Fishing spots › Knysna Lagoon
Knysna Lagoon
Estuary fishing spot
The Knysna Lagoon is South Africa's most iconic estuary fishery. Its vast tidal flats and deep channels hold excellent spotted grunter — sight-fishing to tailing fish on the flats with prawn imitations is a local art form. White steenbras patrol the sandbanks, garrick hunt mullet along the channel edges in summer, and big kob move through the deeper water near the Heads.
Drifting live mullet or prawn baits in the channels on the incoming tide is the reliable approach; fly and dropshot anglers do well on the flats at first light. Boat, kayak and bank options all exist, with plenty of access points around the lagoon edge.
Note: the lagoon falls under SANParks protection with specific bag limits, size limits and closed areas (including bait-collection rules) — check current regulations before fishing.
🎣 Best fishing times today
Major & minor solunar periods from the moon's position. A guide, not a guarantee.
🐟 What's biting now
Cob (Kabeljou)
Red Roman
Galjoen
White Steenbras
Spotted Grunter
Cape Stumpnose
Blacktail
Musselcracker
In season around September on the Garden Route.
Conditions & forecast
Live wind & rain from Windy.com — switch the overlay with the buttons above.
🌊 Tides & moon
⛅ 5-day fishing weather
Loading forecast…
Spot info
-34.0447, 23.0645
Parking at public slipway or municipal access points
Easy flat access along the banks in most reaches
Calm early mornings; light sea breeze afternoons okay in sheltered water
Strong wind of any direction makes light-tackle work miserable
Pushing tide over the banks; last of the ebb in the channels
Sand and mud banks, prawn beds, deeper channels
Short casts — presentation beats distance in estuaries
🚫 Prohibited — DFFE (DAFF) bans the use of drones for fishing, deploying baits or spotting fish in South African waters.
Excellent kayak water — the best way to reach quiet banks
Mud and sand prawn pumping in designated areas — permit + limits; some banks closed
Estuarine permit required; bag/size limits strictly enforced; check closed areas
