June 22, 2026
Port Phillip Bay is the most important spawning area for snapper in central and western Victoria and serves as a major source of replenishment for our snapper stocks.
Victoria’s annual snapper recruitment surveys are one of Australia’s longest-running single-species recruitment surveys for a recreationally caught fish. These surveys are used to track snapper recruitment and make predictions for the future of the fishery.
Recent snapper trawl surveys by the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s (VFA) fisheries scientists have found promising results, with the 2026-year class showing above average juvenile numbers, and predictions of strong catches of snapper in the next three-to-four years as the fish grow to the legal minimum size of 28cm.
Since 1993, fisheries scientists have completed annual snapper trawl surveys in Port Phillip to track the stocks, monitor the spawning success following the main spawning period (from November to January), and gain an understanding on what drives their populations. To ensure consistency of the data, these surveys are conducted using the same equipment, during the same period each year (from mid-March to the first week of April), and at night when juvenile snapper are more effectively caught.
Fisheries scientists survey seven areas across the bay to coincide with the end of the larval settlement period. They survey anywhere from 7-metres in depth to the middle of the bay where it is 24-metres in depth. The highest abundance of the juvenile snapper is typically found within 10-18-metres depth, where there is sandy, intermediate sediments which provide the right food and habitat for the fish.
To catch juvenile snapper, the surveys are undertaken using a fine knotless three-meter-wide beam trawl net. At the seven survey sites, five 10-minute tows are conducted to ensure the results are directly comparable with previous surveys.
The survey data is then analysed, modelled and integrated with information from both commercial and recreational fisheries that includes catch rates and size/age composition data. Once combined, the results allow fisheries scientists to assess the sustainability of the fishery and project the expected future performance of Victoria’s snapper fishery.
In great news for recreational fishers, the latest survey results predict that Victoria’s snapper fishery is set to stay strong over the coming years.
Record snapper recruitment in recent years, including 2018 and 2022, produced great snapper fishing in the following years. Now, the 2018-year class will have grown to over 40cm and the 2022-year class will have matured to the minimum legal size of 28cm.
Before targeting snapper in Port Phillip during the next snapper run, ensure you brush up on your snapper handling techniques via our Snapper Stewards campaign.
It’s never been a better time to be a recreational fisher in Victoria with record fish stocking in our waterways, a new conservation hatchery dedicated to recovering threatened native species, investment in fish habitat, support for fishing clubs and upgraded boat ramps across the state.
VRFish Election Priorities
As the peak body for recreational fishing in Victoria, VRFish advocate for recreational fishing interests.
To ensure recreational fishers priorities are strongly represented ahead of the upcoming Victorian State Election, VRFish launched our Election Priorities to advocate for better recreational fishing outcomes.
At the heart of the plan, VRFish will be advocating for better fishing experiences through five core areas – better fish, better access, better environment, better regulations and better future.
Please acknowledge VRFish, the Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body, and link to our website if distributing or re-using this article. Keep up-to-date on the latest Victorian recreational fishing news on our website.
