Barramundi
Closed today
Reopens 1 Feb 2027. 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.
Annan River at Mount Simon Fishing Report
Updated Mon, 9 Nov 2026 from live weather and tide data
The Annan River at Mount Simon south of Cooktown: barramundi and jungle perch in a Cape York river, with no current Bureau level series.
3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Water temp
~29 °C est.
Air / High
26 °C / 34 °C
Wind
E 10 km/h
Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.
Today's Fishing Report
Annan River at Mount Simon runs hot and bright: the fish feed early, late and deep. Today brings a mixed sky, wind E around 10 km/h, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 34 °C. Water sits around 29 °C for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:17 PM-1:17 AM and 10:53 AM-12:53 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.
Tie on: Soft plastic, 3 to 5 inch paddle tail · Pilchard on ganged hooks · Metal slug, 20 to 40 g · Surface walker at first light. Prime windows: 11:17 PM-1:17 AM, 10:53 AM-12:53 PM, 4:48 AM-5:48 AM. Similar at 33 °C with likely rain: fish ahead of the front. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.
Before you go
Queensland has no general fishing licence, but rules and permits apply. Queensland fishing licence: cost, rules and where to buy →
Chasing barramundi here? Check the size and bag limits with Queensland DPI before you keep anything; the Barramundi page has the seasons and the tactics.
Fishing times for Annan River at Mount Simon today
Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today from sunrise (05:40), sunset (18:26), the moon and today's score. Tap a bar to see why.
Bite planner
Solunar majors 11:17 PM-1:17 AM and 10:53 AM-12:53 PM; minor 4:48 AM-5:48 AM. New Moon, 0% lit.
Water and weather
Conditions here are modelled from weather, season and the nearest stations.
No live gauge on this water
Water readings appear when a Bureau of Meteorology station covers it. Until then the seasonal curve below is the estimate.
Right now
Latest readings
Air temp26 °C
High / Low34 °C / 24 °C
WindE 10 km/h, gusts 20 km/h
Pressure1013.4 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain35% cloud, 52%
Sunrise / Sunset05:40 / 18:26
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (seasonal)~29 °C est.
7-day fishing forecast: which day to fish Annan River at Mount Simon
Today is the pick of the week on Annan River at Mount Simon, at 3 out of 5.
Best day this week: today, 9 Nov — fair at 3/5, steady pressure, neither help nor hindrance.
Today, 9 Nov — Fair
Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
- Solunar majors
- 11:17 PM-1:17 AM and 10:53 AM-12:53 PM
- Minor period
- 4:48 AM-5:48 AM
- Sun
- 05:40 to 18:26
- Moon
- New Moon, 0% lit
- Sky and wind
- Showers, 16 km/h
- Rain chance
- 52%
Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out.
Species guide
The species that matter on Annan River at Mount Simon: 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
Closed now Reopens 1 Feb 2027. 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. Rule as read from Queensland Department of Primary Industries on 2026-09-23.
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.
When to come: the Annan River at Mount Simon 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 29 °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 Annan River at Mount Simon today.
Water log, last days
Auto-logged from live dataSun, Nov 8
3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Barramundi led the card at excellent. High of 34 °C, wind to 16 km/h.
Sat, Nov 7
3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Barramundi led the card at excellent. High of 33 °C, wind to 16 km/h.
Fri, Nov 6
3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Barramundi led the card at excellent. High of 33 °C, wind to 16 km/h.
Before you go
Licence
Queensland has no general recreational fishing licence; permits apply on some waters and the limits and closures do. Details and where to buy →
Regulations
Size and bag limits, closed seasons and marine park zones are set by Queensland DPI and change: confirm the current rules on the agency page linked from the Queensland licence page before you keep anything.
Access
Queensland has no general fishing licence; the barramundi closed season, the size and possession limits and the Crocwise advice are on the pages linked below..
About this water
Annan River at Mount Simon is a river in Queensland, Australia, covered from the Queensland reports and listed in all Australia waters.
Fishing Annan River at Mount Simon: the full guide
The Annan at Mount Simon
The Annan River runs from the ranges south of Cooktown through granite country and rainforest to the sea near the town, crossed by the Mulligan Highway on the way up from the south. Mount Simon is a gauging site on its middle reaches. The Bureau of Meteorology’s Annan gauges have not reported recent readings to Water Data Online, so this page carries no level chart. Cooktown has its own page.
Species and seasons
Barramundi run up the Annan from the tidal water near Cooktown, kept between 58 and 120 cm; jungle perch and sooty grunter live in the clear fresh water among the granite boulders, taken on small lures and flies, with one jungle perch under 35 cm allowed. The east coast barramundi closed season, 1 November to 31 January, applies to the river, and barramundi may not be targeted while it runs; the species card computes it.
Where to fish it
The highway crossing and the tracks along the river give access to the Annan’s fresh water, and the lower river near Cooktown is fished from boats. Queensland warns that estuarine crocodiles can turn up in any waterway on Cape York, so fish from the bank well back from the edge. The granite pools along the middle river are clear enough to see jungle perch holding under the boulders, and a small spinner or a fly cast into the white water is how they are caught. Fish the lower river on the run-out tide.
Planning a visit
The Mulligan Highway crosses the Annan south of Cooktown, and Cooktown has supplies, accommodation and the ramp onto the Endeavour. Bring small lures for jungle perch and barramundi gear for the lower river, and plan the trip for the dry season, when the Cape roads are open.
Reading this report here
Without a current level series, the rain row is the one to read: the Annan rises fast in the wet season and the Cape roads flood. The water temperature estimate, labelled as one, is warm all year; pressure and sky build the score on the Annan.
Licence, access and rules
Queensland has no general fishing licence; the barramundi closed season, the size and possession limits and the Crocwise advice are on the pages linked below.
Common questions
What can I catch in the Annan River?
Barramundi in the lower river, and jungle perch and sooty grunter in the fresh water.
Why is there no level chart?
The Bureau’s Annan gauges have not reported recent readings to Water Data Online.
Do I need a licence on the Annan?
No. Queensland has no general recreational fishing licence, so nothing is needed to fish the Annan.
Is fishing good at Annan River at Mount Simon 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 early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Nearby waters
Where this page's numbers come from
- Open-Meteo forecast model
- https://open-meteo.com/
- Moon and solunar windows
- Calculated on this site
- Pages checked
- 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.