Fishing Charter Sydney

A fishing charter Sydney offers from the main tourist booking sites comes down to two trips, both run by Sydney Charter Fishing from Manly Wharf 3: a 4-hour afternoon charter at $186 and a 7-hour morning charter at $214. I compared them with every other boat trip on my page about boat tours in Sydney, and these are the dearest and the least reviewed of the lot. Prices are US dollars from the listings, checked in October 2026, and booking links are affiliate links.

My pick: if you want a first fishing charter in Sydney I’d book the 4-hour trip, because it is the cheaper ticket and the only one with reviews, though a 3.2 from 6 reviews is a thin base. The 7-hour trip is better value per hour at $30.60 but has no reviews yet.

Sydney Charter Fishing

4-Hour Offshore Deep Sea Fishing Charter From Manly

• ★ 3.2 (6 reviews)
• 4 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The shorter trip: $186, 1 to 5 PM from Manly, reefs up to 150 m deep, 3.2 from 6 reviews.

from

$186

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Fishing Trip Sydney

The two trips have very different shapes, so the table comes first.

Charter	Operator	Price	Time and duration	Boat	Rating	Cancellation
4-Hour Offshore Deep Sea Fishing Charter from Manly	Sydney Charter Fishing	$186	1 to 5 PM, 4 hours	Vessel with live bait tank, shade cover, fish finders	3.2 (6)	Free up to 24 hours
7-Hour Offshore Deep-Sea Fishing Charter from Manly	Sydney Charter Fishing	$214	6 AM to 1 PM, 7 hours	Refurbished vessel with a marine toilet	No reviews yet	Free up to 24 hours

A fishing trip in Sydney from Manly starts at Wharf 3, next to the ferry terminal and Felons Bar, according to the 7-hour listing. The Manly ferry from Circular Quay is the usual way to get there, and you can plan it on Transport for NSW. Both charters return to the same wharf. The 7-hour listing adds that other Sydney Harbour wharves can be arranged on request at an extra cost.

Sydney Charter Fishing

4-Hour Offshore Deep Sea Fishing Charter From Manly

• ★ 3.2 (6 reviews)
• 4 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Best for a first charter: $186, 4 hours, bait and tackle supplied, 3.2 from 6 reviews.

from

$186

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Sydney Charter Fishing

7-Hour Offshore Deep-Sea Fishing Charter from Manly

• 7 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Best value per hour: $214, 7 hours from 6 AM, marine toilet on board, no reviews yet.

from

$214

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Sydney Fishing Charters

What you get on board a Sydney fishing charter is similar on the two trips, which is not surprising since they share a boat. Both list fresh bait and new tackle with Shimano and Penn gear, and the crew baits your hook, then cleans and bags the catch. Sunscreen including zinc is supplied, and the vessel has a live bait tank, a weatherproof sunshade, comfortable seating, stainless steel rod holders, 150 L of cold storage and fresh drinking water. Fish finders, satellite navigation and access to more than 500 GPS-marked reefs are listed too.

The 4-hour listing adds sea sickness tablets and says food and personal medication are not included, so bring your own lunch or snacks. The boat is licensed to sell drinks, which means you don’t need to carry your own. The 7-hour listing includes sea sickness medication and excludes children under 3 years. It says the refurbished vessel has a new marine toilet, a detail that matters more on 7 hours than on 4.

The reviews are the part I have to be honest about. Three of the four snippets are very warm: one praises a skipper who ran a tight ship and gave excellent instruction, which suits a novice, and another calls it the best fishing trip ever. The fourth is a complaint that a group of four was cancelled 15 minutes before the start with the explanation that the trip was full. With six reviews in total, one bad experience weighs heavily, which is why I’d read the score as a warning about booking reliability and not about the fishing.

Fishing Charter Sydney Harbour

Fishing charters in Sydney Harbour are not the same as the offshore trips. Both listings say the vessel takes up to 26 guests when fishing inside the harbour and up to 14 on offshore reef trips, so the harbour is the bigger-group option. The 4-hour listing says you either cruise beyond the heads to reefs up to 150 m deep or stay in the harbour targeting King fish, pig fish, snapper and flathead.

I read this as a choice made on the day. The listing does not say who decides, how the sea conditions change the plan or whether a harbour trip costs less. If you have a particular wish, such as a calm-water morning for a nervous group, write to the operator before you book and ask for it in writing. The harbour also has a view that offshore fishing does not: the listings of the 7-hour trip mention scenic views on the way and sightseeing.

Sydney Harbour Fishing Trips

A fishing charter in Sydney is a good choice for an introduction because the time on the water is shorter and the boat is full of gear that a beginner does not have to understand. The 4-hour charter at $186 is the one I’d give a beginner. The 1 to 5 PM slot also leaves the morning free, which is useful if you arrive on a morning flight.

Offshore can be rougher than the harbour, and I can’t give you wave heights, because the listings don’t and I don’t want to invent them. What the listings do say is that tablets or medication for sea sickness are on board, which is a sensible hint that some people need them. If you have never been out through the heads, the Bureau of Meteorology marine forecast for the Sydney coast is the thing to check the day before, at bom.gov.au. For an easier introduction to the water, the kayak tour page covers the calmer harbour options.

Sydney Fishing Charters Prices

The two prices are $186 and $214, and the extra $28 buys three more hours. That makes the 7-hour trip cheaper per hour by about 34 percent, if you can stay awake from 6 AM. Neither price includes food, and the 4-hour listing says so. Drinks are on sale on board.

On licences, the NSW Department of Primary Industries says the recreational fishing fee may not apply when you fish from a charter boat, as long as the operator holds a fee exemption certificate. The listings don’t tell me whether Sydney Charter Fishing does, so I’d ask them directly and get the answer in writing, since the fee applies if they don’t. Only licensed charter vessels can carry paying anglers in NSW, according to the same source.

Sydney Fishing Tour

If fishing is only part of what you want, the 7-hour listing mentions seasonal whale watching, and its itinerary lists dolphin watching and shark viewing. I would not book a Sydney fishing charter for the whales, though. The whale watching page compares three cruises built for it, and the listing itself only calls the whale watching seasonal.

A fishing tour in Sydney also suits a group better than a couple: with up to 14 offshore, a party of eight friends fills more than half of the boat and the trip feels nearly private. For a group that wants a day on the water without the rod, the boat rental page covers the electric boats.

How I’d Choose a Fishing Charter in Sydney

• First time, one afternoon: the 4-hour trip at $186.
• A full morning and the best value per hour: the 7-hour trip at $214.
• Large group: both take up to 14 offshore or 26 in the harbour.
• Before you pay: ask about the fishing fee exemption, and confirm the booking a day ahead.

Whichever fishing charter Sydney trip you pick, both cancel free up to 24 hours before the start, so look at the forecast the day before. For everything else that sails, see the full list of boat tours in Sydney, and the home page for the other cities.

If you are comparing other trips on the water, I also cover dinner cruises, party cruises, guided snorkeling trips, sunset cruises.