Fishing Report for 22nd May 2025

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

Hervey Bay / Fraser Island

Along the beaches at Fraser, the tailor have moved on, but whiting have turned up in solid numbers and are proving to be a far more reliable option. One angler fishing inside Rooney Point managed a great mixed bag including whiting, a few solid bream, and some good-sized flathead — so there’s still plenty happening inshore.

Spanish mackerel remain thick throughout the Bay, with some anglers landing five or six fish in a single session. They’ve been caught everywhere from Six Mile to Rooney’s and down through the Gutters. Tiger squid have also started pushing in through the Straits and into the Bay — a promising sign, as their arrival last year coincided with a strong snapper season. A few snapper have already been caught out wide, but they haven’t moved inshore just yet.

Longtail tuna are spread across the region, with some big 20kg-class fish showing up through the Straits and the Bay. School mackerel, broad-barred mackerel, and mac tuna are still active around the artificial reefs, and there have been some quality trout, grassy sweetlip, and cod coming from the Straits and around Big Woody Island.

Winter whiting are starting to show up around Point Vernon. They’re not in huge numbers yet, but they’ve definitely made a start.

In the creeks and river systems, prawns have been running well down the Burrum and Mary Rivers, with anglers bagging out on good-sized prawns. Barramundi, threadfin salmon and the odd mangrove jack are still active in those same systems — the slightly warmer water has helped keep the bite going.

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

Tin Can Bay

There has been some quality mud crabs caught — especially around Carlo and Alligator Creek. Mangrove jacks are still being landed up the creeks despite the cooler weather, with water temps sitting around 23 degrees. Small live baits like poddy mullet or herring have been the go-to, with herring doing especially well. Some jacks have also been taken on mullet strips, but the jacks are holding deep in the snags.

Flathead have been going hard on the rising tide, especially at the creek mouths. T-Bar Creek, Carey Creek and Alligator Creek are all good spots to try. The squid haven’t been in huge numbers, but if you put in the effort, you’ll likely get a decent feed. Try fishing around the moored boats out the front near Snack Shack and Crab Creek for better results.

There have also been some impressive queenfish caught around Big Mick — most of them solid metre-plus models. A few big GTs have been mixed in as well, taken on fast-moving poppers. If you’re chasing them on live bait, pike have been working well up there.

Offshore looks like a possibility this weekend — weather depending. If conditions allow, it’s worth chasing snapper and pearlies in close, with 5-inch jerk shads doing the damage. Aim for a slow fall and keep the lure near the bottom.

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

Maroochydore

Pending

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

Noosa

Some good weather finally. Spanish mackerel, coral trout, sweetlip, pearl perch, cobia, and Moses perch have all been caught on Sunshine and North Reef. Out wider at the Hards and the Banks, there are plenty of big snapper, goldband, amberjack, and everything else is on the chew.

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

No report this week.

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

Up at Double Island, the catches have included quality snapper, goldband, pearl perch, and tuskfish. Closer to home, Sunshine and North Reefs fished well over the weekend with good numbers of Maori and goldspot cod, largemouth nannygai, coral trout, and both Spanish and spotted mackerel adding to the mix.

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

Even though the water’s still fairly murky, the bream have really fired up. They’re being caught right throughout the system, from Lake Weyba down to the river mouth. Flathead are also active around the mouth, with anglers having the most success drifting to cover more ground. Trevally have been moving through from the river mouth up into Woods Bay, and there’s still some whiting hanging around the sandbars along the Noosaville stretches.

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

Mooloolaba

Up at the mouth of the Maroochy River, there’s been a few whiting about, along with some jewfish hanging in the deeper holes. Over in the Mooloolah River, there’s been some good bream and trevally around the trawler docks. Offshore — but still in close — grassy sweetlip and snapper are being caught on the shallow reefs. With the new moon this weekend, fishing should be good, especially up on Caloundra Wide, and there’s still been the odd Spanish mackerel showing up around Sunshine Reef. There are still a few decent mud crabs getting around in both the Maroochy and Mooloolah Rivers too.

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

Caloundra

Let’s kick things off offshore — the snapper have started up again, which is a great sign. Some solid fish have been caught at the Caloundra 12 Mile, while grassy sweetlip are still coming from the Caloundra 5 Mile. A standout catch this week was a quality red emperor landed near the Bribie shipping channel marker — a rare capture for the area, but a cracking fish taken on a picture-perfect day out front. There have also been reports of Spanish mackerel off the Caloundra 9 Mile.

Along the beaches, tarwhine and dart have been showing up in the deeper sections of the long Currimundi stretch. In the Passage, inside the new bar, flathead, bream, and whiting have been active. Mud crabs are moving through the creeks and drains — most systems along the Passage are holding a few at the moment. There’ve also been some small trevally and even a few carp caught in the Pelican Waters canals. No sign of tailor in that area this week.

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

Northern Moreton Bay

The Pine and Caboolture Rivers are fishing well for flathead, jewfish, and trevally, with a few tailor also being caught in the evenings around the Highway Bridge and Hornibrook Bridge. Tailor are also active around the mouth of the Brisbane and Pine Rivers, mostly after dark. Scarborough continues to produce good numbers of grunter and snapper — try soft plastics early in the morning for best results. There are still a fair few school mackerel moving through the northern bay and scattered throughout Moreton Bay. Squid have been active around the bay islands, especially near Peel and Mud Islands.

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

Sandgate/Shorncliffe Pier

No report this week.

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

Brisbane River

The mouth of the Brisbane River has been producing good numbers of whiting and flathead, with plenty of bream, snapper, and school jewfish through the lower reaches. Flathead are showing up well out the front of Nudgee, particularly around Jacksons Creek and Juno Point where the flats are holding fish. Mud crabs are still active through the mangrove zones around Fishermans Island. There are diver whiting on the eastern side of Mud Island and at the mouth of the Brisbane River, while squire and sweetlip have been coming from both Mud and Green islands. Prawns have been active at night, with most catches coming from those working the Brisbane River after dark.

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

Moreton Bay Offshore

The afternoon trips have kicked off with great results — plenty of snapper in the 50 to 60cm range have been landed, and with winter setting in, the fishing is shaping up to be excellent in the weeks ahead.

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

There’s no shortage of fish offshore at the moment, with just about every mark holding something. Out in the 100s, there were good numbers of snapper, though the sharks were thick too. A legal bar cod was also landed out wide, which was a nice bonus. On the way back in, a school of amberjack fired up at Shallow Tempest, adding some extra action to round out the day.

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

Redcliffe Peninsula

Pending

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

Redland Bay

There’s been plenty of snapper caught at Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef and the West Peel Artificial, with whole cuttlefish and big banana prawns proving effective. Blackspot tuskfish have also been active between Peel Island, Harrys, and Curtain Artificial, mostly caught on crabs and banana prawns.

School mackerel are showing up between the Four Beacons and the foul ground north of Harrys, while threadfin salmon are feeding heavily in the southern Bay, chasing the prawns. Live prawns have been the top bait, but they’re also being taken on vibes and soft plastics.

Tailor have been running strong through the northern Bay — from the Bribie entrance right down through to Victoria Point. Most fish have been around the 60cm mark, but one standout caught land-based came in at 92cm.

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

Moreton Bay/ Jumpinpin

No report this week.

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

Jumpinpin

Pending

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

Good numbers of prawns are being caught around the southern Moreton Bay Islands, with threadfin salmon mixed in as well—both fishing best around the tide changes. Smaller tailor are starting to move around the Pin Bar, taking small metal slugs. Mulloway have been fishing well following the rain, with solid numbers and sizes spread across the system. Flathead are also throughout the Pin, with a wide range of sizes on offer.

Gold Coast Broadwater

The weekend is looking perfect with light westerly winds. This time of year can be a bit more challenging with the change in season. Winter species are about to start and the summer run is slowing down. Tailor schools for example have already been active for a number of weeks which generally indicate winter is here. They have been seen in the same areas as last week, the seaway itself and down to SeaWorld. Also check to the north in the main channel up to crab island. Prawns have been everywhere and making their way south from the powerlines to Jacobs well. The tides are great and they are schooling up. It won’t be long before they too will thin out so make the most of it while you can. Flathead have been caught at Tipplers channel, mouth of the Pimpama river and on the high tide up along the mangrove line near wasp creek. Sand crabs though not plentiful are still being caught in numbers worthy of getting the pots out. The challenge is not having them run over by one of the thousand boats that drive past! If you’re having a drift for a whiting or flathead it might be worth having a sneaky squid jig out just in case. Only a week until King of the pin fishing competition. If you’re looking for a family friendly competition this is a great one and highly recommend giving it a shot with prizes for the kids as well as the adults. 

David McDonald  Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

It was great to finally see a few days of decent weather, and those who made the most of it found some solid action on the 24 and 26 fathom grounds. Spanish, spotted, and school mackerel were caught on unweighted pilchards, with longtail tuna also showing up. Cobia responded well to livies, and there was a good reef bite with Moses perch and tuskfish keen on cut pilchards and squid fished on paternoster rigs. A few snapper were landed too, rounding out a productive session offshore.

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

Offshore, the wider grounds have been firing, with a good mix showing up—blue and striped marlin have both been hooked, and yellowfin tuna are still hanging around. The 50-fathom line has been holding quality snapper, pearl perch, kingfish, and amberjack, so there’s definitely some solid offshore action right now.

At the 36s, parrotfish are thick, and there’s more pearlies and snapper in the mix too. A bit closer in around the 18s and 24s, it’s been a good patch for mackerel, snapper, cobia, and even the odd mulloway.

There’s been a few chopper tailor, tarwhine and dart along the beaches—worth a look if you’re chasing something land-based.

In the Broadwater, the squid have started to show up in better numbers, and there’s still some winter whiting about. Flathead are biting pretty consistently, and there’s been a couple of luderick caught along the rock walls, especially around the Seaway and Wave Break’s north wall.

Up the rivers, we’re heading into the tail end of the jack and trevally run, but they’re still around—livies are doing the trick. A few mud crabs are being picked up too, mostly in the upper sections of the Coomera, Nerang, Pimpama and Tallebudgera rivers.

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

Tweed Coast

There are still good numbers of jewfish being caught at the mouth of the Tweed River and along the rock walls heading south towards Ballina. Hard-bodied lures and 6 to 8-inch soft plastics have been working best. One of the crew landed two solid fish—one went around 130cm and the other measured 135 or 138cm. The key is to look for mullet schools. A good tip is to sit back and watch for a couple of hours—if the mullet are showing surface activity, the jewfish usually aren’t far behind.

Bluenose bream have started pushing into the river, with a solid run starting to move through. There are still a few mangrove jacks around—not in big numbers, but definitely still there, even though not many have been caught recently.

Other species are showing up near the river mouth, including golden trevally and golden GTs. Flathead are still about in smaller numbers, mostly undersize fish, but there are still a few decent ones being caught. The river is starting to clean up and the salt content is pushing back up, so fishing further upriver is becoming a viable option again. If you’re chasing bigger bream, try the deeper holes up the river where salinity is higher. Around the mouth and along the rock walls, the bream are a good size—Gulp Crabbies are working well, just make sure to adjust your jighead weight for the water flow.

Offshore, the snapper bite is firing anywhere from five miles out to the 50-fathom line, with pearl perch also being caught. For those fishing deeper—around 100 to 300 metres—there are still bar cod and grouper being landed, mostly off the back of the wide reefs. Most crews targeting these deeper species are using electric reels.

Kingfish are in good numbers off the reef edges and further south. Mackerel and wahoo are still active, particularly heading towards the Gold Coast. Diamond Reef is producing mackerel and the occasional snapper, though better numbers of larger snapper are coming from further out. First light has been the best time to target them—heavier sinkers with pilchards or Shimano Baku Baku jigs are working well early, then switch to float-lining once the sun is up, as the fish move higher in the water column.

Further out, there have been a few blue marlin and cobia around Diamond Reef too, with floating pilchards being the go-to method.

Tailor have shown up in decent numbers, with concentrated schools along the rock walls and beaches, stretching as far as Mermaid Beach. Crabs are still being caught, though numbers have dropped off a bit.

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

Brunswick Heads

After a stretch of rough weather, the weekend finally brought a break and allowed a few boats to head offshore, where they found Spanish mackerel, kingfish, snapper, and a couple of longtail tuna in the mix. Off the rocks and beaches, some solid jewfish have been landed, along with good quality bream and dart. Tailor, dart, and bream continue to be caught along the beaches as well. The river’s still producing jacks, blackfish, and bream, and there are still a few mud crabs getting around too.

Also worth a mention—young Nash Kane landed an impressive 43cm bream on a piece of bread!( Photo below) 

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

Ballina

No report due to inclement weather

Ballina Bait and Tackle   Ph 0266862527 | https://www.facebook.com/p/Ballina-Bait-and-Tackle-100063582669959/

Evans Head

Airforce Beach has seen a couple of solid jewfish caught, with a handful of tailor starting to show up, along with the usual bream, flathead, and whiting. Around the North and South walls, there have been some luderick, the odd jewfish, and good numbers of bream. In the lower reaches of the river, anglers are still finding flathead, bream, and whiting, while further upstream, the mud crabs are hanging around. Offshore at Chaos Reef, there have been a few snapper and some quality trag, and down around South Reef, Spanish mackerel are still making an appearance.

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

Yamba

All the rain has definitely had an impact. Before it set in, the offshore fishing was firing—there were good reports of snapper, big pearl perch, tuskfish, and all the usual reefies including Moses perch. That’s slowed right down now, especially for the mackerel, which have gone quiet—though there could still be the odd one about. There are still a few crabs getting caught in the rivers, but the river fishing has been pretty dead apart from the odd catfish. Ocean rocks for bream and tarwhine have still been producing, but that’s about it for now. We’ll have to wait and see what this water does over the next few days as it moves through.

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

FRESHWATER FISHING

Lake Borumba

Tahlia White Coastwatch fishing report editor | https://www.instagram.com/tahlias_fishing_journey/

Wivenhoe Dam

Wivenhoe Dam’s been fishing pretty well, especially for bass and yellowbelly. If you head out from Logan’s Inlet and make your way north toward Heaven Cove, there’s bass along the edges near the rock walls. Deep-diving crankbaits running around that three-to-four metre mark up close to the structure will find fish. Billy’s Bay and the main basin over to Platypus Cliffs are also worth a look, with both bass and yellowbelly coming from around the cliffs and in Billy’s Bay itself. Spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, and chatterbaits are all doing the trick. Out in the main basin, if you find schooled-up fish, 20 to 30 gram metal spoons are a great option.

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

Moogerah Dam

Over at Moogerah Dam — it’s been fishing really well. The bass are stacked around the spit and along the edges in the trees, especially heading up into the creeks. Crankbaits, chatterbaits, metal spoons and soft plastics are all working. If you’re trolling, try deep divers around the four-metre range and follow the old riverbed—slip in and out of it and you’ll find fish for sure.

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

Hinze Dam

Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast is still producing nicely. There’ve been some big bass caught in the last fortnight, and a few Saratoga are starting to show up again too. Small spinnerbaits and hardbodies fished in the backs of the bays are great for Saratoga, and surface lures are working as well, especially early. Bass have been taking poppers on the surface early in the morning, and once the sun’s up a bit, moving out onto the points with crankbaits or soft plastics is the go. If you can find the bait, you’ll usually find the fish not far behind.

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

As for Hinze Dam, not much fresh news this week, but it should still be worth a go. Metal jigs fished deep are your best bet if you’re chasing schooled-up bass.

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

Kurwongbah/North Pine Dam

Over at North Pine Dam, bass are beginning to school up — trolling hardbodies or working metal spoons has been the most effective approach.

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

Copeton Dam and Lake Inverell

Freshwater-wise, bass have been quiet, but the western impoundments like Copeton Dam and Lake Inverell are starting to fire up now that it’s cooling down. Good-sized cod and trout are showing in both dams.

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

Lake Borumba

At Lake Borumba, the bass have been active after all the recent rain, especially along the edges. They’ve been pushing up into the margins, and small jerkbaits have been the best option for targeting them.

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

Lake Lenthalls – Lake Monduran

Great-sized barramundi have been biting well, especially on hardbody vibes during low light periods. Through the day, soft plastics like jerk shads are proving more effective. The old ‘strolling’ technique has been productive too — using lightly weighted jig heads around 1/4 to 1/6 oz to work the top three metres of water. Most of the fish are holding in about nine metres, so the focus is on that upper layer.

A slow roll combined with rod tip shakes gives the lure a nice erratic action, which has been particularly effective when barra are following the lure down. It’s a fun and productive way to fish, especially when they’re sitting up higher in the water column.

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

Lake Monduran is still producing quality barramundi, with fish ranging from a metre up to 1.2 metres. Livescope has been a game-changer, helping anglers pinpoint schools and target them effectively. Most of the barra have been holding along the deeper edges, with soft plastics and swimbaits getting the best results.

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

THIS WEEK’S GALLERY

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Deep Sea Fishing Co

Noosa Bluewater Charters

The Chandlery Bait & Tackle  

Moreton island fishing charters

High Calibre Charters

BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters

Evans Head Sports & Marine

 

Tackleworld Lawnton 
 

Bruns Beach, Bait & Tackle