Fishing Report for 23rd October 2025

Hervey Bay / Fraser Island

Tailor have been quiet on Fraser Island but are still being caught around Indian Head and Waddy Point. Halco Twisters in 30, 40 and 50 grams are working well in the gutters, along with pilchards rigged on 4/0 gangs.

Offshore, juvenile black marlin have been showing up in strong numbers, with anglers trolling 5-inch skirts and Nomad DTX Minnows, often with a teaser in tow. The best area has been from Rooney’s to Station Hill along the 10-metre drop-off. Flying fish are thick around Platypus Bay, and finding them is often the key to finding marlin. Mack tuna and longtail tuna are also feeding well, with mack tuna more common and the occasional longtail mixed in. There have been good-sized cobia at Platypus Bay and out through the Gutters, with the odd spanish mackerel still being caught and even a few rare Sailfish reported past Rooney’s. Offshore past Breaksea Spit, anglers fishing 100–300 metres deep are pulling up Pearl Perch, Flame tail snapper, ruby snapper and large bar cod.

Coral Trout are becoming more active inshore and around the gutters with the warmer weather. Down the straits, grunter and grassy sweetlip are biting well, along with plenty of school mackerel, though sharks continue to be an issue.

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

Tin Can Bay

With warm days and stormy afternoons, the estuaries are firing. Rat barra are everywhere right now, hitting just about anything. The Molix 4.5” RT Shad has been a standout lure, while those using live herring are also finding plenty of success. Bullock Point has been a reliable spot over the past couple of weeks.

Mangrove Jacks are active across the creeks, with good numbers being caught on both live baits and lures, particularly on the run-out tide.

It’s also worth dropping a few crab pots, with some quality mud crabs about, though numbers are patchy.

Bream, whiting and flathead fishing has been excellent. Whiting up to 42cm are being caught on local beach worms and fresh yabbies, with Ida, Panican and Cockatoo Islands fishing well on the incoming tide. The flats in front of The Snack Shack have also been productive for land-based anglers.

While bream have slowed with the warmer water, grunter have moved in thick. Small vibes and 2–3” grub-tail plastics are working best, with the CrushCity 2.5” Creeper being a top pick.

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

Noosa

North Reef is full of cobia and tuna at the moment, with plenty of sharks mixed in. Double Island Point has been fishing well, producing good-sized goldband snapper, pearl perch, tuskfish, moses perch, and amberjack, along with the odd early Spanish mackerel. There are also dolphin fish showing around the FADs.

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

Fishing slowed a bit around the new moon, but there were still some good catches last week.
Some quality flathead were landed in the Woods, with a few solid golden trevally around too.
The Frying Pan produced plenty of bream and tarwhine, while up Weyba there’s been moses perch and bream.

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

Cobia have been caught in great numbers on the local reefs, particularly North and Chardons, along with goldspot cod, mulloway, tuskfish and snapper.

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

Report Pending.

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

Maroochydore

It’s been a bit quieter on the river this week. Whiting and flathead are being caught around the river mouth, with bream spread throughout. Some good-sized mud crabs are starting to show up in the middle and upper reaches.

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

Mooloolaba

Caloundra is producing good snapper and a solid cobia bite. Barwon Banks on the western side has been holding wahoo and venus tuskfish. Closer in, Murphys Reef is producing both cobia and snapper, while spanish mackerel are active around the Blinker. Currimundi Reef is still holding healthy numbers of school mackerel.

Along the beaches, whiting are feeding in the gutters at Kawana. Whiting and flathead are being caught at the mouths of the Mooloolah and Maroochy Rivers, with early signs of mud crab activity in the upper reaches of both rivers. Mangrove jack are active around structures and pontoons in the Mooloolah River.

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

Caloundra

Barwon Banks has been fishing well, with pearl perch, quality squire and tuskfish being caught. The wind made anchoring the best option, and lightly weighted baits floated out the back produced the better fish. Super fresh pilchards and freshly cut mullet have been the top baits.

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

Offshore has been quiet, though there are plenty of fish sitting on the 12 Mile, but sharks have made landing them difficult. In closer, the reefs are producing sweetlip, cobia and school mackerel. Spanish and spotted mackerel are starting to show at the 3, 5 and 7 Mile off Caloundra, with surface activity from bonito attracting mack tuna and the odd longtail.

Along the beaches from Kawana down to Happy Valley, whiting, bream, dart and flathead are about when conditions allow. The dredging has clouded the water, but the whiting don’t seem to mind, while the flathead bite has eased slightly. In the canals, mangrove jack have fired up, and a few mud crabs are starting to show.

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

Northern Moreton Bay

Snapper have slowed off Redcliffe, though a few smaller fish are still showing up. In the Brisbane River, there are still solid numbers of snapper at night around the the rock wall, with jewfish and threadfin also being caught near the mouth. The Caboolture River has seen the odd fish, but catches are thinning out.

Mangrove jack are active across the Pine, Caboolture, and throughout the Passage, with steady numbers coming in. Bream are pushing further up the systems with the warmer water but have been hard to land with the sharks at the moment. If you are going shark fishing, then head to the upper Pine River, where anglers targeting them are finding good results.

Flathead are being caught in the deeper water near the river mouths. Numbers are slightly down for this time of year, but the size has been solid. Whiting have been biting well off Redcliffe, Shorncliffe, and on the Cockle Banks in Deception Bay, mostly on worms.

Offshore fishing has been quiet again with the weather, though a few mack tuna are turning up around the beacons, along with the odd school mackerel for those lucky enough to find them.

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

Sandgate/Shorncliffe Pier

From Ted Smout Bridge through to Kedron Brook, the fishing has been lively this week. Solid Mangrove Jacks are being caught in the Pine River and Cabbage Tree Creek on both soft plastics and live Poddy Mullet. Bream are still putting up a fight around the Shorncliffe Pier, testing knots and finding any weak points.

The odd tuna and mackerel have been turning up around sunrise, taking both pillies and live herring, with a few nice tailor and some quality bream also coming off the pier.

On the Clontarf side of the bridge, good bream around 37cm have been caught, with several big hits breaking leaders. Around the Brighton side, around 22 solid flathead were landed, with most legal and only a few kept for a feed. The standout catch was a healthy 59cm Flathead.

The new Shimano Tinsel Tail in the Crystal colour kicked off the action, followed by the Rapala Suspect in Whiting pattern, which finished the session strong

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

Brisbane River

Not a lot has changed, with threadfin and jewfish still holding around the mouth of the Brisbane River. With the lack of rain, they are staying closer to the mouth, so trying deeper water can help. Squire and sweetlip have started showing up around Green and Mud Islands. Whiting are being taken as well as sand crabs from the Darcy Light down to Manly Harbour and the eastern side of Fishermans Island. A few school mackerel are being caught around Wellington Point and the back of Green Island.

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

Moreton Bay Offshore

No report this week.

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

Redcliffe

No report this week.

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

Nth Stradbroke Island

No report this week.

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

Pending

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

Moreton Bay/ Jumpinpin

Moreton Bay has been fishing fairly well over the past week. Pan-sized Snapper, Squire, and Sweetlip have been caught around the five-metre drop-offs at Cleveland Point and Raby Bay, as well as North and South Peel and Goat Island. Success depends on locating bait holding on the reef edges; if the bait is there, anglers have a good chance of catching reef fish, but if not, it can be tougher.

In the southern Bay, Jewfish are showing up around Macleay Island on the shipwrecks, along with Threadfin Salmon and Tailor. Bream and Jewfish are also active around Garden Island, Lamb Islands, and the Salt Works. Flathead in the Bay have been productive around the oyster racks on high tide, and on the flats near Garden Island, Lamb Island, and Long Island on the low tide as the water drains.

The water at the Pin has been quite dirty recently due to consistent northerly winds and larger tides. The secret to catching fish here at the moment is finding cleaner water on high tide, head out toward places like the Pin Bar, Kalinga Banks, Duck Creek, Crusoe Island, and the two lagoons on South Stradbroke, which have been productive for Whiting, Flathead, and other species.

Plenty of Jewfish have been caught at the Pin Bar using heavy jig head to reach the bottom. For Flathead, finding clean water is again essential; areas like the Bedrooms, Tipplers, and the Passage, as well as back in Jacobs Well Channel, have been productive. Giant Trevally are also showing around shallow draining flats, and the two lagoons on South Stradbroke and Gold Bank are producing good Whiting, especially around yabbie holes.

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

Jumpinpin

Report Pending.

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

Mulloway have been active around the Pin, particularly in the deeper sections of the bar. Live baits such as pike, mullet, yakka, and herring have been effective, while Paddle Tails and Vibes are also producing results.
Flathead are about, with Soft Plastics, Diving Lures, and Glide Baits all working well on quality fish.
Jacks are beginning to feed around the Pin, with some early-season catches taken on live baits and Mullet fillet. Whiting have been fishing well around the new moon on live worms and yabbies, while tailor are becoming less common.

South Stradbroke Island

No report this week

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

Gold Coast Broadwater

A few showers this weekend but the wind is not too bad. Bigger tides just after the new moon will help the whiting fishers. There’s a high tide in the middle of the day which should have them feeding on the banks. Good catches have been coming in from the Monaco bridge banks at night as well as the council chambers in the Nerang. From the Sundale bridge to Wavebreak has also produced this week just not in the numbers, which means a bit more moving around to find them. Coomera and Pimpama rivers are also holding fish and worth a try. The seaway was a bit quiet this week for the tailor fishers but the surf still had a few up to 55cm. Mangrove jack have definitely started with a bang with some cracking fish reaching the magic 60cm mark. They love a live bait with no weight thrown into structure also don’t dismiss a fillet of mullet lightly weighted fished in the same areas. For me 30lb is the minimum strength line to use in heavy structure as lighter than that will more often than not end in tears. Flathead are still in great numbers and will be up on the banks close to the mangroves across high tide during the day.

David McDonald  Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

The Snapper bite has picked up this week, with plenty of mixed reef species including Tuskfish, Moses Perch and Trag being taken on paternoster rigs. Cobia and Tuna are also about on live baits, though landing them has been tough with the sharks still heavy.

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

Offshore Snapper are on fire with good numbers and sizes being reported, particularly around 24 and 36 fathoms, with a few Dolphin Fish showing up near the FADs. Nice Wahoo are being caught by anglers trolling in the 50-metre depth range.

Closer in, Silver Jew are being caught on the reefs, with good numbers of Cobia still about. Yellowtail Kingfish are active around the rock walls. While inside the Broadwater, Flathead and Whiting are fishing very well, with good Garfish at night and some Blue Swimmer Crabs starting to move. The Nerang, Coomera, and Pimpama Rivers are holding large numbers of Mangrove Jack, along with Bigeye and Giant Trevally in the same systems. Bass are also appearing in the top reaches.

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

Tweed Coast

No report this week.

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

With the change of season, many anglers are moving away from reef fishing, though there are still good numbers of Snapper, Kingfish and Cobia in all depths.
Attention is now turning toward Spanish Mackerel, Black Marlin, and other big pelagics that move through this time of year. Mangrove Jack are active in the creeks, while the rivers are holding plenty of Flathead on the current moon phase. The Jewfish bite is also starting to fire up.

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

Brunswick Heads

Those northerlies have made fishing tough again. Offshore has been very quiet with not much to report this week. On the beaches, there’s been Dart, Bream, Flathead, and Whiting about.
The rock walls are holding big numbers of Blackfish along with Bream, Dart, and a few Tailor.
In the river, the Jacks are back, with Bream, Flathead, and Whiting showing up towards the bar.
Mud crabs are still a bit slow.

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

Ballina

Report Pending.

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

Evans Head

Not a lot happening at the moment, but morning fishing along Airforce and Main Beach is producing Bream, Tailor, and Jewfish. Around the walls, anglers are catching Bream, Luderick, and Jewfish. Evans River is holding Bream, Flathead, and Whiting, with Mud Crabs being found in the upper reaches. Offshore conditions aren’t ideal, but before the winds there were good catches of Snapper, Pearl Perch, and Trag.

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

Yamba

Fishing is still going really well, with plenty of big Flathead being caught, including some plate-size fish. There have even been reports of fish up to 97 centimetres. Hard-body lures are producing more consistently than plastics at the moment. Whiting are still being caught, though numbers aren’t as high as earlier; there are still some good-sized fish around. Bream are active throughout the river and on some of the rock walls. Reports from up the river indicate good Bass fishing, with some larger fish being taken.

Offshore, Snapper remain strong, with plenty of Tuna as well as good numbers of Kingfish being caught further south. No significant reports of Mackerel yet, but conditions are warming up and it’s looking promising for them soon.

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

FRESHWATER FISHING

Wivenhoe Dam

At Wivenhoe Dam, good fish are being caught, though they can be scattered. Billy’s Bay and Platypus Cliffs have been worth a look, as well as along the edges up past Hays Inlet toward the cliffs. Trolling lures in the 4–6 metre depth range has been productive. Casting Metal Spoons, Soft Plastics, Lipless Crankbaits, or Spinnerbaits along the edges is also working. Yellowbelly are holding on the points around Platypus Cliffs and up past Hays Inlet.

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

Moogerah Dam

Moogerah Dam has fish spread right across the dam, from the bays to the edges. Fish are holding around the weeds and also sitting just off it, especially near the six-knot zone and the flats, with some pushing up the creek. Chatterbaits, Soft Plastics on heavy jig heads, Metal Spoons, Lipless Crankbaits, Jackall TNs, Spinnerbaits, and Crankbaits are all getting results. The key is finding where they’re sitting and matching the lure to their depth and mood.

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

Hinze Dam

Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast will be busy this weekend with a two-day comp, but it’s fishing well. Both the western and eastern arms are producing plenty of Bass and Saratoga. Spinnerbaits and Topwater lures are effective in the backs of the bays, while Metal Spoons are working well on schooling Bass.

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

Hinze Dam is fishing well. A few Saratoga are being caught on cicada flies or lures, and as the day progresses, moving to deeper water will produce some decent Bass.

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

Maroon Dam

Maroon Dam has been busy but continues to fish well. Up the back of the creek, the early mornings are ideal for surface fishing with small insect-style lures, poppers, or stickbaits. Daiwa’s new Drowned Dragonfly lure has been performing well, with anglers landing fish on surface lures both early and later in the afternoon around the same area. Around the dam wall, surface lures also work into the evening. As the sun rises higher, switching to Metal Blades, Soft Plastics, or Crankbaits will keep the bite going. There are plenty of active fish about.

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

North Pine Dam, the larger of the two dams, has also been fishing very well. Some solid Bass are being caught in deeper water on Crankbaits, Soft Plastics, and Metal Spoons. From the bank, Metal Spoons and Spinnerbaits have been the most productive lures for fish holding close to the edges.

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

Kurwongbah Dam

At Kurwongbah Dam, fishing has been consistent with Soft Plastics, small Blades, and Crankbaits all taking fish along the edges. Saratoga have been caught over the last couple of weeks, responding to Topwater lures, small Poppers, Spinnerbaits, and insect-style surface presentations in the backs of the bays.

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

Lake Samsonvale/North Pine Dam

Lake Samsonvale and North Pine Dam have produced a few Bass early mornings and late afternoons, with fish starting to move up into the weeds. Surface lures have worked well early, and there’s been the chance of a Saratoga in the afternoons around the boating area at North Pine Dam. Live shrimp have also been productive if available.

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

Borumba Dam

Borumba Dam is producing Bass on the open points, as well as some Saratoga. Tilsan Timber lures are working well for both species.

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

Lake Lenthalls – Lake Monduran

At Lake Monduran, the recent competition saw a hot Barramundi bite, with plenty landed and one measuring 1.25 metres, while Lenthalls has been much quieter.

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

THIS WEEK’S GALLERY

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Fishos Tackleworld

The Chandlery Bait & Tackle

Deep Sea Fishing Co

Noosa Bluewater Charters

Salty Fishing Charters

Noosa River Fishing Safaris

Capn’s Charters

BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters

Tackle Land