Fishing Report for 17th April 2025

Fishing Report Thu 17 Apr 2025

Check out the bold writing for great land based spots for this school holidays

New lifejacket laws came into effect on December 1, visit MSQ website for details.

Hervey Bay / Fraser Island

The water around Urangan Pier is still quite dirty, but anglers are managing to land bream and flathead, with school mackerel showing up as well. The local beaches are offering a chance at blue salmon and grunter, while whiting and flathead are also around, mostly near the creek mouths.

On the inshore reefs, there’s been a mix of grassy sweetlip, cod, coral trout, nannygai, and a few squire — if you can get them past the sharks. Water clarity hasn’t been ideal, but looking into next week, the bay is absolutely stacked with longtail tuna, mack tuna, and a few bonito. School mackerel have been reported on the reefs, along with some broad-bar mackerel through the southern bay.

Mud crabs are going off across the creeks and flats, with the full moon helping — they’re being pulled from just about everywhere, including Woodgate. A few prawns have also started showing up in the Straits, and numbers are expected to improve this week. Burrum Heads is hosting a local fishing comp this weekend, so it’s expected to be fairly busy over that way.

For those heading to Fraser Island, beach driving conditions have been excellent. The Ngkala Rocks area requires taking the bypass track, but access elsewhere is good. Fishing up at Fraser has been a bit quiet, though anglers should expect whiting, flathead, and dart in the gutters, with a possible jewfish or two in the dirtier water.

The Burrum River system is fishing quite well too. While there’s nothing out of the ordinary, it’s worth avoiding the heavily weeded areas. Land-based options are still limited due to poor visibility, though kids might still land jacks and barra near the ramp at the bottom of the Burrum, or possibly a salmon in the right spots.

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

Tin Can Bay

Forget the raincoats this week, crew. With the predicted weather forecast, getting out early is going to be a must as the ramps are expected to be busy!
Despite the discoloured water, the fishing around Tin Can Bay has been great over the past couple of weeks.
Crabs have been active in the mid-reaches of the creeks and down towards the mouths, so make sure you get the pots in.
There have been some great winter whiting caught throughout the TCB Inlet, with better catches coming from the Carlo cardinal marker towards Inskip Point.
Bream have been out in good numbers and sizes too. Strips of fresh mullet and peeled prawns are the go-to baits to boat a few.
Mangrove jack have been active up the creeks on the run-out tide. Try smaller live baits, strips of mullet, 80mm jerkbaits, or 4.5” plastics skipped up into the mangroves to entice a bite.
Fishing the rocky drop-offs and shallow reefs has been producing good grass emperor, cod, and the odd legal snapper. Try whole squid or floating a pilly down to them to get a few in the esky—or even better, pop into the shop and grab a packet of soft plastics and some jigheads to target them.

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

Maroochydore

Bream and whiting have been active throughout the river, while the Cod Hole has been holding luderick, trevally, and a few jewfish. Flathead have been turning up from the middle to upper reaches, and mud crabs are scattered right through the system.

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

Noosa

All the boats are back out today with south-westerly winds, a drop in swell, and great weather lining up for Easter. Offshore, North Reef and Sunshine Reef are producing sweetlip, Moses perch, squire, Spanish mackerel, and pearl perch. Down at the river mouth, the smaller boats have been doing well too, landing flathead, queenfish, and mangrove jack on the way out to the bar.

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

Fishing’s been great this week, with plenty of golden trevally and barred javelin showing up around the sound. Flathead are in good numbers through the Woods Bays and river mouth, and whiting have been on the chew in the Frying Pan, especially on prawn baits.

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

Spanish mackerel, sweetlip, coral trout and pearl perch have been caught out on North Reef, with some good longtail tuna still active in Laguna Bay.

In the river, Woods Bay has been fishing well, and the jetties along Gympie Terrace are producing good numbers of bream and trevally, particularly in the early mornings and late afternoons.

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

The river is fishing quite well despite the recent dirty water from the rain. Bream have been caught right throughout, from the river mouth up to the first lake on the north side. Flathead have been taken on the drift near the mouth, and trevally are active around Woods Bay. There’s also been some nice whiting around the Tewantin stretch. Mud crabs are still getting about too.

For kids looking to fish land-based, Munna Point Caravan Park—right out the front of the Noosa River Holiday Park—is a great spot to catch a bream or two with no trouble.

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

Mooloolaba

Crabs have been active throughout the Mooloolah and Maroochy Rivers, and there’ve been good catches of Flathead and Whiting just east of the motorway bridge at Maroochydore. The recent weather made it tough for beach anglers, but this weekend is shaping up to be ideal for getting offshore—just take care crossing the bars with some swell still around.

Offshore, Spanish Mackerel and Wahoo have been reported from the Barwon Banks and Murphy’s Reef. Caloundra Wide is producing quality Pearl Perch and Snapper, while Currimundi Reef has been holding some nice Grassy Sweetlip.

For the school holidays, recommended land-based spots for kids chasing bream include around Bolster Park and near the Coast Guard at Mooloolaba, down around Penny Lane. For whiting and bream without the hassle of snags, Chambers Island at Maroochydore is a great option.

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

No report this week

Smithys Fishing Charters
Ph 0407 574 868 | www.smithysfishingcharters.com.au

Caloundra

The standout this week has been the crab activity throughout the Pumicestone Passage, especially around the mouth and up through the creeks. Queenfish and trevally have been showing up around Military Jetty, while good numbers of whiting and flathead are coming from the mouth of Bells Creek. The inshore reefs are producing some grassy sweetlip and squire, and offshore, there are still a few Spanish mackerel around the Barwon Banks along with the odd wahoo and yellowfin tuna. On the surf side, dart and tarwhine are being caught in the beach gutters, and there have also been a few mangrove jacks reported in the canals.

For families and younger anglers these holidays, both the boardwalk in Caloundra and Military Jetty at Golden Beach are great land-based options.

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

Northern Moreton Bay

The weather is looking ideal heading into the weekend, and conditions are favourable for those planning to head offshore. Spanish mackerel are still being caught around Hutchies and through the Moreton Bay trenches, with soft plastics proving effective for snapper in the same areas. Out at both Shallow and Deep Tempest, anglers have been landing good pearl perch and snapper.

In the northern parts of Moreton Bay, school mackerel have been active, with longtail and mac tuna mixed in. Redcliffe has seen solid numbers of snapper and grunter, with early mornings and late afternoons fishing well at Scarborough and Woody Point. Mud Island has also been producing quality snapper, especially in the shallows.

A few jewfish have been landed at the mouth of the Brisbane River on the outgoing tide. Meanwhile, the mouths of the Pine and Caboolture Rivers have produced good flathead on the incoming. Summer whiting have been caught throughout the Passage and in Hayes Inlet, and there have been excellent mud crabs taken from the creeks in the Pumicestone Passage and the Caboolture River.

For the kids on holidays wanting to catch a few, Shorncliffe Pier has been a standout land-based option lately, with everything from bream to cobia and tuna being caught off the end.

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

Sandgate/Shorncliffe Pier

There’s been some fantastic action off Shorncliffe Pier this week, with a solid mack tuna landed on a light bream rod using live hardyheads. It put up a tough fight and certainly got the adrenaline going.

Another good-sized mac tuna was added to the tally, with plenty of mackies being taken off the pier over the past few weeks. A couple of first-time anglers got amongst the bream as well, fishing under some local guidance and landing a few nice ones to kick off their fishing journey.

Amongst the crowd, a 58cm flathead was landed right in the thick of it, and an early morning session paid off for another angler with a 60cm mac tuna landed in quick time. There were also a few smaller snapper caught by anglers hoping to connect with tuna – not quite the target species, but still a good effort.

Good tailor are beginning to move in too, so this is shaping up to be a prime spot over the coming days. One mac tuna was even landed on a soft plastic with light gear – it nearly escaped after bending the hook and falling off right on the pier! (photos below in gallery)

Tackle Land 
Ph (07) 3269 5060 | www.tackleland.com.au

Brisbane River

There haven’t been a lot of reports this week due to the poor weather, but it does look like conditions are finally improving. Over the weekend things started to settle, and Whiting reports have picked up nicely as the water clears. Good catches of flathead as well as, summer whiting and golden long-whiting have been reported from Shorncliffe back to Juno Point—just be mindful of the green zones in that area.

Flathead have been coming from the lower reaches of the Brisbane River, along with a few small jewfish and snapper. There’ve also been threadfin salmon about, with a decent fish around the 1.1m being the biggest heard of last week. Diver whiting off the eastern side of Fisherman’s island.

Mud crabs have been going well across the board, and Green and Mud Islands are still the go-to spots for snapper and sweetlip.

With the school holidays on, local land-based spots for kids include the Brisbane River under the Gateway Bridge—particularly near the pontoon by BrewDog. It’s a reliable area for bream and an easy access spot.

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

Moreton Bay Offshore

Snapper and a mix of reef fish have been showing up in the shallows when conditions allow. A standout catch recently was a quality gold spot wrasse landed on a local charter.

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

No report this week

Moreton island fishing charters
Ph 0413128056 | https://moretonislandfishingcharters.com.au/

Redcliffe Peninsula

Bream, whiting, flathead, grunter, and school jew are being caught in Hayes Inlet, the Pine River, and Bramble Bay. Yellowfin whiting are also showing up in Hayes, the Pine, and along the eastern foreshores. A few scattered winter whiting are starting to appear as well. Off the eastern beaches, jetties, rocky points and inshore reefs, there’s been snapper, good numbers of grunter, and some tailor. Bramble Bay and the waters off Woody Point and Shorncliffe jetties have produced tailor, school mackerel, mack tuna, longtail tuna, and the odd cobia — with similar action around the bay beacons. Sand crabs have been active off the eastern foreshore and around the northern end of Scarborough.

For the Land based holiday kids, try your luck of the platform of the Ted Smout Bridge or the Scarborough Harbour can also yield great fish action.

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

Redland Bay

There have been some nice snapper caught around the artificial reefs in Moreton Bay, along with good-sized Spanish mackerel around the Sevens and the group of stradbroke island. Grassy sweetlip have also been reported at Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef, and there are schools of mackerel still active around Tangalooma. Mud crabs are being caught throughout the canal systems, particularly around Raby Bay, Ormiston, and Cleveland Point.

For a great spot to take the kids, the Raby Bay canals are a solid option. Strips of mullet fished without a sinker can pick up bream and the occasional flathead.

Mossops Tackle Store Cleveland
Ph (07) 3821 1240 | www.mossopsfishing.com.au

Moreton Bay/ Jumpinpin

Jacobs well: Fishing has been tracking well over the past week, with water quality slowly improving – although it’s still murky on the low tide. There are plenty of prawns flicking about, especially during the low, so it’s worth keeping an eye on those areas, as flathead and trevally have been feeding nearby. The high tides are bringing in cleaner water, which has helped areas like kalinga bank, Crusoe Island, and the northern lagoons of South Stradbroke fish well, particularly on the run-in and early run-out.

Gold Bank has also been productive with lots of bait holding there, and good results on the high tide and start of the run-out. On the lower tides, it’s best to focus efforts where cleaner water is pooling – places like Tiger Mullet Channel and the Five Ways are a good start. Flathead and other species are sticking close to those pockets of clearer water.

Jacobs Well is still producing a few good-sized flathead in the dirtier water, but the key to success there has been finding concentrated bait – that’s the biggest factor right now.

Moreton bay is fishing pretty well, the water is quite dirty from Peel Island down, especially on the run-out tide, but it hasn’t impacted the fishing too much. Snapper and other reefies are worth chasing from Peel Island northward, including Mud, Green, and D’Aguilar (Dunnage) Islands, where cleaner water is sitting. Harry atkins artificial is also fishing very well but its expected to be very busy this weekend.

The southern Bay has had good signs of threadfin salmon, jew fish, grunter, bream, and tailor following schools of prawns – keep an eye out for bird activity to help locate the fish.

For land-based options, Wellington Point is a great spot for chasing tuna, and the Shorncliffe Pier has been ideal for kids getting into some light fishing action.

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

Jumpinpin

Some good bream have been caught around Kalinga Bank, the Stockyards, and Cobby Rocks. Flathead are still showing up in good numbers along the bottom end of Kangaroo Island, Pandannus Island, and Kalinga Bank. A few whiting have also been picked up around the Pig Styes, Marks Rocks, and Fisherman’s Channel.

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

The Pin has been pretty slow this week, with continuous rain leaving the water dirty and shutting the bite down quite a bit. A few threadfin are still being picked up, but anglers are having to work hard for them. Flathead are beginning to come into season, with some better-quality fish starting to move through. They’re likely to be scattered for now, but focusing efforts a little further from the bar could be worthwhile. Tailor should start showing up soon, especially once a few more westerlies blow through — expect the smaller fish to arrive first.

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

South Stradbroke Island

Despite heavy showers and strong winds earlier in the week, there were still good catches of flathead, leatherjacket, and whiting in the sheltered corners of the estuaries like the Coomera and Pimpama Rivers. Those who ventured into the Broadwater found some solid GTs holding around the main channel near The Aldershots.

Thankfully, the weather has taken a turn for the better. The Broadwater was like a sheet of glass all morning today, with light winds and almost no rain forecast right through the long weekend. Expect the waterways to be busy with boats and jet skis, so it’s worth heading to quieter areas to improve your chances. Water clarity is starting to improve too, which is a welcome change.

The highest tides will peak around midnight this weekend—perfect for soaking a few crab pots overnight. With low tide heights still sitting above 0.5m, it’s a great opportunity to push further upstream into your favourite secret creek (like maybe Buck creek)

Recommended land based fishing spots:

Under the Sundale Bridge at Southport
Off the pontoons along the Esplande at Labrador near the Grand Hotel
Off the long jetty at Paradise Point next to the main shops and restaurants
Under the Jabiru Island bridge on the esplanade at Boykambil/Hope Island
At the weir of Sea Eagle Lagoon at Oxenford at the end of Old Tambourine Road (good for jacks too)

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

Gold Coast Broadwater

A perfect Easter break is upon us and there’s heaps of fish being caught. The swell will be up so be careful at the ends of the seaway walls and the run out tide. Vertical jigging has caught trevally and Jew this week. With the extra whitewater, tailor should be hunting in the foam. Try surface lures or smaller profile slugs for best results. With the cleaner water the whiting have started to ramp up in numbers. Good catches are coming from the Broadwater between sovereign island and Wavebreak. They are also making their way back up the rivers. Coomera and Pimpama rivers are holding fish with fewer numbers but better quality. No reports from the Nerang but I think they would be up to the council chambers area by now. For land based fishers try the northern side of the Sundale bridge up to the water park for whiting and bream. Sand crabs have started to be caught again but not in great numbers.

Prawns are being caught in great numbers in the usual places and the smaller tides help. It’s a great time of year to catch a range of seafood. With a bit of planning you have the chance to catch prawns, crabs and fish all in one outing. Have a great Easter break.

David McDonald
Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

The weather’s been playing games again, keeping most off the water since late last week. Before the change, Spanish mackerel, cobia, and mack tuna were caught on the 24-fathom reefs using both baits and lures. Conditions are looking more promising for Easter weekend, though caution will be needed on the bars with a decent swell forecast for Friday and Saturday.

For land-based options, there are a couple of good spots for kids to catch bream safely on the Gold Coast — try the beach, pontoon, and pathway near Sundale Bridge, or head to the Marine Stadium public pontoon. Hot tip: skip the sinker when fishing from the pontoons — bigger bream tend to hide underneath and will come out for a floating bait.

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

Offshore fishing has been fairly quiet with limited opportunities due to rough conditions. A few scattered catches of mackerel and wahoo have been reported, but not in any real numbers. There have also been some snapper caught, particularly around the 24-fathom line, though again, the main challenge has been getting out between the weather windows.

Inshore, there have been some good flathead caught around the sand banks near Crab Island and Brown Island, along with a few quality bream. A recent competition around Paradise Point produced decent catches and some good-sized bream and whiting. However, with a lot of freshwater still in the system and the recent cold snap, things have generally been slow. There hasn’t been many reports of mangrove jacks lately, most likely due to the cold weather and beach fishing remains difficult as recent conditions have stripped away a lot of sand. According to local bait gatherers, beach worming may be tough for the next couple of months.

For young land-based anglers, the Broadwater foreshore is a solid option. Try fishing around the Grand Jetty or near the boat ramp, where the incoming tide helps push cleaner water into the area. Look for spots with greener, clearer water for the best chance at success.

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

Yellowfin tuna have been caught offshore, with some good-sized fish reported out wide. Offshore action is improving, and a few early-season snapper have already been landed, which is a promising sign for the months ahead. There are also still some big Spanish mackerel being caught.

The rivers are beginning to clean up, though a lot of fish remain pushed up toward the upper reaches due to lingering freshwater flow. Despite that, there are still some mud crabs being caught, and surprisingly, a few mangrove jacks are still active.

If you’re visiting the area, a few reliable spots to try include Oxley Cove and the boat ramp at Dry Dock Road or the old Chinderah Wharf is also worth a look.

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

Brunswick Heads

Deep sea fishing has slowed a little due to increased wind and swell, but those who managed to get out still found a good feed of mackerel, longtail tuna, and snapper.

Beach and rock fishing has been productive, with solid catches of dart, bream, trevally, mangrove jacks, tailor, and the first few legal mulloway starting to show up.

In the river, there are loads of mangrove jacks and bream, along with a few flathead, trevally, and whiting. Mud crabs are active as well, although many have been undersized.

Bruns Beach, Bait & Tackle
https://www.instagram.com/brunsbeachbaitntackle/

Evans Head

Off Airforce Beach and Main Beach, anglers have been finding jewfish in the early mornings and evenings, with a solid run of bream and flathead during the day. Around the north and south walls, there’s been a few more jewfish along with good numbers of bream and flathead. In the lower reaches of the Evans River, flathead and whiting are about, with a great run of mud crabs being caught as well

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

Yamba

The water down the bottom end of the rivers is finally clearing up, with clean water now pushing in as far as Browns Rocks. In this lower section, anglers are catching bream, flathead, and whiting. Some quality flathead between 60 and 80 centimetres have been reported, particularly along the rocks of the main breakwall and around Whiting Beach.

Jewfish are still being caught off the rockwall, although most are now smaller school-sized fish, with fewer larger specimens showing up. Offshore reports have been limited over the past week due to rough seas, but conditions eased today, marking one of the first real opportunities to head out. A few longtail tuna and the occasional mackerel have been mentioned, suggesting that offshore conditions are starting to improve. As the water continues to cool, snapper should begin to show up in better numbers.

For a reliable land-based option, Whiting Beach remains a standout. It’s a safe and accessible spot for kids of all ages and produces a variety of species, including bream, flathead, and whiting.

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

FRESHWATER FISHING

Wivenhoe Dam

At Wivenhoe Dam, the fish are scattered throughout the system—from Logan’s Inlet to Billy’s Bay and up to Hammond Cove in the north. Fish are holding in deeper water as well as along the edges. The water remains slightly coloured, which has made the bite patchy, but the fish are still there and catchable. Lipless crankbaits such as the TN60, metal spoons, soft plastics, and chatterbaits are all producing results. It’s a matter of moving around to locate the schools and timing your presentation for when they’re active.

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

Moogerah Dam

Moogerah Dam has reopened after recent rainfall and is fishing well again. Over the weekend, there were some solid catches on soft plastics, chatterbaits, and metal spoons. Productive areas include the bay near the caravan park entrance, the spit, the timbered sections, and the edges. Fish are spread across the dam, and with good weather forecast, it should be a popular spot this weekend.

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

Hinze Dam

On the Gold Coast, fish have been found in the main basin, especially off the points and along the edges. Lipless crankbaits, chatterbaits, and metal spoons have all been working well in the deeper water. As a reminder, Hinze is an electric-only dam, and outboards are not permitted. There were recent reports of someone using an outboard on the lake—compliance is important to maintain the peaceful nature of this beautiful location

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

Kurwongbah

Up at Lake Kurwongbah, Saratoga have been active around the edges on surface lures. South Pine and North Pine rivers have been turning up bass during the early morning and late afternoon sessions.

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