Smiths Lake Fishing Guide, Mid-Coast, New South Wales

• Overview

  Smiths Lake sits within Mid-Coast in New South Wales. It sits in open low country. Surface area runs to some 10.10 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. It is low-lying compared with other New South Wales water we list. Supplies mean a trip to Smiths Lake, 1.5 km off. The big place round here is Newcastle, 90 km distant. Rules here are straightforward: one set of state rules.

• Where to Fish on Smiths Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. This is tidal water: the state of the tide decides where fish sit, so plan the session around it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records collected within a few miles name jack mackerel, Australian sea bream and Australian salmon. The near bank of Smiths Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year February sits at 23°C and July at 13°C. There is no cold season worth the name. Winter here is cool and quiet, and often the most comfortable time out. Spring, September into November, fishes hardest, with autumn a close second. Plan around that when you fish Smiths Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Boats go in at Smith's Lake, roughly 1.1 km from the water. There are picnic tables recorded roughly 1.2 km off. Toilets show in mapping about 1.2 km away. The water borders Bramble's Reserve, so reserve rules are likely to apply. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Myall Lake, 11 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Smiths Lake carry more weight than any list.