Fishing Report for 23rd January 2025

Queensland east coast: Barramundi closed season – no-take species between 1 November and 31 January each year. (some exceptions apply — check the Queensland Fisheries website).

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

Hervey Bay/ Fraser Island

At Urangan Pier, anglers are seeing small numbers of grunter, plenty of baitfish, and a few queenfish. The local beaches are producing decent numbers of whiting and garfish, while Eli Creek has been a hotspot for good-sized flathead.

On the inshore reefs, there are grunter, grassy sweetlip, coral trout, and plenty of squid to be found. The Gutters and Roonies are holding reef fish, but the abundance of sharks has made it challenging to land them.

Mack tuna and bait schools have been sighted at the Six Mile, while in the Mary River system, threadfin salmon are being caught in good numbers, and barramundi are starting to show up on sounders as the open season approaches.

On Fraser Island, Happy Valley and areas south of Eurong have seen action with trevally, GTs, a standout 2-kilogram bream, big dart, and tarwhine. Tailor are still being caught on smaller slugs in the 20 to 40-gram range.

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

Tin Can Bay

Pending

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

Noosa

Around the close reefs off Noosa, anglers are catching mackerel, cobia, grassy sweetlip, pearl perch, and tuna. Further out, the Hards and Double Island Point are producing snapper, pearl perch, tuskfish, and amberjack. The FADs have been holding good numbers of mahi-mahi. With the current backing off, conditions have improved, making it easier to fish these areas again.

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

There’s been good trevally action in Woods Bay, with flathead also biting at the mouth. Noosa Sound is seeing heaps of grunter schooling, while golden trevally are active in the Frying Pan. Cooroibah is producing mulloway and queenfish, but be ready for lots and lots of sharks in the area!

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

Bream are being caught throughout the lower reaches from Tewantin up to the first Lake. Flathead are still biting well on the drift in the lower reaches of the Noosaville stretch. Trevally are active in Woods Bay, providing some good action for anglers.

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

The great weather is continuing to bring in great catches! Spanish mackerel, sweetlip, and cobia are still being landed at Sunshine Reef. Over at Double Island Point, anglers are reeling in jewfish, snapper, and plenty of Goldband snapper. Just be sure to beat the sharks to your catch!

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

Mooloolaba

Kawana beaches have been producing dart and quality flathead, while Marcoola beaches are yielding some nice jewfish. The Maroochy River continues to deliver good mangrove jacks, particularly in the canals. Over at the Mooloolah River, trevally are being caught around the trawler docks, with solid mangrove jack reports from Lake Kawana.

Offshore, Spanish mackerel have been caught at Caloundra 12 Mile and Murphy’s Reef, while spotted mackerel are active around Currimundi Reef and Coolum Reef. Grass sweetlip are coming off the close reefs near Mooloolaba, and while there haven’t been reports from the wider grounds, plenty of dolphin fish are active around the FADs.

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

Black marlin, wahoo, and sailfish have been active along the 50m line off Mooloolaba. Out on the shelf off Cape Moreton, anglers have reported blue, black, and striped marlin. Meanwhile, the Barwon Banks are producing good catches of tuskfish and hussar.

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

Caloundra

Mackerel, including spotties and Spanish, are still in great numbers, with productive sessions reported along the 3, 5, and 12-mile stretches, as well as at Caramundi Reef. Sweetlip and snapper are continuing to bite well, with cobia being a standout catch—one angler even bagged out last Wednesday and was back at the boat ramp by 8 a.m., with no sharks in sight.

Whiting fishing has been excellent throughout the estuaries, alongside an abundance of flathead and grunter. School jewfish are still around, and surprisingly, tailor numbers have remained consistent throughout the summer months.

The canals have been fishing well, especially with the recent hot and humid weather. Mangrove jack are active, and the rain has also prompted crabs to move. Crab bait is in strong demand, particularly from the regulars—always a good sign that catches are on the rise.

On the beaches, conditions have been tough due to the wind, and reports have been scarce. However, there have been some decent catches of dart and whiting at Caloundra Bar Mouth, particularly near Kings Beach.

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

Donnybrook

Whiting have been active around Lime Pocket and the front of Mission Point. Jewfish are starting to show up in better numbers in the deeper holes and creek mouths, while mangrove jack activity is ramping up with the warmer water temperatures. The heat has really stirred the jacks, with Elimbah Creek and Glass Mountain Creek fishing well, and further action reported up at Coochin Creek and Husseys Creek.

Flathead are actively working along the banks and drop-offs, while grunter are showing up in the channels, putting up a solid fight and making for an excellent catch. Crab catches remain steady, with sand crabs coming from the deeper waters, particularly around the bottom end of Bribie Island. Although the creeks are still slightly too dirty for consistent results, there have been reports of a few prawns beginning to appear—an encouraging sign for the season ahead.

Donnybrook Takeaway, Bait & Tackle   Ph (07) 5498 8247 | www.facebook.com/Donnybrook-Takeaway-Bait-Tackle

Bribie Island

Pending

Gateway Bribie Adventures  Ph (07) 5497 5253 | https://www.facebook.com/gatewaybaitandtackle/

Northern Moreton Bay

Snapper are active early morning and late afternoon around Red Cliffs, while good numbers of flathead are being caught at the mouth of the Pine and Caboolture Rivers. Jewfish are still showing up around Bongaree at Bribie, and there are plenty of bream around, with the season proving productive. Snapper are also being taken at the mouth of the Brisbane River during a run-in tide, along with a few jewfish and threadfin salmon starting to appear.

Prawns are beginning to run, with promising reports from the mouth of the Pine River and further upstream. The South and North Pine Rivers are producing good bass as well.

Offshore fishing has been exceptional when the weather permits, with wahoo, dolphin fish, and marlin all in good numbers. Deeper waters from Cape Moreton to Caloundra are producing quality snapper and pearl perch.

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

Sandgate

Locally to Sandgate, there have been many great fish being caught, including flathead, bream, whiting, and even some great tailor. Additionally, some outstanding bream and whiting have been caught all along the Brighton waterfront. Beach worms and prawns remain the go-to baits.

Young Finn (Photos below) has done an awesome job this week, landing some quality flathead around the Brighton area. The flathead went 45cm and 50cm, with one caught on bait and the other on plastics.

Flynn wrote: “The first fish is a nice 45cm flattie caught at the Sandgate waterfront on my first ever pack of lures that Richard recommended to me, using a simple grub soft plastic. The second flattie was caught on the same lure at the Brighton waterfront and measured 50cm. It was brilliant!”

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

Brisbane River – Northern Moreton Bay

There have been some impressive threadfin salmon caught recently, with reports of fish up to 1.3 meters being landed, particularly in the port area. The recent rain seems to have pushed fish toward the river mouth, with plenty of action around the cruise ship terminal and grain wharf. Anglers are also picking up decent jewfish in these areas.

From the Gateway Bridge to the river mouth, there are reports of snapper, bream, and flathead at the usual spots. With the recent rough weather, most anglers have been sticking to the river

Out in the bay, the weather has kept activity limited. However, a few anglers managed to get out on Wednesday, picking up some Spanish mackerel.

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

Redcliffe Peninsula

In Hayes, the Pine, and Bramble Bay, anglers are finding bream, whiting, flathead, grunter, and school jew. Yellowfin whiting are also active in these areas, particularly along the Eastern foreshores. Off the Eastern beaches, jetties, rocky points, and inshores, snapper, grassy sweetlip, grunter, and some tailor are being caught. In Bramble Bay, there are reports of small cobia and queenfish. Grunter are being landed on inshores, with some land-based catches as well. Muddies are active in the rivers and creeks, while sand crabs are being pulled from Bramble Bay and off Margate Beach.

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

Moreton Bay/ Jumpinpin

The fishing around Jacobs Well and Jumpinpin remains active despite the dirty water following the recent fresh. Targeting the mouth and the Kalinga bank areas has been productive, especially for flathead the sand banks in the middle of the channel north of Crusoe island are worth a try on the high tide. Mangrove jacks are firing, particularly near freshwater runoff areas. The Coomera river and sovereign island are fishing well for jacks as well. We have had some impressive threadfin salmon catches this week, including fish measuring over 1.1m. Flathead and trevally are still being caught in good numbers around the mud banks of Jacobs Well Channel and the Measured Mile. Look for bait along the shallows of these banks, and you’re likely to find fish.

In Moreton Bay, mackerel are still coming through, though they can take some effort to locate. Key spots to try include Harry Atkin’s Artificial Reef, the waters off Moreton Island, and the South Passage Bar area. Snapper and sweetlip continue to bite well on the shallow reefs, particularly around the west of Peel Island and the artificial reefs. Fishing in the 6-7m depth range has been rewarding, with tuskfish starting to show up near Mud Island.

At the Port of Brisbane, the water remains a bit dirty, but the fishing has been decent. Around the rock walls near the mouth, anglers have been catching good snapper and flathead.

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

Nth Stradbroke Island

School mackerel have been reported at Hope Bank and Shark’s Pit, with spotty mackerel showing up north of Harry Atkins Artificial Reef. Trevally are being caught between Blaksleys and Dunwich in the channel. Snapper are still active around Green Island, while mud crabs are being found in Lota Creek. Whiting are consistent in Fisherman’s Gutter, and there have also been some small Spanish mackerel at One Mile.

Water Tower Bait & Tackle   Ph(07) 3396 1833

Jumpinpin

Report pending.

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

The recent full moon brought a solid showing of whiting around the Pin, with live yabbies and worms proving to be the top baits. Further upstream, threadfin salmon have been spotted following loose schools of prawns, while jewfish are making occasional appearances, though not in significant numbers.

South Stradbroke Island

The Pimpama River has been producing flathead and mud crabs, while the Southport Seaway is delivering tailor and GTs. At the mouth of Coombabah Creek, anglers are landing some good-sized whiting. Elsewhere, dirty old catfish seem to be dominating the catches.

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

Gold Coast Broadwater

David McDonald  Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

It’s been a hot mackerel bite lately, with young Ashton and his dad Ryun (photo below) getting into the spotties using laser lures. Anglers have also been hooking into reef sharks around Mermaid Reef and landing some mahi mahi at the 36-fathom FADs.

To stay out of the bad weather, many anglers have been targeting whiting, which are abundant, along with some great-sized bream keeping the kids entertained. Peeled prawn has been the go-to bait.

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

Offshore, there’s been a lot of small blue marlin between the 150 to 250-meter mark, scattered alongside striped and black marlin closer in around the 60 to 90-meter mark. Wahoo numbers remain strong, and there’s been some nice dolphin fish caught.

Closer to shore, the 36s are still producing strong snapper catches and some good-sized pearl perch. The 24s have been fishing well, with big Spanish mackerel and abundant spotty mackerel. Cobia and more wahoo have also been making appearances.

On the beaches, dart, summer whiting, and tarwhine are still around in good numbers. Inside the seaway, heaps of mangrove jacks have been caught on live baits, alongside school mulloway. Flats fishing has been decent, with a few larger flathead among the catches. Whiting remain consistent in the shallows, particularly along the banks. Sand crabs in the Broadwater are also producing well.

In the creeks, Sovereign Island and the south arm of the Coomera have been heavy with mangrove jacks and good trevally. Paradise Point has also been fishing well, with plenty of mangrove jacks, a few tarpon, and a lot of mud crabs throughout the systems.

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

Tweed Coast

Offshore, there’s been a solid presence of wahoo and Spanish mackerel—if you can get them in the boat before the sharks move in. Cape Moreton, Hutchinson Reef, and Flinders are worth a shot, with small black marlin reported in the trench and blue marlin further offshore. Dolphin fish are hanging around the FADs, while snapper continue to bite well at Hutchies and the inshore artificial reefs throughout the Bay. School mackerel remain active near the beacons, especially the four beacons, with spotty mackerel making appearances in the southern Bay.

In the rivers, dirty water from recent rains is still lingering, but it hasn’t deterred good flathead catches at the mouths of creeks like the Caboolture and Pine Rivers. Mangrove jack remain active in the upper reaches, and small soapie jewfish are showing up throughout the systems. Mud crabs are also on the move, with the murky water encouraging solid crab activity—exploring a variety of spots should yield the best results.

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

Brunswick Heads

The wide reefs remain quiet due to recent swell and wind, making it difficult for anglers to get out there. Closer in, the reefs have seen some mackerel caught, while the rock walls and beaches are producing dart, bream, tailor, whiting, and the occasional jack around the walls.

In the river, anglers are reporting good numbers of quality whiting, blackfish, bream, and jacks, with some flathead being caught as well. Mud crabs are around in good numbers, though many are undersized – with some persistence, you can still manage a decent feed.

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

Evans Head

Along Airforce and Main Beach, anglers can target good bream and school jew, while the rock walls are producing bream, school jewfish, and luderick . In the Evans River, bream, flathead, and whiting are active, with the upper reaches also providing some mud crab action. Offshore activity has been quiet due to the storms, but before the weather set in, there were plenty of snapper, spotty mackerel, and Spanish mackerel around the coastal reefs.

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

Yamba

The fishing is still productive, but the recent stretch of poor weather over the last 4-5 days has kept many anglers off the water, leading to limited reports. There should still be some bream getting around, and perhaps a few flathead, although the additional dirty water might have them slowing down. Whiting activity is also likely, but it’s been too rough to venture offshore, so no updates from the reefs or Mackerel grounds have come through. Crab reports have been quiet as well, with the strong winds discouraging much river activity. The severe hailstorm further upriver caused significant damage, making a lot of anglers busy elsewhere.

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

FRESHWATER FISHING

Hinze Dam

Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast continues to produce great results for bass and Saratoga. Saratoga are active in the backs of bays, responding well to small spinnerbaits and topwater lures like poppers and stickbaits. Bass have been active in the main basin and along deeper points near timber, with lipless crankbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics performing well. Early mornings and late afternoons remain the best times to fish.

Moogerah Dam

Moogerah Dam remains a standout for anglers. Fish have moved up the creek, where chatterbaits, lipless crankbaits, and TN70 lures are proving effective. Spinnerbaits along the edges have also been productive. For those not finding action up the creek, the main basin near timber and flats in the 6-knot zone, as well as the spit near the dam wall, have been reliable spots.

Wivenhoe Dam

Wivenhoe Dam has seen improved activity in recent weeks, with quality bass being caught in the main basin and Billy’s Bay. TN60s in “brown dog” colour, spinnerbaits, and metal spoons are proving successful. Crankbaits, especially those in chrome and blue (nicknamed “Wivenhoe Shad”), are also delivering excellent results along the edges.

Maroon Dam

Maroon Dam is fishing well, particularly during early morning and late afternoon sessions. Topwater lures, including small poppers and soft plastics, are delivering good bass. As the day progresses, spinnerbaits, small blades, and crankbaits have been effective around deeper points and weed beds in the main basin.

Somerset Dam

Somerset Dam has been slow but is starting to show signs of improvement. Metal spoons, chatterbaits, crankbaits, and lipless crankbaits like TN60s are beginning to hook fish. Anglers should be prepared to cover ground, with fish moving between areas like the Spit and Kirkleigh.

Wyaralong Dam

Wyaralong Dam has stabilized after recent rain and is fishing well. Lipless crankbaits, TN60s, and spinnerbaits are performing strongly, making it a productive spot for anglers.

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

Hinze Dam

Hinze Dam has been quiet, but it’s expected to pick up, especially in the new grounds where fish have been moving in. Lightly weighted plastics or fly fishing along the bank edges should be effective in this area.

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

Kurwongbah / North Pine Dam

Kurwongbah has spilled over and is proving challenging, but North Pine Dam continues to deliver. Early morning and late afternoon sessions with surface lures or small jerkbaits have been yielding Saratoga.

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

THIS WEEK’S GALLERY

---

Capn’s Charters

Deep Sea Fishing Co

Noosa Bluewater Charters

BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters

Tackleland

   Charltons Fishing