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.
Ayr Fishing Report
Updated Mon, 9 Nov 2026 from live weather and tide data
The Burdekin delta from Ayr: the creeks and mouths of the Burdekin, Alva Beach and Cape Bowling Green, with barra, jacks, grunter and mackerel.
3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Next tide
Low 3:11 pm model
Air / High
27 °C / 33 °C
Wind
NE 7 km/h
Sources: modelled tide curve, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.
Today's Fishing Report
Ayr is a dawn-and-dusk fishery today, with the middle of the day for moving spots. Today brings clear skies, wind NE around 6 km/h, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 33 °C. Tides: high 8:38 am and 8:08 pm, low 2:10 am and 3:11 pm: the moving water either side of each change is when this place feeds. Water sits around 29 °C for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:08 PM-1:08 AM and 10:44 AM-12:44 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.
Spanish mackerel
Closed today
Reopens 28 Nov 2026. 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.
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: 11:08 PM-1:08 AM, 10:44 AM-12:44 PM, 4:32 AM-5:32 AM. Similar at 32 °C with a rain chance. 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 Ayr today
Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today from sunrise (05:25), sunset (18:22), the moon and today's score, with the modelled tide changes in the panel below. Tap a bar to see why.
Bite planner
Solunar majors 11:08 PM-1:08 AM and 10:44 AM-12:44 PM; minor 4:32 AM-5:32 AM. New Moon, 0% lit.
Water and weather
A modelled tide curve for these coordinates and the forecast for the day.
Tides (modelled)
Modelled sea level curve from Open-Meteo Marine for these coordinates, datum mean sea level. Fish the moving water either side of each change.
A model, not the official prediction: times can drift by tens of minutes inside bays and estuaries. Check the Bureau of Meteorology tide predictions for the exact times before you rely on them.
Mon
LOW2:10 am-0.59 m
HIGH8:38 am1.50 m
LOW3:11 pm0.00 m
HIGH8:08 pm0.94 m
Tue
LOW2:39 am-0.47 m
HIGH9:13 am1.49 m
LOW3:56 pm0.14 m
HIGH8:34 pm0.76 m
Right now
Latest readings
Air temp27 °C
High / Low33 °C / 24 °C
WindNE 7 km/h, gusts 19 km/h
Pressure1014.0 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain4% cloud, 24%
Sunrise / Sunset05:25 / 18:22
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (seasonal)~29 °C est.
Why the tide matters here: tides and fishing in Australia.
7-day fishing forecast: which day to fish Ayr
Today is the pick of the week on Ayr, 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
- 11:08 PM-1:08 AM and 10:44 AM-12:44 PM
- Minor period
- 4:32 AM-5:32 AM
- Sun
- 05:25 to 18:22
- Moon
- New Moon, 0% lit
- Sky and wind
- Overcast, 16 km/h
- Rain chance
- 24%
Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out.
Species guide
The species that matter on Ayr: 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.
Spanish mackerel
Winter and spring in the north; summer in NSW
Closed now Reopens 28 Nov 2026. 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. Rule as read from Queensland Department of Primary Industries on 2026-09-27.
The narrow-barred Spanish mackerel: a speedster of the headlands, reefs and shoals from Queensland around to northern WA, and a summer visitor to NSW.
When to come: the Ayr 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
Spanish mackerel
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 Ayr 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 33 °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 14 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 34 °C, wind to 14 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
Line fishing at Ayr needs no Queensland licence; the barramundi closed season, the size and bag limits, the crab rules, the Spanish mackerel closures north of 22°S and the Bowling Green Bay marine park zoning apply, on the pages linked below.
About this water
Ayr is a coastal town in Queensland, Australia, covered from the Queensland reports and listed in all Australia waters.
Fishing Ayr: the full guide
Ayr and the Burdekin delta
Ayr is the sugar town on the Burdekin delta south of Townsville, with the Burdekin River’s mouths and delta creeks such as Plantation Creek running to the sea, Alva Beach and its ramp on the coast, Cape Bowling Green and its long sand spit to the north, and the Bowling Green Bay flats. It is a delta town, and the report on this page is scored for the town’s coordinates. The Burdekin River at Clare has its own page.
Species and seasons
Barramundi fish the delta creeks, the drains and the river mouths and are the delta’s fish, outside the east coast closed season of 1 November to 31 January; mangrove jack fish the snags in summer; grunter fish the creek holes and the bay; king threadfin salmon fish the mouths and the flats; whiting and dart fish Alva Beach; queenfish and trevally work the cape; Spanish mackerel run Cape Bowling Green and the reef in the cooler months; and mud crabs work the creeks under the pot rules. The mouths shift and the local marks matter.
Where to fish it
Alva Beach east of the town is the whiting and dart sand and the ramp for the run to Cape Bowling Green, and Plantation Creek and the Burdekin’s mouths are the barra, jack and grunter water for small boats on the run-out; the smaller drains behind the cane reward those who learn them. Ramps serve Alva Beach and the main creeks.
Reading this report here
The delta creeks are sheltered and fish in most weather; the wind row matters at Alva Beach and for the run to the cape. The tide panel is a modelled curve for the coordinates of Ayr, labelled as a model, and the creeks run hard on it. Pressure and sky build the score at Ayr, and the rain row matters in the wet season, when the Burdekin floods the delta; the planner shows the day.
Licence, access and rules
Line fishing at Ayr needs no Queensland licence; the barramundi closed season, the size and bag limits, the crab rules, the Spanish mackerel closures north of 22°S and the Bowling Green Bay marine park zoning apply, on the pages linked below. The beach, the creek banks and the ramps are public; the crocodile warnings are the other rule to read.
Common questions
What can I catch around Ayr?
Barramundi and mangrove jack in the delta creeks in the warm season, grunter in the holes, threadfin salmon at the mouths, whiting on Alva Beach, mackerel off the cape in the cooler months.
Do I need a licence at Ayr?
No. The Burdekin delta is licence-free tidal water; size, bag and closed-season rules still govern the catch.
Is fishing good at Ayr 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
- Tide curve (modelled)
- Open-Meteo Marine, sea level height including tides
- 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.