Barramundi
Fair
Work the colour changes and the snags on the run-out; larger swimbaits and slow-rolled plastics in the impoundments.
East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing Fishing Report
Updated Fri, 25 Sept 2026 from live weather and tide data
The East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing, on the Kakadu–Arnhem Land border: barramundi in a tidal river famous for its crocodiles, with a Bureau gauge.
3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Level
0.99 m
Air / High
26 °C / 37 °C
Wind
NNE 13 km/h
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology gauge G8210015, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.
Today's Fishing Report
East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing sits in the warm band: moving baits, moving tides and fish on the edges. The gauge reads 0.99 m, easing 0.06 over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind NNE around 13 km/h, steady pressure near 1016 hPa and a high of 37 °C. Water sits around 26 °C for the season (estimated). With the full moon, the solunar majors run 10:25 AM-12:25 PM and 10:25 PM-12:25 AM: the windows to build the day around.
Tie on: Soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jighead · Small hardbody, shallow diver · Squid jig, size 3.0 · Fresh pipi or worm on a small hook. Prime windows: 10:25 AM-12:25 PM, 10:25 PM-12:25 AM, 4:55 AM-5:55 AM. Similar at 35 °C. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.
Before you go
Northern Territory has no general fishing licence, but rules and permits apply. Northern Territory fishing licence: cost, rules and where to buy →
Chasing barramundi here? Check the size and bag limits with NT Fisheries before you keep anything; the Barramundi page has the seasons and the tactics.
Fishing times for East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing today
Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today from sunrise (06:26), sunset (18:34), the moon and today's score. Tap a bar to see why.
Bite planner
Solunar majors 10:25 AM-12:25 PM and 10:25 PM-12:25 AM; minor 4:55 AM-5:55 AM. Full Moon, 99% lit.
Water and weather
Live readings from Bureau of Meteorology station G8210015 (East Alligator River - U/S Cahills Xng).
River level, last 30 days
Bureau of Meteorology Water Data Online, station G8210015. Latest reading 2026-09-24 06:45.
Right now
Latest readings
Air temp26 °C
High / Low37 °C / 21 °C
WindNNE 13 km/h, gusts 26 km/h
Pressure1016.2 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain8% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset06:26 / 18:34
MoonFull Moon, 99%
Water temp (seasonal)~26 °C est.
7-day fishing forecast: which day to fish East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing
The best day on East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing this week looks like Saturday 26 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: Saturday, 26 Sept — good at 4/5, steady pressure, neither help nor hindrance.
Today, 25 Sept — Fair
A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
- Solunar majors
- 10:25 AM-12:25 PM and 10:25 PM-12:25 AM
- Minor period
- 4:55 AM-5:55 AM
- Sun
- 06:26 to 18:34
- Moon
- Full Moon, 99% lit
- Sky and wind
- Overcast, 19 km/h
- Rain chance
- 2%
Scores are a planning aid built from forecast data, not a promise.
Species guide
The species that matter on East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing: seasons written for the southern year, and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.
Barramundi
Run-off (March to May) and build-up (October to November) in the north; check the closed season on the Queensland east coast
The north's fish. Tidal rivers, run-off creeks, rock bars and the stocked impoundments. Warm water, moving water and a barometer on the way down. Work the colour changes and the snags on the run-out; larger swimbaits and slow-rolled plastics in the impoundments.
When to come: the East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing 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
Barramundi
SlowPeak
Water temperature through the year
Typical surface temperature for this water type in degrees Celsius; today is around 26 °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 East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing today.
Water log, last days
Auto-logged from live dataThu, Sep 24
4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Barramundi led the card at good. High of 36 °C, wind to 14 km/h.
Wed, Sep 23
4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Barramundi led the card at good. High of 36 °C, wind to 19 km/h.
Tue, Sep 22
4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Barramundi led the card at good. High of 36 °C, wind to 16 km/h.
Before you go
Licence
Northern Territory has no general recreational fishing licence; the limits and closures do. Details and where to buy →
Regulations
Size and bag limits, closed seasons and marine park zones are set by NT Fisheries and change: confirm the current rules on the agency page linked from the Northern Territory licence page before you keep anything.
Access
The Northern Territory has no recreational fishing licence; the possession limits, the Kakadu National Park fishing rules and the Arnhem Land permit system apply, on the pages linked below..
About this water
East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing is a river in Northern Territory, Australia, covered from the Northern Territory reports and listed in all Australia waters.
Fishing East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing: the full guide
The East Alligator above Cahills Crossing
Cahills Crossing is the tidal causeway where the road from Ubirr in Kakadu National Park crosses the East Alligator River into Arnhem Land, a crossing that floods on the big tides and is watched by the crocodiles that gather there to feed on the fish pushing over it. The Bureau of Meteorology’s gauge above the crossing supplies the river level and the 30-day chart on this page. Kakadu’s other rivers, the South Alligator and the Wildman among them, have their own character; the Wildman at Runaway Camp has its own page.
Species and seasons
Barramundi are the fish of the East Alligator, running the tidal river and the billabongs and taken on lures, best in the run-off and the build-up; threadfin salmon and catfish are also caught. The Northern Territory has no general closed season for barramundi; its possession limits apply, and Kakadu National Park sets its own fishing rules and closed areas.
Where to fish it
The park’s designated fishing areas near the crossing and the boat ramp upstream give access under Kakadu’s rules. Fishing from the causeway itself is dangerous: large crocodiles gather at Cahills Crossing, and the park warns visitors to stay well away from the water’s edge.
Planning a visit
Jabiru, inside Kakadu, is the base, with fuel and supplies; Border Store near Ubirr is the nearest stop. A Kakadu park pass is needed, and crossing into Arnhem Land needs a permit from the Northern Land Council; the crossing itself is impassable on high tides and in the wet.
Reading this report here
The chart shows the East Alligator’s level, which at the crossing moves with the tide as well as with the wet; the tide panel, a modelled curve labelled as a model, is for the direction there. The water temperature estimate, labelled as one, is warm all year; pressure and sky build the score at Cahills Crossing.
Licence, access and rules
The Northern Territory has no recreational fishing licence; the possession limits, the Kakadu National Park fishing rules and the Arnhem Land permit system apply, on the pages linked below.
Common questions
Can I fish at Cahills Crossing?
Only where Kakadu’s rules allow it, and never from the causeway: it is one of the most dangerous crocodile sites in the Territory.
Do I need a permit to cross into Arnhem Land?
Yes, from the Northern Land Council; a Kakadu park pass is needed on the park side.
Do I need a fishing licence here?
No. The Northern Territory has no recreational fishing licence.
Is fishing good at East Alligator River above Cahills Crossing 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 G8210015 — East Alligator River - U/S Cahills Xng
- 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.