Queensland runs from the subtropical estuaries of the Gold Coast and Moreton Bay through the sand islands and the Sunshine Coast to the dry tropics of Townsville and the wet tropics of Cairns, with the Great Barrier Reef offshore for most of that length. No general licence, a permit for the stocked dams, and a rule book of marine parks, barramundi closed seasons and coral reef fin fish closures.
Reports current for Monday 9 November
Every one of the 152 Queensland waters we cover has a live read this morning. 58 are scoring 4 out of 5 or better and 34 are slow. Water runs 19 °C to 29 °C. Pressure is rising on most of them, which costs a point in our model when the sky is clear. 72 have a better-than-even chance of rain.
Best right now: Agnes Water 4/5, Albert River at Kerry 4/5, Balonne River at Surat 4/5
Live verdicts from this morning's reports.
Brisbane’s bay: sand islands, shipping channels, artificial reefs and the flats where flathead, bream, whiting and snapper share a tide.
Surf beaches, the Seaway, the Broadwater and a network of canals: a city built on water that fishes from the sand, the rocks and the jetty in the same afternoon.
From Caloundra to Noosa: surf beaches, the Maroochy and Mooloolah rivers, the Pumicestone Passage and the reefs off Mooloolaba.
The sheltered water between the mainland and K’gari: whiting flats, the Urangan Pier, and a bay where the tide is the whole story.
A river city with the bay at its door: bream and jew in the Brisbane River, snapper on the bay beacons and flathead on the flats within the suburbs.
The Noosa River, the headland and the beaches: a river fishery of bream, flathead and jack with the surf and the reef at its mouth.
Pumicestone Passage on one side, surf beach on the other: an island you drive to, with bream, flathead, whiting and tailor a short walk apart.
K’gari: 123 kilometres of sand island, a long eastern surf beach, a winter tailor run and gutters that change with every tide.
The tropical north: barramundi in the creeks and the Trinity Inlet, reef fish and pelagics off the Great Barrier Reef, and a wet season that runs the calendar.
The Burnett River, the Elliott and the Kolan, Bargara’s rocks and the reefs off the coast: the southern gateway to the reef with an estuary at its door.
Cleveland Bay, the Strand, the Ross River and Magnetic Island: the dry-tropics city with the reef offshore and barramundi in the creeks.
Where the Pumicestone Passage meets the sea: the bar, the beaches and the passage flats at the southern end of the Sunshine Coast.
The coloured cliffs, Inskip Point and the beach to Double Island Point: tailor gutters, whiting and the barge to K’gari at the top of the Cooloola coast.
The peninsula at the top of Moreton Bay: Redcliffe Jetty, Woody Point Jetty and the bay flats a half-hour from Brisbane.
The calm side of the Cooloola coast: mangrove flats, channels and seagrass on the Great Sandy Strait, with the surf a short drive away.
The barramundi impoundment north of Bundaberg: a stocked storage on the Kolan where big barramundi are the target and the permit is the ticket.
The Pioneer River, the harbour and the islands: a sugar city on the central coast with reef water offshore and barramundi in the creeks.
From the lakes of the Cooloola country to the bar at Noosa Heads: a river of sand flats, rock walls and snags, tidal a long way inland.
Minjerribah: the eastern wall of Moreton Bay, with surf gutters and rock platforms on the ocean side and calm flats, jetties and tidal channels on the bay side.
Mulgumpin: a sand island of surf beaches, the Tangalooma wrecks and the bay flats, reached by vehicle ferry and driven on the sand.
The Capricorn Coast: Keppel Bay, the islands, the creeks and the Causeway Lake, a coast on the Tropic of Capricorn.
A harbour city on the Capricorn coast: the Boyne and Calliope rivers, the harbour islands, Lake Awoonga behind it and the reef offshore.
A tidal river through a capital: bream on the pontoons, threadfin and jew in the deep reaches, jack in the snags, and the port at the mouth.
Where the rainforest meets the reef: Dickson Inlet, the Mossman and Daintree rivers, Four Mile Beach and the Great Barrier Reef offshore.
The Sunshine Coast’s long sandy estuary: flathead flats, bream on the leases, whiting in summer and the mouth at Cotton Tree.
The river between Brisbane and the Gold Coast: bream and flathead in the tidal reaches, jack in the snags, and the mouth on southern Moreton Bay.
The Fitzroy River through Rockhampton: barramundi and threadfin below the barrage, the delta creeks and Keppel Bay downstream, in a net-free zone.
The barramundi lake behind Gladstone: a storage on the Boyne stocked from its own hatchery, no permit needed, and a level read from the Bureau every day.
From Gympie to the Great Sandy Strait: the tidal Mary below Maryborough, a river of barramundi, bass, threadfin and mud crabs.
The gateway to the Whitsundays: the marinas, Shute Harbour, the mangrove creeks and the island passages with the reef beyond.
The Endeavour River and the Cape York coast: barramundi in the river, the reef offshore, and a modelled tide for the river mouth.
The Gulf of Carpentaria’s fishing town: the Norman River mouth, the sandbar, the beach at Karumba Point and the barramundi and salmon of the Gulf.
The mining town on the western Cape: the Embley and Mission rivers, the Gulf beaches and creeks, and barramundi, queenfish and salmon in remote tropical water.
The storage on the Stanley above Wivenhoe: stocked bass, golden perch and saratoga north-west of Brisbane, with a level read from the Bureau every day.
The wet-tropics river town: the Johnstone River and its north and south branches, Flying Fish Point and Etty Bay, and the barramundi, jack and grunter of the cane country.
Lake Tinaroo on the Atherton Tableland: stocked barramundi that Sunwater credits with extraordinary size, sooty grunter, four public ramps and a permit to fish.
Lake Proserpine behind the Whitsundays: stocked barramundi and sooty grunter in a timbered dam Sunwater says holds more metre-plus barramundi than any other impoundment, exempt from the closure.
Kinchant Dam, 40 km west of Mackay: stocked barramundi and sooty grunter in an off-stream lake filled by channel from the Pioneer River, exempt from the barramundi closure.
Teemburra Dam in the Pioneer Valley 60 km west of Mackay: stocked barramundi and sooty grunter, exempt from the closure, with a ramp but no camping or jet skis.
Eungella Dam on the Broken River in rugged hill country west of Mackay: stocked sooty grunter and barramundi, exempt from the closure, with Sunwater-run camping.
Lake Dalrymple behind Burdekin Falls Dam, Queensland’s largest water storage: stocked barramundi exempt from the closure, camping by the wall and a ramp that closes at extreme levels.
Callide Dam near Biloela: stocked barramundi, golden perch and saratoga in a storage built for the Callide power station, exempt from the barramundi closure, with a ramp and private camping.
Lake Maraboon at Emerald, Queensland’s second-biggest storage: stocked barramundi and golden perch, exempt from the barramundi closure, with a Sunwater ramp and private camping.
Lake Lenthall in the Wongi Forestry between Maryborough and Hervey Bay: stocked barramundi, bass and golden perch, exempt from the barramundi closure, reached by a rough dirt road.
Paradise Dam on the Burnett River near Biggenden: a new stocked impoundment for barramundi and bass, inside the Ben Anderson Barrage exemption, with Sunwater access until major works begin.
Lake Morris behind Copperlode Falls Dam, Cairns’ water supply in the hills: exempt from the barramundi closure and not in the stocked impoundment permit scheme.
Wuruma Dam on the Nogo River 48 km north of Eidsvold: stocked bass, golden perch, silver perch and barramundi, free Sunwater camping and a permit to fish.
Cania Dam on Three Moon Creek in the North Burnett: stocked bass, golden perch, saratoga and silver perch over a drowned gold town, with a permit to fish and no camping at the dam.
Lake Boondooma on the Boyne River in the South Burnett: stocked bass, golden perch and silver perch in the storage that supplies Tarong power station, with private camping and a permit.
Lake Barambah near Moffatdale in the South Burnett: a dam Sunwater calls renowned for its bass fishery, also stocked with golden perch, saratoga and silver perch, with two ramps and a permit.
Lake Wivenhoe on the Brisbane River, South East Queensland’s largest water storage: stocked bass, golden perch, saratoga, silver perch and Mary River cod, with Seqwater camping and boating areas.
Lake Samsonvale behind North Pine Dam near Petrie: stocked bass, golden perch, saratoga, silver perch and Mary River cod, fished from Seqwater’s shore parks, with paddle craft at Forgan Cove.
Lake Moogerah on Reynolds Creek near Boonah: stocked bass, golden perch, silver perch and Mary River cod, with fuel and electric boating, water skiing and two Seqwater fishing parks.
Maroon Dam on Burnett Creek south of Boonah: stocked bass, golden perch, silver perch and Mary River cod, with Seqwater fishing at the day use area and Slater Park and a permit to fish.
Hinze Dam in the Gold Coast hinterland, the city’s main water supply: stocked bass, golden perch, saratoga, silver perch and Mary River cod, fished from two electric-boat ramps.
Wyaralong Dam on Teviot Brook near Beaudesert, South East Queensland’s newest dam: stocked bass and Mary River cod, electric and paddle craft at Meebun, and remote camping at Ngumbi.
Borumba Dam on Yabba Creek near Imbil: stocked bass, golden perch, silver perch and Mary River cod in a Mary Valley storage with fuel and electric boating and a permit to fish.
Lake Macdonald (Six Mile Creek Dam) near Cooroy: stocked bass, golden perch, silver perch and Mary River cod, electric and paddle craft only, with the lake lowered for dam upgrade works.
Lake Cressbrook near Crows Nest, a Toowoomba water supply: stocked bass, golden perch, saratoga, silver perch and Mary River cod, outboards at set speeds, and a council campground.
Sandy Creek’s storage 11 km from Warwick: stocked Murray cod, golden perch and silver perch, a Stocked Impoundment Permit and a Bureau of Meteorology gauge.
Macintyre Brook’s 1968 storage near Inglewood: stocked Murray cod, golden perch and silver perch, a Stocked Impoundment Permit and a lake exempt from the basin cod closure.
Pike Creek’s deep storage at Glenlyon near the border: stocked cod, golden perch and silver perch in a Queensland lake exempt from the cod closure, with a Bureau gauge.
Townsville’s main water supply: land-based barramundi fishing from the council’s designated spit, the east coast closure in force, and a Bureau gauge.
Sunwater’s Leichhardt River storage north-east of Mount Isa: barramundi exempt from the Gulf closure, boating allowed, no camping, and a Bureau gauge.
The Burnett at Gayndah: bass, golden perch and the protected lungfish, beside the stocked Claude Wharton Weir, with the Bureau’s gauge at the town.
The upper Burnett at Mundubbera: bass, golden perch and the protected lungfish around the Jones Weir pool, with the Bureau’s gauge at the town.
The Mary at Gympie: bass in the fresh river through the old gold town, with the endangered Mary River cod and the lungfish both no-take, and the Bureau’s gauge at the weir.
The Dawson at Baralaba: golden perch and saratoga in the Neville Hewitt Weir pool of central Queensland, with the Bureau’s gauge at the town.
The Dawson at Theodore: golden perch and saratoga in the town weir pool of the irrigation district, with the Bureau’s gauge on the pool.
The Fitzroy at Riverslea: barramundi, golden perch and saratoga in the new Rookwood Weir pool above Rockhampton, with the Bureau’s gauge at Riverslea.
The Burdekin at Sellheim near Charters Towers: barramundi and sooty grunter in the big dry-country river above Burdekin Falls Dam, with the Bureau’s gauge at Sellheim.
The lower Burdekin at Clare: barramundi in the Clare Weir pool and the delta reaches of the cane country, with the Bureau’s gauge at Clare.
The Herbert at Ingham: barramundi, sooty grunter and jungle perch in the wet-tropics river through the cane, with the Bureau’s gauge at the town.
The Tully at Euramo: barramundi and sooty grunter in a wet-tropics river between the gorge and the tide, with the Bureau’s gauge at the Bruce Highway crossing.
The Barron at Mareeba: sooty grunter and barramundi in the tableland river below Tinaroo, with the Bureau’s Mareeba gauge on the page.
The Barron at Kuranda: sooty grunter and jungle perch in the rainforest reach above the Barron Falls, fished by bank and kayak from the village.
The Daintree: barramundi, mangrove jack and jungle perch in the rainforest river of the far north, with the Bureau’s gauge at Bairds.
The upper Logan at Beaudesert: Australian bass in the fresh river of the Scenic Rim, well above the tide.
The Albert at Kerry under the Lamington ranges: bass in the clear pools of a Scenic Rim river, closed to line fishing from August to October.
The Nerang below Hinze Dam: bass in the fresh reaches of the Gold Coast hinterland, with the dam’s closed zone and its stocked water upstream.
The upper Coomera at Witheren: bass in clear pools below the Lamington plateau, closed to line fishing from August to October.
The Condamine through Warwick: Murray cod and golden perch in the southern Downs town’s river, under the Queensland cod closure, with the Bureau’s gauge in town.
The Condamine at Chinchilla: Murray cod and golden perch in a stocked weir pool of the western Downs, under the cod closure and the permit scheme.
The Balonne at St George: Murray cod and golden perch on the Jack Taylor Weir pool, under the Queensland cod closure, with the Bureau’s gauge at the town.
The Russell south of Cairns: barramundi, jungle perch and sooty grunter in a clear wet-tropics river under the Bellenden Ker Range.
The Flinders at Hughenden: an inland Gulf river that flows in the wet and shrinks to waterholes in the dry, with no live gauge in town.
A surf beach at the southern edge of the reef and the town of 1770: whiting and dart on the beach, bream and mangrove jack in Round Hill Creek, and the reef of the Bunker Group outside.
Gladstone’s beach: the Boyne River mouth, the Tannum beach and the Wild Cattle Creek, with whiting, bream, flathead and the barra of the river.
The mango town between the Whitsundays and Townsville: the harbour, Queens Beach and the Don River mouth, with mackerel, barra, whiting and the reef.
The sugar jetty and the Hinchinbrook Channel: a loading jetty that runs kilometres out to sea, the channel’s barra and jacks, and the reef beyond Hinchinbrook Island.
The town on the Hinchinbrook Channel: the jetty, the creeks and the mangroves, with barra, jacks and grunter, and the island across the water.
The Cassowary Coast beaches and Dunk Island: whiting and dart on the beach, barra and jacks in the creeks, mackerel and reef fish from Clump Point.
The Mossman and Daintree rivers and the Newell and Wonga beaches: barra, jacks and sooty grunter, with the reef off Port Douglas.
The Burdekin delta from Ayr: the creeks and mouths of the Burdekin, Alva Beach and Cape Bowling Green, with barra, jacks, grunter and mackerel.
Townsville’s island: the jetties of Picnic Bay and Nelly Bay, the bays and headlands, with mackerel, queenfish, trevally and the reef around the island.
The beaches south of Mackay: Sarina Beach, Grasstree and Campwin, the creeks and the Cape Palmerston coast, with whiting, barra and mackerel.
The beaches and creeks north of Mackay: Seaforth, Halliday Bay and the Cape Hillsborough coast, with barra, grunter, whiting and mackerel off the islands.
Bundaberg’s beach: the Bargara rocks and beaches, the turtle coast of Mon Repos, with whiting, bream, tailor and the mackerel of the reef.
The Elliott River mouth south of Bundaberg: whiting and bream in the river, tailor on the beach and the rocks, with the flats that dry at low water.
The long beach between Bundaberg and Hervey Bay: whiting and dart on the sand, the Theodolite Creek mouth and the Burrum coast, with tailor in winter.
The Burrum River mouth on Hervey Bay: whiting, bream and flathead in the river, the flats and the bay, with the sand banks at the mouth and mud crabs in the mangroves.
The southern Moreton Bay channels: the Pimpama and Logan mouths, Jumpinpin bar and the Stradbroke back channels, with whiting, bream, flathead and the jew of the Pin.
The Pumicestone Passage from the mainland: the Toorbul flats and jetty, the Bribie channels and the Glass House creeks, with whiting, bream, flathead and crabs.
The Sunshine Coast’s surf town under Mount Coolum: the beach, Point Perry and Point Arkwright rocks, with whiting, tailor, bream and the reef outside.
Kawana Waters and the Mooloolah River: the canals, the river mouth and the Point Cartwright rocks, with bream, whiting, flathead and mulloway a walk from the beach.
The Boyne River from the island side: the river’s barra, bream and whiting, the Lilley’s Beach coast and the stocked fish that reach it from Lake Awoonga.
The Capricorn Coast south of Yeppoon: Emu Park’s rocks and beaches, Kinka and Zilzie, and the Keppel islands, with whiting, bream, mackerel and the reef.
The end of the road on the Shoalwater coast: Stanage Bay’s creeks, flats and islands, with barra, grunter, mud crabs and the reef, and a ramp that dries on the tide.
The quiet beach between Innisfail and Cairns: the beach, the Russell and Mulgrave mouths and the creek, with whiting, barra, jacks and the reef off Frankland Islands.
The Blackall Range lake between Montville and Maleny: stocked Australian bass among the drowned timber, electric boats and paddle craft only, a Stocked Impoundment Permit water with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The Burnett River barrage at Bundaberg: stocked barramundi in the freshwater pool above the tide, open through the east coast closed season, with a Bureau gauge at the barrage.
A weir pool on Macintyre Brook near Whetstone in the border country: Murray cod, golden perch and silver perch, a Stocked Impoundment Permit water with a Bureau gauge.
Lake Dyer at Laidley in the Lockyer Valley: bass, golden perch, Mary River cod and silver perch, a Stocked Impoundment Permit water shared with skiers, with a Bureau gauge.
The Condamine at Cecil Plains on the western Darling Downs: yellowbelly, Murray cod and silver perch in a stocked weir pool with a Bureau gauge, and no public access at the weir itself.
The Burnett at Gayndah: stocked bass, barramundi and golden perch in the weir pool, open through the barra closure, with a Bureau gauge.
Lake Cooby north of Toowoomba: golden perch, Murray cod and silver perch, exempt from the cod closure, electric motors only, a Stocked Impoundment Permit water.
Brisbane’s 1866 reservoir at The Gap: a new stocked impoundment for bass and Mary River cod, paddle craft only, and a Bureau gauge.
The Sunshine Coast hinterland lake west of Caloundra: bass, golden perch, Mary River cod and saratoga in weedy shallows, paddle craft only, a permit water with a Bureau gauge.
The Burnett at Mundubbera: bass, golden perch and silver perch in a stocked weir pool, a permit water with a Bureau watercourse gauge.
The Isis Balancing Storage south-west of Bundaberg: stocked barramundi, bass, saratoga and silver perch, open through the barra closure, with a Bureau gauge.
The town dam at Mount Morgan south of Rockhampton: a new stocked impoundment for golden perch, saratoga, sleepy cod and catfish, with a Bureau gauge.
Sideling Creek Dam near Petrie: bass, golden perch, Mary River cod and saratoga in Moreton Bay’s suburban lake, paddle craft and shore fishing, a permit water with a Bureau gauge.
A Condamine weir at Old Talgai north-west of Warwick: golden perch, Murray cod and silver perch in a stocked pool, with a Bureau gauge.
Macintyre Brook at Whetstone in the border country: golden perch, Murray cod and silver perch in a stocked weir pool, free camping on the south bank, and a Bureau gauge.
The Macintyre at Goondiwindi on the border: Murray cod and golden perch, with the stocked weir pool at the town and a Bureau gauge.
The Mary River at Miva between Gympie and Maryborough: Australian bass in a river of protected cod and lungfish, with a Bureau gauge.
The Proserpine River at the Bruce Highway: barramundi and jacks in a Whitsunday river of crocodiles, with a Bureau gauge at the highway.
The Haughton River near Giru south of Townsville: barramundi and sooty grunter in the sugar country, with a Bureau gauge on the river.
The North Johnstone at Goondi above Innisfail: barramundi, jungle perch and sooty grunter in a rainforest river, with no current Bureau level series.
The Mulgrave River at Peets Bridge near Gordonvale: jungle perch, sooty grunter and barramundi below the rainforest, with a Bureau gauge.
The Norman River at Glenore Weir above Normanton: Gulf barramundi in the fresh water, under the Gulf closure, with a Bureau gauge.
The Gregory River at Gregory in the Gulf country: sooty grunter and barramundi in a clear, running river under the Gulf closure, with a Bureau gauge.
The Annan River at Mount Simon south of Cooktown: barramundi and jungle perch in a Cape York river, with no current Bureau level series.
The Endeavour River at Flaggy, upstream of Cooktown: barramundi and mangrove jack in Cook’s river, with no current Bureau level series.
The Pioneer River at Pinevale west of Mackay: sooty grunter and barramundi in the cane-valley river, with no current Bureau level series.
The Brisbane River at Savages Crossing below Wivenhoe: Australian bass in the fresh river under the dam, with a Bureau gauge at the crossing.
The upper Brisbane River at Linville: Australian bass in the quiet upper valley above Lake Somerset and Wivenhoe, with a Bureau gauge at the town.
The Stanley River at Woodford: Australian bass and the stocked Woodford Weir pool, where Mary River cod are no-take, with a Bureau gauge at the town.
The upper Kolan River at Springfield above Lake Monduran: a small inflow river to a stocked barramundi dam, with a Bureau gauge.
The Dawson at Taroom: golden perch in the waterholes of a central Queensland river of the Fitzroy system, with a Bureau gauge at the town.
The Balonne at Surat: golden perch and Murray cod in the stocked Surat Weir pool, with a Bureau gauge and the Murray-Darling cod closure.
The Maranoa at Mitchell: golden perch and Murray cod in the Neil Turner Weir pool, with a Bureau gauge and the Murray-Darling cod closure.
The Warrego at Cunnamulla: golden perch and Murray cod around the Allan Tannock Weir pool south of town, with a Bureau gauge and the Murray-Darling cod closure.
The Moonie at Nindigully, beside the Nindigully Pub: golden perch and Murray cod in a quiet western river with free riverside camping, with a Bureau gauge.
The Severn at Ballandean in the Granite Belt: Murray cod and golden perch in the granite pools of Queensland’s high country, with a Bureau gauge.
The Gilbert River at the Burke Developmental Road: Gulf barramundi in the savanna country, with a Bureau gauge and the Gulf closure.
The upper Brisbane River at Gregors Creek: bass in a clear valley river above Lake Wivenhoe, with a Bureau gauge.
The Balonne at Warroo between Surat and St George: cod and yellowbelly in the western river, with a Bureau gauge.
The Balonne at Weribone above St George: cod and yellowbelly in the red gum river, with a Bureau gauge.
The Moonie at Fenton downstream of Nindigully: cod and yellowbelly in the remote lower Moonie near the border, with a Bureau gauge.
The upper Warrego at Augathella: yellowbelly in the outback river north of Charleville, with a Bureau gauge.
The Herbert at Abergowrie above Ingham: barramundi and sooty grunter in the rainforest-edged river, with a Bureau gauge.
Species activity across the covered waters, written for the southern year. Peak of the year: March.
1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.
Seasonal surface curve for the dominant water type here, in degrees Celsius (estimated, not a reading).
Read from the agency page named on each row, on the date shown, and calculated for 2026 from the rule as written: a date written as a day of the week is computed, not copied. Species with no published closure are not listed, which is not the same as open.
| Fishery | 2026 | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barramundi, east coast | Closed 2026-11-01 to 2027-01-31 | Closed 1 November to 31 January on the east coast, tidal and fresh, except in the stocked dams the Queensland Government lists. No catch and release in the closure. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in tidal waters, read 2026-09-23 |
| Ross River Dam: catch and release only | Catch and release only, all year | Townsville City Council allows land-based fishing from the designated spit only, catch and release, and asks anglers not to eat fish, red claw or mussels from the dam because of blue-green algae. | Townsville City Council, recreational fishing at Ross River Dam, read 2026-09-28 |
| Murray cod, Murray-Darling waters | Closed 2026-08-01 to 2026-10-31 | Closed 1 August to 31 October in Queensland’s Murray-Darling fresh waters, except Connolly, Cooby, Coolmunda, Glenlyon, Leslie and Storm King dams. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in freshwaters, read 2026-09-23 |
| Barramundi, Gulf of Carpentaria | Closed 2026-10-07 to 2027-01-31 | Closed 7 October to 31 January in the Gulf of Carpentaria, tidal and fresh. No catch and release in the closure. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in tidal waters, read 2026-09-23 |
| Snapper and pearl perch, east coast | Closed 2026-07-15 to 2026-08-15 | Closed 15 July to 15 August in east coast tidal waters. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in tidal waters, read 2026-09-23 |
| Spanish mackerel, east coast north of 22°S (October window) | Closed 2026-10-08 to 2026-10-29 | East coast waters north of 22°S (just north of Stanage Bay) close to Spanish mackerel for two three-week periods set by the October and November new moons; do not target them then. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in tidal waters, read 2026-09-27 |
| Spanish mackerel, east coast north of 22°S (November window) | Closed 2026-11-06 to 2026-11-27 | East coast waters north of 22°S (just north of Stanage Bay) close to Spanish mackerel for two three-week periods set by the October and November new moons; do not target them then. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in tidal waters, read 2026-09-27 |
| Spanish mackerel, east coast south of 22°S (February) | Closed 2026-02-01 to 2026-02-21 | East coast waters south of 22°S close to Spanish mackerel from 1 to 21 February and from 1 to 21 March each year. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in tidal waters, read 2026-09-27 |
| Spanish mackerel, east coast south of 22°S (March) | Closed 2026-03-01 to 2026-03-21 | East coast waters south of 22°S close to Spanish mackerel from 1 to 21 February and from 1 to 21 March each year. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in tidal waters, read 2026-09-27 |
| Line fishing closed, upper Albert, Coomera and Stanley rivers | Closed 2026-08-01 to 2026-10-31 | From 1 August to 31 October no fishing line may be used or carried in the Albert River above Canungra Creek, the Coomera River above Guanaba Creek, the Stanley River above Neurum Creek and their adjoining waterways. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed freshwaters, read 2026-09-27 |
| Coral reef fin fish, October closure | Closed 2026-10-08 to 2026-10-12 | All coral reef fin fish (coral trout, cods and groupers, emperors and the other listed reef species) are closed for two 5-day periods around the October and November new moons, in tidal waters from Cape York south to 24°50′S. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in tidal waters, read 2026-09-29 |
| Coral reef fin fish, November closure | Closed 2026-11-06 to 2026-11-10 | All coral reef fin fish (coral trout, cods and groupers, emperors and the other listed reef species) are closed for two 5-day periods around the October and November new moons, in tidal waters from Cape York south to 24°50′S. | Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in tidal waters, read 2026-09-29 |
The south-east is estuary and bay country: Moreton Bay, the Brisbane River, the Gold Coast Seaway and the Sunshine Coast rivers, fishing for bream, flathead, whiting, tailor and mulloway, with snapper on the bay reefs in the cooler months around an east coast closure from 15 July to 15 August. North of Noosa the coast changes to sand islands and surf, K’gari and Rainbow Beach, where the tailor gather in late winter and the eastern beach of K’gari from Waddy Point to Indian Head is closed to all fin fishing from 1 August to 29 September. Then come Hervey Bay and Bundaberg, and then the tropics, where barramundi in the creeks and the reef offshore take over.
Queensland has no general recreational fishing licence. What it has instead is a Stocked Impoundment Permit for line fishing in more than 60 stocked dams and weirs, needed from age 18, and a detailed set of rules: size and bag limits; barramundi closed from 1 November to 31 January on the east coast and from 7 October to 31 January in the Gulf, with the listed dams exempt; two five-day coral reef fin fish closures each October and November; and marine park zoning in Moreton Bay, the Great Sandy region and the Great Barrier Reef. The Queensland Government publishes all of it and each water page links what applies.
The south-easterly is the wind to read from Brisbane north: it builds the surf, colours the bays and decides whether the reef is reachable. In the tropics the pressure trend matters more than anywhere else, because a falling barometer in the build-up is the classic barramundi bite, and the rain row shows the wet season arriving. The tide panel on each coastal page is a modelled curve, labelled as such, with the Bureau of Meteorology’s official prediction linked.
No. Queensland has no general recreational fishing licence; a Stocked Impoundment Permit is needed from age 18 to line fish the stocked dams, and the rules on limits, closed seasons and marine park zones apply. See our Queensland licence page.
Barramundi are closed from 1 November to 31 January on the east coast and from 7 October to 31 January in the Gulf of Carpentaria, tidal and fresh, except in the stocked dams the Queensland Government lists. The run-off at the end of the wet is the classic time in the north, and the species cards on the tropical pages rate the month.
More than 150: Moreton Bay and the Gold and Sunshine coasts, the sand islands from Bribie to K’gari, the coast north through Bundaberg, Gladstone, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns to Cooktown, Karumba and Weipa on the Gulf, the rivers by reach, and the stocked impoundments from Somerset to Tinaroo.
The facts on this page were checked against these pages, from the agencies, park services and operators that manage the water on 27 September 2026; anything we could not verify was taken out.