Queenscliff Pier Squid Forecast
Free 7-day squid fishing forecast for Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula: bite times, tides, moon, wind, swell, water temperature and the Inku jig to tie on.
Hour by hour
Today
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Inku squid brief
Reading the water…
Sun, moon and tide
Water and weather at the best hour
What's driving the score
Inku tackle box for these conditions
Tie these on
Inku Squid Tackle
Gear up for the big squid
Founded in Melbourne in 2020. Every Inku jig has a glow body, 3D eyes, natural feathers and sharp Japanese stainless crowns, designed and tested in Australian waters.
Season guide
When the big squid come in
Spot guide
Spot notes
Rules
Bag limits
How the bite score works
- Light (26%). Sunrise and sunset score highest. Darker nights score better than full-moon nights, because squid feed tighter around pier lights. Overcast days help.
- Tide (20%). The 30 minutes either side of a tide change scores highest, then the top of the tide and the run-in. Fast current lowers the score.
- Wind (20%) and swell (14%). Under 10 knots and under half a metre is ideal. Squid go quiet after a strong blow stirs the water.
- Water temp (10%). 13 to 19°C scores best. Big Western Port squid move in at 13 to 15°C.
- Clarity (6%) and pressure (4%). Rain in the last 24 hours and a falling barometer drag the score down.
Squid fishing at Queenscliff Pier
Queenscliff Pier is one of the best land-based squid spots in Port Phillip. Squid work the sandy shallows and weed beds around the pier, and it sits right in the southern spawning grounds where the biggest calamari gather in spring.
Current rips past here near The Heads, so the tide changes fish best. Use the forecast above to line up a slack-water change with sunrise or sunset.
Best jigs for Queenscliff Pier
On the sand, try a dark jig like the Inku Dark Knight. Over the weed, a white glow jig like the Inku Dynawhite stands out. Shop Inku squid jigs.
When to fish
Best window: The 30 minutes either side of the tide change, especially when it lines up with dawn or dusk.
Calamari are in Port Phillip all year. April to August is the steadiest pier fishing, with cooler, clearer water. The big spawners gather on the seagrass in the south and west of the bay from September to November.
Rules
Victorian bag limit: 10 per day combined across squid, calamari, octopus and cuttlefish, with no minimum size. No fishing in Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries. Parts of the nearby water are inside the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park, so check where you are before you fish.
Questions
When is the best time to catch squid at Queenscliff Pier?
The 30 minutes either side of the tide change, especially when it lines up with dawn or dusk. Calamari are in Port Phillip all year. April to August is the steadiest pier fishing, with cooler, clearer water. The big spawners gather on the seagrass in the south and west of the bay from September to November.
What squid jig should I use at Queenscliff Pier?
On the sand, try a dark jig like the Inku Dark Knight. Over the weed, a white glow jig like the Inku Dynawhite stands out.
What is the bag limit for squid at Queenscliff Pier?
Victorian bag limit: 10 per day combined across squid, calamari, octopus and cuttlefish, with no minimum size. No fishing in Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries. Parts of the nearby water are inside the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park, so check where you are before you fish.
New to squidding? Read the free Inku Squidding Guide.
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