a good spot for a swim afterwards. Fishing Point and Coal Point, just along the shore, are worth a look too.
Parking: Plentiful at Wangi Point and through the township.
Toilets: Yes, at Pebbly Beach, the Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area at Wangi Point, and near the boat ramp.
Food and drinks: Cafes and takeaways nearby and the Wangi RSL Club is on the water.
Speers Point Park and Jetty
If you want fishing plus a proper playground for siblings who aren’t quite ready to hold a rod, Speers Point Park is hard to beat. The jetty reaches well out into the lake, the surrounding parkland has shade, picnic tables and a large playground, and the whole area is flat and pram friendly. It’s one of the easiest Lake Macquarie spots to turn into a full afternoon out rather than just a fishing trip.
Parking: On site at Speers Point Park, off Lakeside Parade.
Toilets: Yes.
Food and drinks: Cafe at Speers Point Park and more cafes and takeaway along Main Road, Speers Point, a short walk from the park.
A few more Lake Macquarie spots are worth keeping on the list. Shingle Splitters Point in Balcolyn is one of the lake’s best known shore fishing spots, an easy walk from a grassed park, and reliable for flathead and whiting.
Belmont Bay has a pier and boardwalk with good casting room and a mix of bream, flathead and snapper, while a calmer stretch near Marks Point known as The Drop Over suits younger kids better than the open Swansea Channel nearby, which draws bigger fish and a stronger current.
Blacksmiths Jetty and Pelican Foreshore are both calm, straightforward options with parkland attached, good for an easy first outing.
Myuna Bay is another solid pick, with warmer water near the old outlet drawing fish through winter, though some sections have access restrictions at certain times, so check the signage when you arrive.
Valentine Boat Ramp at Bennett Park deserves a special mention, since the newer pontoon sits alongside a playground and BBQ area, making it an easy full afternoon for families with kids of different ages. Warners Bay Jetty rounds out the list as another reliable, easy access spot.
Port Stephens Fishing Spots
With Port Stephens firmly on our radar these days too, it’s worth calling out a couple of genuinely kid friendly spots there as well.
Little Beach, Nelson Bay
Little Beach is one of the calmest, most protected spots in Port Stephens, with a jetty at the northern end near the boat ramp where kids can dangle a line and watch the local pelicans hang around hoping for scraps. There’s a playground at the southern end of the beach for younger siblings, and the water is clear and shallow enough for a swim afterwards.
Parking: Available near the boat ramp and beach.
Toilets: Yes
Food and drinks: Cafe at Little Beach for fish and chips and the basics, and Nelson Bay RSL is nearby.
Shoal Bay Wharf
Shoal Bay’s jetty sits in the middle of a calm, family friendly beach beneath Tomaree Headland, with plenty of room to set up and a good chance of bream, whiting and flathead. It’s also a popular jumping spot for teenagers in summer, so expect some company.
Parking: Free parking near the jetty and boat ramp.
Toilets: Yes, near the boat ramp.
Food and drinks: Cafes and takeaway along the Shoal Bay village waterfront.
A few more Port Stephens spots are worth keeping on the list. Soldiers Point Jetty, on the calmer western side of the port, is a long, safe jetty worth the slightly longer drive if Little Beach or Shoal Bay are busy.
Fingal Beach is another easy option for younger children, especially the sheltered southern end known locally as Kiddies’ Corner.
Nelson Bay Breakwall is popular too, though it draws a crowd and suits older kids better than toddlers given the rocky footing. Further round the port, Tea Gardens riverbank and the Hawks Nest pontoon are both relaxed, low key spots if you’re staying on the northern side.
A Hunter Valley Option Worth the Drive
Lake St Clair, Singleton
If you’re after freshwater fishing rather than the coast, Lake St Clair near Singleton is worth the drive. It’s better suited to a weekend away than a quick afternoon, with a council run campground, boat ramps and a foreshore where families fish for bass, golden perch and catfish. Pair it with a night of camping for the full experience.
Parking: At the campground off Carrowbrook Road. Entry and camping fees apply, and bookings go through Singleton Council.
Toilets: Yes, with hot showers in the amenities blocks.
Food and drinks: A small kiosk runs on weekends only, and it’s cashless, so bring a card. There’s nothing else nearby, so pack your own food and drinks if you’re visiting midweek.
This one is more of a day trip or overnight stay than a quick after school outing, so plan accordingly.
Getting Set Up: Gear and Bait
What gear do you actually need?
You don’t need to spend a fortune to get kids hooked on fishing. A small rod and reel sized for little hands is the best place to start, and most outdoor stores and department stores sell colourful junior combos that won’t break the budget. Add a simple tackle box with small hooks and sinkers, a pair of pliers for hook removal, a bucket and a net, and you’re set. Don’t forget the bait.
Bait that works
Fresh prawns from the servo or your local tackle shop are the easiest beginner bait, since they’re simple to peel and thread onto a hook. If you just want a low cost trial run, plain bread or leftover sausage from last night’s barbecue will usually do the trick too. With kids, expect to catch mostly undersized fish for a “kiss and release,” so come prepared to rebait the hook more times than you can count.
Tips for a Smoother Day on the Water
A few things make all the difference when you’re fishing with kids. Pack snacks, water, sunscreen and a hat, since you’ll be out in the elements longer than planned. A life jacket for younger kids is worth the hassle, especially around jetties and wharves where it’s easy to lose track of little ones while you’re rethreading a line. And brush up on a couple of basic knots before you go, because you’ll be tying them more often than actually fishing.
The free FishSmart NSW app is a handy tool for checking legal sizes on the spot, so you’re not guessing whether that flathead is a keeper. The FishSmart app created by NSW DPIRD, provides recreational fishers with 24/7 access to essential information they need to know to fish in NSW such as a pictorial guide of common recreational species, bag & size limits, closed seasons and fishing gear rules. You can also quickly find your local weather, tide, moon phase and barometric pressure to help choose best time to fish and record your fish your very own catch log!
Above all, keep your expectations low and your patience high. Most trips with young kids are about the experience, the snacks and the one good nibble, not a bucket of fish for dinner.
FAQs
No. Children under 18 don’t need a NSW recreational fishing licence, and neither does an adult helping them fish with a single rod or scoop net. If you’re fishing your own line at the same time, you’ll need your own licence.
Most parents find four or five is a good age to start, once a child can hold a small rod and has enough patience for a short outing. Jetty and wharf spots with calm water, like Murray’s Beach or Speers Point, are the easiest places to start because there’s less walking and more room to set up.
Bream, flathead, whiting and the odd toadfish or pufferfish are the most common catches around Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. Most will be undersized, which makes for an easy catch and release lesson rather than dinner.
Early morning or late afternoon tend to be best, both for the fish biting and for avoiding the heat of the day. Weekday mornings are also your best bet for finding a jetty without a crowd.
Most service stations near the water sell fishing prawns, and your local bait and tackle shop is the best option if you want local advice on what’s biting that day.
More Fishing Info
Let’s Fish Lake Mac
If you want to put your new skills to the test, this annual catch-and-release tournament runs over two days in late November. Let’s Fish Lake Mac is family-friendly, spans the entire Lake Macquarie area, and features a massive prize pool.
NSW DPI “Come Fish with Us”
These 2+ hour free workshops are hosted at scenic spots around Lake Macquarie and the Hunter region. They cover fishing rules, knot-tying, casting, and rigging, followed by supervised fishing with education officers. Programs cater to kids, families, and women. Keep an eye on their schedule via the NSW DPI Fishing Workshops page.