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.
Sarina Beach Fishing Report
Updated Mon, 9 Nov 2026 from live weather and tide data
The beaches south of Mackay: Sarina Beach, Grasstree and Campwin, the creeks and the Cape Palmerston coast, with whiting, barra and mackerel.
3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Next tide
Low 4:46 pm model
Air / High
26 °C / 29 °C
Wind
NE 8 km/h
Sources: modelled tide curve, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.
Today's Fishing Report
Sarina Beach is a dawn-and-dusk fishery today, with the middle of the day for moving spots. Today brings clear skies, wind NE around 8 km/h, steady pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 29 °C. Tides: high 10:24 am and 10:30 pm, low 4:07 am and 4:46 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 11:01 PM-1:01 AM and 10:37 AM-12:37 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.
Coral trout
Closed today
Reopens 11 Nov 2026. 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.
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: 11:01 PM-1:01 AM, 10:37 AM-12:37 PM, 4:21 AM-5:21 AM. Similar at 29 °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 Sarina Beach today
Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today from sunrise (05:16), sunset (18:17), 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 11:01 PM-1:01 AM and 10:37 AM-12:37 PM; minor 4:21 AM-5:21 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
LOW4:07 am-1.93 m
HIGH10:24 am2.98 m
LOW4:46 pm-1.54 m
HIGH10:30 pm2.04 m
Tue
LOW4:39 am-1.70 m
HIGH10:57 am2.95 m
LOW5:21 pm-1.43 m
HIGH11:06 pm1.86 m
Right now
Latest readings
Air temp26 °C
High / Low29 °C / 22 °C
WindNE 8 km/h, gusts 16 km/h
Pressure1015.1 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain22% cloud, 92%
Sunrise / Sunset05:16 / 18:17
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 Sarina Beach
Today is the pick of the week on Sarina Beach, 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
- 11:01 PM-1:01 AM and 10:37 AM-12:37 PM
- Minor period
- 4:21 AM-5:21 AM
- Sun
- 05:16 to 18:17
- Moon
- New Moon, 0% lit
- Sky and wind
- Showers, 16 km/h
- Rain chance
- 92%
Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out.
Species guide
The species that matter on Sarina Beach: 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.
Coral trout
Year-round on the reef; in Queensland two 5-day closures around the October and November new moons cover all coral reef fin fish
Closed now Reopens 11 Nov 2026. 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. Rule as read from Queensland Department of Primary Industries on 2026-09-29.
The main line-caught reef fish of the Great Barrier Reef, holding on coral outcrops and reef edges from a few metres to 100 metres, and gathering to spawn around the new moons of spring and summer. Queensland sets a 38 cm minimum and a combined limit of 7 coral trout, and closes all coral reef fin fish for two 5-day periods in October and November.
When to come: the Sarina Beach 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
Coral trout
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 Sarina Beach 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 31 °C, wind to 23 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 30 °C, wind to 21 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 32 °C, wind to 19 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 Sarina Beach needs no Queensland licence; the barramundi closed season, the coral reef fin fish rules, the size and bag limits, the crab rules and the Spanish mackerel closures north of 22°S apply, on the pages linked below.
About this water
Sarina Beach is a coastal town in Queensland, Australia, covered from the Queensland reports and listed in all Australia waters.
Fishing Sarina Beach: the full guide
Sarina Beach and the coast
Sarina Beach is the beach village east of the sugar town of Sarina south of Mackay, with the beach and its rocky headlands, Grasstree and Campwin beaches to the north, Armstrong Beach and Cape Palmerston to the south, the creeks of Plane and Sarina Inlet behind the beaches and the reef offshore. It is a beach-and-creek coast with big tides, and the report on this page is scored for the village’s coordinates. Mackay has its own page.
Species and seasons
Whiting and dart fish the beaches all year and are the coast’s fish; barramundi fish the creeks and the inlets outside the 1 November to 31 January closed season; mangrove jack fish the snags in summer; grunter and bream fish the creek holes and the headlands; king threadfin salmon fish the creek mouths; Spanish mackerel run the headlands and the reef in the cooler months; mud crabs work the creeks under the pot rules; and the reef gives coral trout and red emperor for the boats. The tidal range on this stretch is large, and the flats drain fast on the run-out.
Where to fish it
Sarina Beach in front of the village and its headlands are the whiting and bream marks, fished on the rising tide, and Sarina Inlet behind the beach and Plane Creek to the north are the barra, jack and crab water for small boats on the run-out; the boat ramps along this coast are the start of the run to the reef, and Cape Palmerston’s beaches are the four-wheel drive water.
Reading this report here
The coast faces east and a south-easterly builds the surf and closes the beaches, while a westerly flattens them and the creeks are the fallback; the wind row tells you which. The tide panel is a modelled curve for the coordinates of Sarina Beach, labelled as a model, and it matters more here than most places, because the range is large and the flats empty. Pressure and sky build the score at Sarina Beach; the planner shows the day.
Licence, access and rules
Line fishing at Sarina Beach needs no Queensland licence; the barramundi closed season, the coral reef fin fish rules, the size and bag limits, the crab rules and the Spanish mackerel closures north of 22°S apply, on the pages linked below. The beaches, the headlands and the creeks are public, with boat ramps along the coast; the Cape Palmerston National Park rules are in the sources.
Common questions
What can I catch at Sarina Beach?
Whiting and dart on the beaches, barramundi and mangrove jack in the creeks in the warm season, grunter at the headlands, mackerel in the cooler months, mud crabs in the creeks.
Do I need a licence at Sarina Beach?
No. There is nothing to buy before fishing Sarina’s beaches and creeks; Queensland’s limits and closures are the rules.
Is fishing good at Sarina Beach 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.