28 December 2023

The annual barramundi closed season along Queensland’s east coast starts from midday 1st November to midday 1st February 2024 except in stocked impoundments.

Hervey Bay

Spotty mackerel in the southern bay and Platypus Bay, school mackerel in the inshore shipping channels, grassy sweetlip, cod and coral trout on the inshore reefs, threadfin salmon and grunter bream in Sandy Straits, threadfin salmon, grunter bream and flathead in the Mary River, mangrove jack, grunter bream and whiting in the Burrum River and pencil squid at night off the Urangan jetty.

Rainbow Beach Offshore

Snapper, hussar, tuskfish, wrasse and cod about 10nm east of Wide Bay Bar.

Tin Can Bay

Pearl perch, tuskfish, coronation trout, nannygai and cobia at the 10 and 20 Mile, flathead on the ebb tide on the flats at the mouth of Teebar and Kauri Creeks, sand whiting on the making tide in Pelican Bay and mangrove jack and mud crabs in the creeks.

Noosa

Bream throughout the Noosa River, sand whiting at the river mouth and in Woods Bay and trevally along the Tewantin reach.

Flathead at the Noosa River mouth, bream, whiting and moses perch in Weyba Creek, mangrove jack around the jetties and bridge pylons and grunter bream in Woods Bay.

Snapper, sweetlip, pearl perch, moses perch, cobia and spotty mackerel at North and Sunshine Reefs and spotty mackerel, cobia and mack tuna in Laguna Bay.

Maroochydore

Flathead, whiting and grunter bream in the lower reaches of the Maroochy River, flathead in the Cod Hole, Petrie and Eudlo Creeks and mangrove jack around the snaggy banks.

Mooloolaba

Spanish mackerel at Murphys Reef, spotty mackerel off Mount Coolum, grassy sweetlip at Currimundi Reef, dart and tarwhine along the beaches, bream along the rock walls at the Mooloolah River mouth, trevally around the trawler moorings, mangrove jack in the canals and mud crabs in the upper reaches.

Grassy sweetlip and spotty mackerel around the NW Fairway Buoy.

Snapper, pearl perch and black marlin at the Barwon Banks and mahi mahi around the FADs.

Caloundra

Snapper, spanish and spotty mackerel at Caloundra 7 and 12 Mile, dart and tarwhine along the beaches, flathead and whiting at the mouth of the creeks that run off Pumicestone Passage, mangrove jack in the canals and mud crabs in the creeks.

Donnybrook

Flathead and bream along the drop offs, sand whiting at the mouth of Glasshouse and Coochin Creeks, mangrove jack and estuary cod in the creeks, sand crabs off Toorbul and mud crabs out from the mouth of the creeks.

Bribie Island

School mackerel around the shipping beacons, mangrove jack, trevally and estuary cod in Pacific Harbour canals, flathead and whiting at the mouth of the creeks that run off Pumicestone Passage, sand crabs in the main channel and mud crabs in the creeks.

Northern Moreton Bay

School mackerel near the shipping beacons, mahi mahi around the FADs, sand crabs in Deception Bay and mangrove jack and mud crabs in the rivers and creeks.

Redcliffe Peninsula

Snapper, bream, sweetlip, grunter bream and a few tailor around the inshores, rocky points and jetties, bream, whiting, flathead and grunter bream in Hays Inlet, the Pine River, Bramble Bay and along Margate Beach, mangrove jack and grunter bream in the Pine River and Newport canals, sand crabs off Scarborough and in Bramble Bay and mud crabs in the rivers and creeks.

Moreton Bay Offshore

Snapper at Deep Tempest and the 29s and mahi mahi around the FADs.

Brisbane River – Northern Moreton Bay

Bream, snapper and school jew in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River, flathead and whiting around Fisherman Islands, sand crabs in the Boat Passage and mud crabs in the creeks.

Wynnum Manly

Snapper around Mud and Green Islands, diver whiting in the Small Ships Gutter and on the Chain Banks, school mackerel on the Hope Banks and flathead, whiting and mud crabs in the Logan River.

Nth Stradbroke Island

Fish all beaches for flathead, bream, whiting and tailor.

Redland Bay

Sweetlip around Peel, Mud and Green Islands, school mackerel in the Rous Channel, sand whiting in the lower reaches of the creeks, bream in Raby Bay canals and sand crabs off Ormiston, Cleveland and Wellington Point.

Jumpinpin

Tailor inside the Pin Bar, flathead near Slipping Sands, sand whiting at the Pig Sties and mud crabs at Rocky Point and the Logan River mouth.

Tailor inside the Pin Bar, threadfin salmon along Russell Island and mud crabs in the rivers and creeks.

Southport

Black marlin and mahi mahi on the 42s, pearl perch, snapper and tuskfish on the 24s, 36s and 50s, silver jew and cobia on the 18s, spotty and spanish mackerel off Southport, on Mermaid and Palm Beach Reefs, dart, whiting and flathead along the beaches, snapper, trevally and tailor in Southport Seaway, sand crabs in Southport Broadwater and mud crabs out from the mouth of the rivers and creeks.

Conditions have been unfavourable for offshore fishing; will fish again once the seas settle.

Currumbin

Spotty mackerel at Palm Beach Reef, flathead and whiting along the beaches, bream, whiting and flathead in the lower reaches of the creeks and mangrove jack in the canals.

Tweed Coast

Flathead, bream, whiting, trevally and school jew in the lower reaches of the Tweed River.

Conditions have been unfavourable for offshore fishing; will fish again once the seas settle.

Evans Head

Snapper, pearl perch and trag jew at North Ground and Kahors Reef, bream and school jew along the beaches, bream and a few chopper tailor along the rock walls at the Evans River mouth, bream, flathead and whiting in the lower reaches and mud crabs in the upper reaches.

FRESHWATER FISHING

Boondooma Dam

Bass and golden perch on dark coloured lures trolled to 16 feet in the upper reaches and red claw crayfish around the timber and rocky banks.

Bjelke Petersen Dam

Golden perch on lures trolled to 15 feet along the drop offs and edge of the creek bed in the middle reaches of the dam.

Lenthalls Dam

Barramundi on weedless soft plastics and suspending hard bodies in the upper reaches of the creek arms.

Lake Kurwongbah

Bass and saratoga at dawn and dusk on surface lures around the dam edges.

Hinze Dam

Bass at dawn and dusk on surface lures around the dam edges and during the day on spinner baits and vibes in the deeper parts.

Moogerah Dam

Bass on chatter baits and lipless crank baits in about 25 feet close to the timber.

Maroon Dam

Bass early morning on poppers and creature baits around the dam edges and during the day on natural coloured chatter baits close to the timber in the upper reach of Burnett Creek.