Fishing Report for 28 February 2026

Hervey Bay / Fraser Island

Weather has not been too kind, so the focus is more on inshore and sheltered waters. Try Gatakers Bay and Point Vernon for grunter, coral trout & sweetlip. Local creeks for flathead & mangrove jacks. The Great Sandy Straights are producing a real mix, with barramundi, threadfin salmon and blue salmon. Jewfish along the western ledges at Fraser Islands. Lots of estuary cod. Queenfish on the flats. Grunter scattered throughout the creeks and channels. The Mary River is dirty, so the lower reaches are fishing better for barramundi and threadfin salmon. The Burrum River is fishing well for barramundi and mangrove jack and a few threadfin. The full moon might fire up the beaches — try the flood tide after dark for grunter. Urangan Pier is producing small queenfish day time, big queenfish night time; GTs and the occasional mackerel.

Fishos Tackleworld Ph (07) 4128 1022 | www.fishostackleworld.com.au

Tin Can Bay

Rain, rain, rain is what it’s been looking like, but for the keen fisho, get out and chase a few mangrove jack — they have been prolific the past week.   Live baits and fresh strip baits have been most effective, with the top of the tide producing some good fish. 

The rain should also see the muddies on the move, so it might be worth dropping a few pots in the middle reaches of the creeks.   Other than that, it might be a good weekend to get some maintenance done on the boat or give the trailer bearings once over.  

The Chandlery Bait & Tackle Ph (07) 5486 4744 | www.tcbchandlery.com.au

Noosa

Trevally, bream, whiting around the mouth of the Noosa River — and towards the Lakes, with bream the dominant species. A few jewfish getting around between the ski runs at Tewantin. The rain has flushed fish to the lower reaches. Live baits are optimal, but prawns and worms are the preferred dead baits.

O Boat Hire & Bait Supply  Ph (07) 5449 7513 | www.oboathire.com

Some good flathead at the front of the caravan park on Monday, a few off the rock wall at the dog beach. Frying pan holding some nice whiting — nothing huge, but legal sized in good numbers.

Noosa River Fishing Safaris Ph 0429 030 823 | www.noosariverfishing.com

Some big Nannygai being caught up towards Double Island. A good haul of spanish mackerel taken in Laguna Bay, and a variety of Reef Species at North Reef. Charters limited last few days with weather.

Noosa Bluewater Charters Ph (07) 5449 9355 | www.noosabluefishing.com.au

Plenty of snapper, pearl perch, Moses perch, Scarletts, tuskfish, goldband snapper, towards Double Island Point, North Reef and Sunshine Reef. Tuna, mackerel, cobia in the shallow water.

Deep Sea Fishing Co Noosa Ph 0411 222 749 | www.deepseafishingco.com.au

Maroochydore

There’s a bit about, but with the downpour on Friday, it will be interesting to see what stays about, with the water turbid. As of Friday, there has been abundant bream, both yellowfin and grunter — around the motorway bridge. In the middle to upper reaches around Eudlo Creek, there have been good sized flathead — as well as at the Maroochy River mouth. Large numbers of mud crabs are still around, and some big bucks in the middle to upper reaches. Mangrove Jacks further up to Coolum Creek. Isolated Barramundi in the canals. Whiting and trevally are pretty scarce.

Swan Boat Hire  Ph 0403 601 452 | www.swanboathire.com.au

Mooloolaba

Offshore has been limited due to weather, but earlier in the week there were decent spanish mackerel at the gneerings, and the south end of the Barwon Banks. Grassy sweetlip off Caloundra and in close at Currumundi. Blue vein tuskfish off Bribie Island.

Tackleworld Kawana  Ph (07) 5444 0714 | www.tackleworldkawanafishingstore.com.au

Caloundra

Fishing was slow on the moon phase but we managed to get a feed. Fishing in 30m to 40m of water, cut pilchards and fresh mullet fillet were the choice baits and lighter leader helped get the bite in what we call shut down periods. Best fish came on board before 10am with the afternoons quieter.

Salty Fishing Charters Ph 0459 636 798  | https://saltyfishingcharters.com.au/

Fishing has been muted pretty much all week with weather conditions. Crabbing is about the only thing worth doing while the poor weather persists. Dredging continues in the channel north of the first breakthrough bar, towards the old bar.

Caloundra Fishing World  Ph (07) 5491 4566 | www.caloundrafishingworld.com.au

Northern Moreton Bay

Offshore, throughout the week the interim opening of the spanish mackerel has seen a few good catches at Hutchinson’s Artificial Reef, Sunshine Reef and between the blinker and Mudjimba — mostly on baits. Wahoo out a bit wider and a bit harder to find. Inside the Bay there have been longtail tuna (though having to search for them) and some spotted mackerel mixed in. With wind picking up, seeing bigger snapper come out of the shallows along with grassy sweetlip and grunter. In the Rivers , the rain will probably be good for kickstarting the food chain, and could expect some more action on threadfin, barramundi and jacks. Hearing of a few good flathead sitting in the deeper holes in the Brisbane and Pine Rivers. The freshwater creeks and streams have been in good shape and should do well after this rain.

Tackleworld Lawnton    Ph (07) 3205 7475 | www.facebook.com/tackleworldlawnton

Moreton Bay Offshore

Fishing has been slow at times, with easterly winds. Still some great fish being brought into the boat.

High Calibre Charters   Ph 0421 922 713 | https://highcalibrefishingcharters.com.au/

No report this week.

Moreton Island Fishing Charters    Ph 0413 128 056 | https://moretonislandfishingcharters.com.au/

Redcliffe Peninsula

Bream, whiting, flathead and grunter in Hayes & the Pine. Queenfish in Hayes Inlet, the Pine River, and a few at Scarborough. Snapper and a few grassy sweetlip off the Eastern beaches, jetties & rocky points. Grunter and some school mackerel on the inshores. School jew and queenfish off Woody Point jetty, in Bramble Bay and on the inshore reefs. Mangrove Jack in the canals. Muddies, Jacks and the odd threadfin in the rivers and creeks.

Hornibrook Bait & Tackle    Ph 0483 846 966 | www.facebook.com/HornibrookBT

Brisbane River

An about turn from recent weeks, with a quiet week overall. A few mud crabs in the boat passage and lower reaches of the Brisbane River. Threadfin salmon and jewfish at the Port of Brisbane.

Mr Bait    Ph 0431 222 721 | www.facebook.com/Mr-Bait-182344678957765

North Stradbroke Island

Spotted mackerel in Moreton Bay between Green Island and Harry’s . School mackerel at Hope Banks. Whiting at the Chain Banks. Flathead in close at Wynnum/Manly foreshore. Chopper tailor from the Manly breakwater.

Water Tower Bait & Tackle    Ph (07) 3396 1833 | https://watertowerbaitandtackle.com.au

Moreton Bay / Jumpinpin

Moreton Bay is fishing really well with the bait holding around Peel Island, and north. Reports of longtail tuna coming into the northern Bay, with school mackerel starting to turn up as well. Fishing the beacons along the shipping channels can be a really effective way to get your mackerel. The shallow reefs are still firing at first light and last light, throwing lightly weighted plastics at the Reef edge. Anything under the 3″ plastic range has been really effective in getting some good sized snapper, sweetlip and even some chinaman. Further south, still some good threadfin salmon schools and with the rain we’ve had the prawns should start to run, which will attract the jewfish and threadfin salmon schools, so worth checking out the Southern Bay Islands to find these schools. Look for the birds working.

Moving to Jumpinpin, the jewfish seem to have moved further upriver and are no longer out at the bar in big numbers anymore. Flathead are turning up in really good numbers, anywhere around Cabbage Tree Point, Bussell Island and surrounding areas, along the mangrove line on the high tide and the mud banks on the low tide has been very effective getting good sized numbers of flathead. Threadfin salmon between Cabbage Tree Point and Jacobs Well worth looking at, again particularly if you can find prawns. Bream seem to be slowly moving out of canals to river systems. Over the next couple of months as things start to cool down, head out towards the mouth and fish the deeper pockets.

Capn’s Charters Ph 0410 590 049 | Capns Charters – Lure & Soft Plastic Fishing Charter

Jumpinpin

Average conditions, but there have still been plenty of mud crabs moving, and the banana prawns are back in with the rains. A few tailor up to 2.3 kilos being weighed, but plenty in the 1.5 to 2kg range. Mangrove jack are still around and there are still good catches of whiting earlier in the week, in good sizes. Livescoping has sited plenty of barramundi if you are prepared to put the work in. Flathead are present in 1 to 2 kilo range, but not thick. Limited reports from offshore and might stay flat with conditions. Still getting tailor around the bedrooms, off South Stradbroke, and Jumpinpin.

Gem Bait & Tackle    Ph (07) 3287 3868 | www.facebook.com/gembait

This week saw some solid jewfish around the Jumpinpin bar. Sharks have been ever-present, taking plenty of good fish away. Vibes have caught most of these fish, and paddletails with heavy weighted jigheads are also succeeding. Threadfin salmon have been good in some of the more westward areas of the pin.

Jacobs Well Boat Hire  Ph (07) 5546 2608  | www.jacobswellboathire.com.au

South Stradbroke Island

Report pending.

Gold Coast Boat Hire    Ph 0432 710 892 | www.goldcoastboathire.com.au

Gold Coast Broadwater

Right on cue for the weekend, the weather turns ordinary. Winds out of the southeast, showers, and big seas. Last week saw good catches of prawns up around the bay islands, Logan River and Cabbage Tree. With the tides increasing and wind blowing, you could try up the river but it could be hit and miss. Mud crabs were caught after the little flush of fresh water and will likely get better on the bigger tides. Try Jacobs Well, Coomera and Pimpama rivers, the Aldershots, and along South Stradbroke. Whiting are being caught in the Nerang, especially at night in the usual places. The Coomera is holding some good numbers of fish but you need to move around to find them. Once you catch a few, just moving 20-30m along the bank can increase your chances. Flathead were caught this week but not many fishers have been targeting them. They have been found in Browns Bay, Crab Island, and the Seaway. 

David McDonald  Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

Currently on leave chasing Murray cod.

BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters Ph 0414 293 034 | https://bksfishing.com.au/

Focus is on the estuaries, and along the rock wall there are plenty of GTs and some big tailor in the wash off the wall — use poppers for these. Flathead have been very good in the shallow gutters where it starts to drop off. Whiting have been excellent in the super shallow ground,in a run-up tide, either a beach worm or an unweighted yabbie, and you can side cast those. Reasonable numbers of mud crabs in the river systems and sand crabs up off the banks. Good whiting right up the Nerang River and the Pimpama River. Upper reaches of the Nerang River are seeing bass.

Gold Coast Fishing Tackle   Ph (07) 5679 0840 | www.goldcoastfishingtackle.com.au

Tweed Coast

Currently on leave.

Cushy Fishing Charters    Ph 0418 631 076 | www.cushyfishingcharters.com.au

Abundant mackerel, both spanish — from 9 mile all the way to Evans Head — and spotted mackerel, at the de-salination plant and Palm Beach. Trolling dead baits on zombie rigs has been the go for the mackerel. Still some cobia and dolphinfish offshore. Limited marlin action. The Tweed River is full of trevally. Mud crabs are flowing well after the rains. Mangrove jack are plentiful on live baits and cut baits like fresh bonito and mullet fillets — and are being taken closer to the Tweed bar, behind Jack Evans harbour. Live baits and surface lures are working for the jacks early in the morning, further up the river. There is whiting around, mainly taking yabbies rather than lures.

Addict Tackle   Ph (07) 5523 3535 |  https://www.addicttackle.com.au/

Ballina

Very average weather with 150mm of rain yesterday. Offshore fishing has been very limited with bar crossings difficult. The early morning tides will be larger this weekend, so plan on getting out early if you can. Some of the better quality crabs have come from North Creek this week, but there has still been a number of them in the main river as well. Hard body lures have been the best bet for the bream this week, but the flathead have been preferring some soft plastics or prawns. There has still been a few school mulloway up river, with live herring or squid being the best baits for them. Most of the week has been fairly rough offshore, and this has also meant that the beach and rock fishing has been limited. Hopefully by the weekend it begins to settle and anglers can get out and chase some tailor, bream and dart from the beaches. Tight lines

Ballina Bait and Tackle   Ph (02) 6686 2527 | https://www.facebook.com/p/Ballina-Bait-and-Tackle-100063582669959/

Evans Head

Try along Airforce and Main Beach for some good tailor, bream and school jew. Around the rock walls there have been tailor, bream, school jewfish and luderick. In the Evans River, there are bream, flathead and whiting. Try the upper reaches for mud crabs. Before the weather turned, there was plenty of snapper, trag and mackerel — both spotted and spanish — on the close reefs.

Evans Head Sports & Marine  Ph (02) 6682 4536 | www.facebook.com/EvansheadSportsMarine

Brunswick Heads

Before the wind and rain, the outside fishing was firing with abundant mackerel showing up, plus snapper, jewfish, and kingfish. The beaches are producing dart and bream, and the rock walls are holding bream and blackfish. The River has bream, mangrove jack, and blackfish, and lots of mud crabs are being caught after this spot of bad weather.

Bruns Beach Bait and Tackle Ph 0432 394 869 |

Yamba

Plenty of trawl whiting in the Clarence River which have been going well all season. There are no size limits on these so you can get a good feed . Bream, whiting and flathead in the river, with school jewfish around sleeper. Not huge flathead, but solid numbers in the 60 to 70cm range. Offshore, there are spanish mackerel with live baits further south, around Brooms Head, are coming on stronger. Spotted mackerel are still quiet but should be starting any time, around Woods Bay.

Yamba Bait and Tackle Ph (02) 6646 1514 | https://www.facebook.com/yambabaitandtackle/

FRESHWATER FISHING

Lake Somerset

The bass are still holding on the flats around Kirkleigh, Queen Street and Pelican, with the bigger models coming off the main creek edge. Dark coloured chatterbaits and Jackall Masks are getting the job done on those fish.

Yellowbelly are sitting tight in the trees through the 6 knot zone and also along the edge around Queen Street. Dark chatterbaits have been the standout lure for them as well. Fishing is definitely tougher than normal at Somerset at the moment. We found the best approach was sounding around, picking one or two fish out of a school, marking them on the sounder, then moving on to the next group and cycling back through later.

Patience and rotation has been key to putting a few quality fish in the boat.

Shaun Clark – Private Angler

Maroon Dam

Some bass and some nice big silver perch have been caught this week in Maroon Dam. Chatterbaits and some crankbaits are doing the trick at the moment. Early morning and late afternoon are the prime times, with topwater lures along the edges producing well. The bank near the dam wall early in the morning has been holding a few better fish, so it’s worth throwing chatterbaits and surface lures around there. As the sun gets up, head towards the back of the creek and work the edges with crankbaits and chatterbaits. There are fish holding well up the creek as well.

Charltons Fishing    Ph (07) 3818 1677 | www.charltonsfishing.com.au

Moogerah Dam

Fish at Moogerah seem to be pushing up the creek too. The trees are fishing well, with spinnerbaits working really effectively early in the week. Chatterbaits and crankbaits are also worth using, with crankbaits diving around the 4–5 metre mark working on a good portion of the fish. There’s plenty of yellowbelly around at Moogerah at the moment, and they’re taking chatterbaits and deep‑diving crankbaits as well.

Charltons Fishing    Ph (07) 3818 1677 | www.charltonsfishing.com.au

Hinze Dam

Hinze is fishing alright out of the western arm. Some bass have been caught upstream from the ramp. Small blades, lipless crankbaits and chatterbaits are all working along the trees and into the backs of the bays. It’s also worth trying for Saratoga in the same areas. Early morning topwater is the go: small poppers, surface lures and small spinnerbaits just subsurface have all been effective, as the toga seem to like those small presentations.

Charltons Fishing    Ph (07) 3818 1677 | www.charltonsfishing.com.au

Hinze Dam has been fishing reasonably well, and you can still find somewhere protected in one of the Bays– throw soft plastics and spinnerbaits.

Gold Coast Fishing Tackle   Ph (07) 5679 0840 | www.goldcoastfishingtackle.com.au

North Pine Dam 

Most of the bass being caught deep, either trolling or bobbing shrimps. Needs some further rain to raise the water levels.

Tackleworld Lawnton    Ph (07) 3205 7475 | www.facebook.com/tackleworldlawnton

North Pine still has some bass being caught off the banks. A walk around near Forgan’s Cove and up around Bullocky Rest is worthwhile. Metal spoons, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits off the edges are accounting for a few fish.

Charltons Fishing    Ph (07) 3818 1677 | www.charltonsfishing.com.au

Lake Kurwongbah

Fishing the better between the two dams with North Pine. The edges are fishing well for bass and saratoga and the rains should continue to improve this.

Tackleworld Lawnton    Ph (07) 3205 7475 | www.facebook.com/tackleworldlawnton

Kurwongbah, the smaller of the two northern dams, continues to fish well. If you’ve got a kayak, you can access a lot more water, but there are still fish to be found by bank‑fishing around the edges. A few Saratoga have been caught in the last week along the weed edges, with small surface lures, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits all working for the toga. As for bass, there are bass there and they are being caught. Chatterbaits are getting the job done in the main basin not far from the boat ramp. Metal blades in the deeper water are also producing, as the bass are still sitting in that deeper zone.

Charltons Fishing    Ph (07) 3818 1677 | www.charltonsfishing.com.au

Lake Borumba

Some good Saratoga on surface lures.

Tackleworld Kawana  Ph (07) 5444 0714 | www.tackleworldkawanafishingstore.com.au