Barwon River at Brewarrina Fishing Report
Updated Sat, 26 Sept 2026 from live weather and tide data
The Barwon at Brewarrina, beside the ancient Aboriginal fish traps: cod and yellowbelly in the north-west’s big river, with a Bureau gauge.
3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Level
2.29 m
Air / High
24 °C / 32 °C
Wind
NNE 14 km/h
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology gauge 422002, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.
Today's Fishing Report
Barwon River at Brewarrina rewards patience today, with cool water and short feeding windows. The gauge reads 2.29 m, holding steady. Today brings clear skies, wind NNE around 14 km/h, steady pressure near 1028 hPa and a high of 32 °C. Water sits around 13 °C for the season (estimated). With the full moon, the solunar majors run 11:16 PM-1:16 AM and 11:16 AM-1:16 PM: the windows to build the day around.
Murray cod
Slow
Slow it down: heavier spinnerbaits, slow-rolled swimbaits and bait on the bottom next to the deep snags.
Tie on: Blade or vibe, slow hops · Lightly weighted plastic · Whole pilchard or squid on the bottom · Suspending hardbody. Prime windows: 11:16 PM-1:16 AM, 11:16 AM-1:16 PM, 5:46 AM-6:46 AM. Similar at 33 °C. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.
Before you go
New South Wales requires a fishing licence for most fishing, from A$7.00. New South Wales fishing licence: cost, rules and where to buy →
Chasing murray cod here? Check the size and bag limits with DPIRD NSW before you keep anything; the Murray cod page has the seasons and the tactics.
Fishing times for Barwon River at Brewarrina today
Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today from sunrise (05:57), sunset (18:10), the moon and today's score. Tap a bar to see why.
Bite planner
Solunar majors 11:16 PM-1:16 AM and 11:16 AM-1:16 PM; minor 5:46 AM-6:46 AM. Full Moon, 100% lit.
Water and weather
Live readings from Bureau of Meteorology station 422002 (BARWON @ BREWARRINA).
River level, last 30 days
Bureau of Meteorology Water Data Online, station 422002. Latest reading 2026-09-24 22:30.
Right now
Latest readings
Air temp24 °C
High / Low32 °C / 18 °C
WindNNE 14 km/h, gusts 27 km/h
Pressure1028.1 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset05:57 / 18:10
MoonFull Moon, 100%
Water temp (seasonal)~13 °C est.
7-day fishing forecast: which day to fish Barwon River at Brewarrina
The best day on Barwon River at Brewarrina this week looks like Sunday 27 Sept, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today. Every day is scored by the same engine as the report above: pressure trend first, then wind, sky and season. Pick a species and the plan for that day changes with it.
Best day this week: Sunday, 27 Sept — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.
Today, 26 Sept — Fair
A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
- Solunar majors
- 11:16 PM-1:16 AM and 11:16 AM-1:16 PM
- Minor period
- 5:46 AM-6:46 AM
- Sun
- 05:57 to 18:10
- Moon
- Full Moon, 100% lit
- Sky and wind
- Clear, 14 km/h
- Rain chance
- 0%
Scores are a planning aid built from forecast data, not a promise.
Species guide
The species that matter on Barwon River at Brewarrina: seasons written for the southern year, and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.
Murray cod
December to August; closed September to November
Closed now Reopens 1 Dec 2026. Closed 1 September to 30 November in all waters except Blowering and Copeton dams. Rule as read from DPIRD NSW on 2026-09-23.
The giant of the inland rivers and the big lakes (Hume, Mulwala, Eildon). A snag fish that eats big lures, and a species with a closed season across the Murray-Darling. Slow it down: heavier spinnerbaits, slow-rolled swimbaits and bait on the bottom next to the deep snags.
Golden perch
Best: November to April
Yellowbelly. The bread-and-butter native of the Murray-Darling lakes and rivers; loves warm water, structure and a lure worked slowly past its nose. Slower. Work the deeper timber and the drop-offs with vibes and bait.
When to come: the Barwon River at Brewarrina calendar
Activity by species and month for the southern year, and how the water warms and cools. Tap any cell.
Species activity by month
1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted. January is midsummer here.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Murray cod
Golden perch
SlowPeak
Water temperature through the year
Typical surface temperature for this water type in degrees Celsius; today is around 13 °C (estimated, not a reading).
Angler reports
Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. Nothing here is copied from a shop or a charter. The water log below tracks each day automatically.
No angler reports yetBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Barwon River at Brewarrina today.
Water log, last days
Auto-logged from live dataFri, Sep 25
3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Golden perch led the card at fair. High of 31 °C, wind to 21 km/h.
Thu, Sep 24
4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Golden perch led the card at good. High of 32 °C, wind to 19 km/h.
Wed, Sep 23
4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Golden perch led the card at good. High of 33 °C, wind to 29 km/h.
Before you go
Licence
NSW Recreational Fishing Fee, from A$7.00, the same for residents and visitors. Details and where to buy →
Regulations
Size and bag limits, closed seasons and marine park zones are set by DPIRD NSW and change: confirm the current rules on the agency page linked from the New South Wales licence page before you keep anything.
Access
The NSW Recreational Fishing Fee applies at Brewarrina, from A$7 for three days; our New South Wales page has the fees.
About this water
Barwon River at Brewarrina is a river in New South Wales, Australia, covered from the New South Wales reports and listed in all Australia waters.
Fishing Barwon River at Brewarrina: the full guide
The Barwon at Brewarrina
Brewarrina is the north-western town on the Barwon River where the Ngemba stone fish traps, Baiame’s Ngunnhu, lie across the river below the weir, among the oldest human-built structures on earth and a heritage site of national importance. The river runs between coolibah and red gum across the plains toward Bourke. The Bureau of Meteorology’s gauge at Brewarrina supplies the river level and the 30-day chart on this page. The Barwon at Walgett and the Darling River have their own pages.
Species and seasons
Murray cod and golden perch are the fish of the Barwon at Brewarrina, the cod in the snags and deep holes above and below the weir, the yellowbelly on shrimp and worms in the warm months; freshwater catfish are protected west of the Divide and carp are common. The New South Wales Murray cod closure, 1 September to 30 November, applies; the species card computes it.
Where to fish it
The weir pool and the riverbank reserves in Brewarrina give access to the Barwon, and the camping spots along the river roads reach the reaches up and downstream. The fish traps are a cultural site: respect the signage and the traditional owners’ wishes around them.
Planning a visit
Brewarrina is on the Kamilaroi Highway between Walgett and Bourke, with supplies, accommodation and the Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum. Bring cod gear and bait, and plan for the heat and for roads that close after rain.
Reading this report here
Flows reach Brewarrina from the Queensland and New England catchments, and the chart shows them arriving; the river fishes best as a fresh settles. The water temperature estimate, labelled as one, is hot in summer; pressure and sky build the score at Brewarrina.
Licence, access and rules
The NSW Recreational Fishing Fee applies at Brewarrina, from A$7 for three days; our New South Wales page has the fees. The DPIRD rules, including the closed waters around the weir and the fish traps, are in the sources.
Common questions
Can I fish at the Brewarrina fish traps?
The traps are a heritage site of the Ngemba people; follow the signage and the DPIRD closed waters around the weir, linked in the sources.
What can I catch at Brewarrina?
Murray cod and golden perch; freshwater catfish are protected.
Do I need a licence at Brewarrina?
Yes: the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee, from A$7 for three days.
Is fishing good at Barwon River at Brewarrina right now?
Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Nearby waters
Where this page's numbers come from
- Storage and river readings
- Bureau of Meteorology, Water Data Online, station 422002 — BARWON @ BREWARRINA
- Open-Meteo forecast model
- https://open-meteo.com/
- Moon and solunar windows
- Calculated on this site
- The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on How our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.