Sign in
The Banks (12 Mile Reef)
Reef·New South Wales·Australia·
Field notes
Broken reef system 12nm east of Sydney Heads in 60-90m. Reliable snapper and flathead ground, with kingfish on the high spots in summer. Drift fishing with pilchards or soft plastics works the structure. Sounder essential to find the productive bommies.
Current conditions
Wind
11.5 kt SW
Gusts 16.1 kt
Waves
2.5 m
Period 9.4 s
Swell
2.2 m
Period 8.2 s
Sea temp
21.6°C
Air 19.5°C
Next 12 hours
13:00
11.5 SW
2.5m
14:00
12.9 SW
2.6m
15:00
13.9 SW
2.6m
16:00
19.7 SW
2.6m
17:00
19.5 SW
2.6m
18:00
20.4 SW
2.7m
19:00
20.5 SW
2.7m
20:00
24.9 SW
2.8m
21:00
27.1 SSW
2.9m
22:00
22.4 SW
3m
23:00
18.1 WSW
3m
00:00
18.6 WSW
3m
Tides
Nearest BOM tide station: Camp Cove ↗ (23.5 km · secondary)
We don't predict tides on-site — BOM's published tables are authoritative.
BOM · Sydney CoastIssued at 10:00 pm EST on Tuesday 19 May 2026
Situation. A trough is crossing the coastal waters, with a low pressure system forming within the trough off the south coast. The low will then head further offshore and remain over the Tasman Sea for the next several days, whipping fresh to strong southerly winds and large powerful waves to the coastline mid to late this week.
Tuesday 19 May until midnight. Strong Wind Warning for Tuesday for Sydney Coast Winds: Southwesterly 20 to 25 knots, reaching up to 30 knots offshore. Seas: 2 to 2.5 metres. 1st Swell: South to southwesterly around 1 metre inshore, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres offshore. 2nd Swell: Northeasterly 2 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy. 50% chance of showers offshore, near zero chance elsewhere. The chance of a thunderstorm offshore.
Wednesday 20 May. Strong Wind Warning for Wednesday for Sydney Coast Winds: Southwesterly 20 to 30 knots decreasing to 20 to 25 knots in the morning then tending southerly 20 to 30 knots in the evening. Seas: 1.5 to 2.5 metres. 1st Swell: Southerly 2 to 3 metres. 2nd Swell: Easterly 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1.5 metres during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy. 80% chance of showers offshore, 50% chance elsewhere. The chance of a thunderstorm offshore in the evening.
Thursday 21 May. Winds: Southerly 20 to 30 knots decreasing to 20 to 25 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: 2 to 2.5 metres. 1st Swell: Southerly 1.5 to 2.5 metres. 2nd Swell: Easterly 1 to 1.5 metres. Weather: Cloudy. 95% chance of showers.
Friday 22 May. Winds: Southerly 20 to 30 knots. Seas: 2 metres. 1st Swell: Southerly 2 to 2.5 metres, tending southeasterly 2.5 to 3 metres during the afternoon or evening. 2nd Swell: Northeast to southeasterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. 90% chance of showers. Caution: Large and powerful surf conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as crossing bars by boat and rock fishing.
Source: Open-Meteo Marine + ECMWF (15-min cache) · BOM (1-hr cache). Not for navigation.
Sun & moon
Today
Sun↑ 06:42↓ 17:00
Moon↑ —↓ 18:58
PhaseWaxing crescent 10%
Best windows
- Dawn06:16 – 07:42
- Dusk16:00 – 17:27
Tomorrow
Sun↑ 06:43↓ 17:00
Moon↑ 10:18↓ 20:08
PhaseWaxing crescent 18%
Best windows
- Dawn06:16 – 07:43
- Dusk16:00 – 17:26
Best windows combine civil twilight with the hour either side of sun transit — the universal low-light feeding window most species respond to. Moon phase influence is folkloric; full and new moons coincide with the strongest tide swings.
What's biting
Recent reports from the community. Sign in to log your own catches.
Access & logistics
Spot type
Reef
Region
New South Wales, Australia
Fishing style
offshore and bluewater fishing
Structure
Typically holds bommies and drop-offs — work the structure for holding fish.
Licence
Recreational fishing licence may apply — check the New South Wales fisheries regulator before fishing.
Closures
Always confirm current marine park / closure status and seasonal bag limits.
Comments
Sign in to leave a comment.
No comments yet — be the first.