Fishing Report for 24th April 2025

Fishing Report Wed 23 Apr 2025

New lifejacket laws came into effect on December 1 2024, visit MSQ website for details.

Hervey Bay / Fraser Island

At Woody Point to Indian Head on Fraser Island, anglers have been catching tailor, mostly in the 40-50 cm range—nothing too big, but still great for a feed. Dart and flathead are also being caught along Fraser’s beaches. Inside Fraser, longtail tuna were reported in good schools but have recently thinned out, with mack tuna moving in. Though longtail tuna are preferred by many anglers, mackerel, including school mackerel, broad-bar mackerel, and some good-sized Spanish mackerel, are still showing up in healthy numbers.

In the gutters, coral trout are biting well, with some great-sized fish ranging from 60 to 70 cm. Other species, like grassy sweetlip, have also been caught, along with a juvenile black marlin measuring about 1.3 meters—an unusual catch for this time of year.

The Straits are beginning to clear up, bringing promising prospects for fishing. Longtail tuna have moved down the Straits toward Kingfisher Bay, and the fishing has been picking up with the cleaner water and abundant bait. Anglers are finding good numbers of grassy sweetlip, mangrove jack, and cod. Although prawns haven’t been caught at Woodgate yet, it’s expected they will appear once the water clears.

The Burrum system, from Woodgate down to the Mary, remains dirty, so fishing there may not improve for a couple more weeks. However, mangrove jack are still being caught in the Burrum system.

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

Double Island Point has been well worth the drive north, with solid catches of mahi mahi, snapper, goldband snapper, pearl perch, Moses perch, cobia, jewfish, and tuskfish reported. The local reefs closer in have also been productive with Spanish mackerel, sweetlip, snapper, and pearl perch in good numbers. Weather conditions have been ideal, with little current and fewer issues with sharks compared to previous weeks.

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

Fishing has been exceptional, especially in the lower estuary where flathead have been caught in good numbers throughout. Whiting are still active across the flats, and there’s been a solid run of grunter. Anglers are also reporting a mix of trevally species adding to the variety.

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

Spanish mackerel have been showing up in massive numbers on North Reef and up at Double Island Point, with quality snapper and goldband also coming from the area. On Sunshine Reef, grass sweetlip and tuskfish have been caught in good numbers, along with the occasional coral trout. Conditions are looking favourable with more great weather on the way.

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

A strong week, with good hauls of mud crabs through the Tewantin and Makepeace Island areas. Towards Gympie Terrace, there have been lots of mud crabs, good bream and trevally. Big flathead, whiting and trevally are present in front of the marina. Towards Gympie Terrace there are also plenty of mud crabs. Towards Noosa Heads there has been various species in abundance, including bream, sooty grunter, trevally, whiting, flathead, cod — through the various tributaries.

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

Mooloolaba

First up, along the beaches at Kawana there’ve been some solid dart and bream, and plenty of pippies around, which are excellent bait. In the river near La Balsa Park, there’s still a good run of bream — a great option to get the kids into a few fish over the long weekend. There are also plenty of mud crabs still being pulled from the canal systems and the Maroochy River.

Offshore, there are still a few Spanish mackerel around, with recent catches coming from the Inner Gneerings and Murphy’s Reef. Coolum Reef is holding good numbers of grassy sweetlip and snapper. Out wider at Caloundra Wide, there’s been a mix of pearl perch and snapper around the 80m mark. The FADs have produced a few dolphin fish, and over at the Barwon Banks, the western edge has delivered some nice tuskfish, while the higher pinnacles are still turning up the odd Spanish mackerel. Further out at the Hards, anglers have been picking up goldband snapper, along with more snapper and pearl perch in about 70 metres of water.

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

Snapper, hussar, and tuskfish are being caught out on the Hards. Over at the Barwon Banks, Spanish mackerel are still around along with hussar and tuskfish, though the sharks are making it tough to land reef species. In closer, the headlands are producing grass sweetlip and squire in the dirty water, especially on dead bait.

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

Caloundra

It’s been a bit slow offshore this past week, but crabs have been the standout in the Passage. Whiting and flathead have been caught around the mouth of Bells Creek, while trevally and queenfish have been showing up near Military Jetty and at the mouth of the Pelican Waters canals.

Out wider, squire and sweetlip have been caught around Caloundra 5 Mile and 7 Mile. School mackerel have been showing up around the shipping channel markers and again at Caloundra 5 Mile, with Spanish mackerel reported at the 12 Mile.

Mangrove jack are still active in the canals, especially at night on live bait. Meanwhile, the surf at Currimundi has produced a mix of tarwhine and dart.

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

Northern Moreton Bay

Starting off at Shorncliffe Jetty, there have been solid captures of school mackerel, mac tuna, a few longtail tuna, and even some big cobia. Tailor have been showing up at the mouth of the Pine River, with flathead also being caught around the mouths of both the Pine and Caboolture Rivers. Winter whiting have been picked up by a few anglers fishing out at the Cockle Bank near Deception Bay

A few squid have started turning up around Shorncliffe Jetty and Mud Island, with squid baits producing some great results. Snapper are show up on the artificial reefs and across the northern reef systems in Moreton Bay.

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

Sandgate/Shorncliffe Pier

Shorncliffe Pier has again produced some outstanding catches this week. Anglers have been leading the charge with Mac Tuna and a few Mackies as well. Getting out early is key; daybreak seems to bring in the big fish.

There are still a number of great fish being caught throughout the day, though a lot of tackle is being lost too! Plenty of legal-sized Tailor from the Hornibrook Bridge to Nudgee are being caught. As with the mackeral, Blue Baits, snail white plastics, or small silver Slugs are doing the job. Moreton Bay has seen some awesome Tuskies hooked by anglers who are quick to find the fish.

There are still plenty of Flathead being taken on the flats by anglers wading out, with lures and Blue Baits working well. A 110cm Cobia was taken from the Shorncliffe Pier. In the past week, there have been four fish of this size caught that we know of. The Barambah Stinger Shrimp is landing a number of good Flathead, with Motor Oil being the top pick. With great weather still ahead, don’t miss the opportunity—get out there!

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

Brisbane River

There’ve been good numbers of both sand and mud crabs throughout the Brisbane River, particularly from the Gateway Bridge out to the mouth and around the mangrove edges and the Boat Passage. Snapper activity has picked up slightly this week in the river, with reports of small jewfish, threadfin, bream, and flathead from Hawthorne down to the mouth. Tailor have been reported in high numbers between the Gateway Bridge and the mouth, with a couple of standout snapper and tailor among them.

The Bay’s been a bit patchy—last weekend fished well, but this weekend’s looking dicey with the wind and rain forecast. Around Mud and Green Islands, snapper and grassy sweetlip have been consistent, and there were reports of school mackerel showing up around the shipping beacons and just north of Mud Island.

As for prawns, it’s been hit and miss in the northern Bay. Most of the action seems to be concentrated in the southern Bay, with trawlers struggling to find consistent schools further north.

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

Moreton Bay Offshore

There’s been a great bite on the reef species around the 70-metre depth off the top of Cape Moreton, with snapper, pearl perch, and tuskfish all being caught in good numbers.

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

Anglers have picked up some nice pearl perch off the 29s, with Goldband schools at the 35s. Plenty of snapper are being caught all around northern Moreton.

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

Redcliffe Peninsula

Bream, whiting, flathead, grunter, and school jew have all been active throughout Hayes Inlet, the Pine River, and Bramble Bay. Yellowfin whiting are being caught in Hayes, the Pine, and along the eastern foreshores, while the first few winter whiting are starting to show up in scattered patches. Snapper, good numbers of grunter, and some tailor have been caught off the eastern beaches, jetties, rocky points, and inshore areas. Tailor, school mackerel, mack tuna, longtails, and the occasional cobia are being seen in Bramble Bay and around Woody Point and Shorncliffe jetties, as well as near the bay beacons. Sand crabs have been active off the eastern foreshores and around the northern end of Scarborough.

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

Redland Bay

There are still plenty of mud crabs being caught around the creek mouths and across the southern Bay, along with good numbers of prawns around Macleay, Lamb, and Karragarra Island. Snapper and grassy sweetlip have been active around Harry Atkinson Reef and the Foul Grounds, and squid are starting to show up in better numbers around Peel Island and through the Rainbow Channel.

Some quality tailor are beginning to move through the Bay, particularly in the stretch between Ormiston, Cleveland, and Victoria Point. Offshore, for those who made it out, there were solid catches of venus tuskfish, pearl perch, and smaller snapper. Spanish mackerel are still being caught southeast of Point Lookout, with a few good ones hanging around that area.

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

Moreton Bay/ Jumpinpin

In the Jumpinpin region, the water continues to clean up and is definitely improving. High tide has been fishing well around the Jumpinpin Bar, Cabbage Tree Point, Kalinga Bank, Crusoe Island, and the lagoons on South Stradbroke. There’ve been good numbers of tailor and even dart showing up, particularly on the bigger tides, and flathead have also been around in solid numbers. On the low tide, areas like Five Ways, Greenbank, Gold Bank, Bedrooms, Jacobs Well, and the surrounding channels have been fishing well—if you can find bait, you’re in with a good chance of hooking trevally, flathead, and other estuary species on the run-out tide.

Over in Moreton Bay, areas like Macleay Island and Coochiemudlo are holding good bait, which seems to have drawn in better-sized squire and sweetlip, especially pushing further south. Harry Atkins Reef is still fishing well and Mud Island is producing too, though the fish are moving fast and you’ll need to find them on the sounder. Despite some dirty water, the abundance of bait is keeping the fish on the bite. This weekend, Peel Island south to Harrys should be a solid bet, though it’s worth noting there’ll be a lot of boat traffic.

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

Jumpinpin

No report this week.

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

The Pin has seen the winter change start to come through. Small jewfish are beginning to school up, with bigger solitary models also starting to appear. Prawns are making their way back through after the rains, with good catches around Macleay Island. Tailor are starting to move through the Pin, mostly choppers at this stage. Mullet are congregating in some areas, with mass schooling events expected soon. Jacks are starting to taper off, still present but less commonly caught.

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

South Stradbroke Island

Large whiting along western bank of Wavebreak Island and some GTs in the deeper channel of the Broadwater.

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

Gold Coast Broadwater

There will be a bit of rain Anzac Day but clearing over the weekend with Sunday being perfect. The tides are getting larger with the bigger high tides at night. Whiting continue to be caught and the quality is getting better. The rivers and creeks are firing with catches coming from Nerang, Coomera and Pimpama rivers. April into May is a great time to chase those 40cm+ whiting. Fish that size are at least 10 years old and quite wise so a long fluorocarbon trace and smaller hook is a must. Night time high tides will see them feeding on top of sandbanks in surprising shallow water. Flathead are increasing in numbers and being caught around Crab island, the mouth of the Coomera and along South Stradbroke. Sand crabs are finally on the move and worth putting the pots out along the edges of the main channels. Mud crabs continue to be caught from around the middle sections of the Coomera river, the mouth of the Pimpama and the drain’s running up towards Jacobs well along the measured mile. With the westerly winds Sunday the beaches could be an option with some great deep water gutters in close along the coast.

David McDonald
Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport/ Gold Coast

The air has a definite autumnal feel, and the change of season is evident in the catches. Snapper, cobia, Spanish mackerel, and tuna have been taking floating pillies and live baits, while tusk fish, reef flathead, and Moses perch have been caught on stripped yakka and pilly cubes on paternoster rigs.

Friday saw a very large swell and dangerous breaking waves on the GC seaway, which continued into Saturday. Boats capsized, and boaties had to be rescued after attempting to cross the bar both days, despite all the warnings. Luckily, nobody was hurt. Hopefully, this serves as a lesson on what to expect when the swell is like this.

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

Offshore has been a bit chaotic lately due to the large swell, so there hasn’t been much to report. Looking ahead to the weekend, the wind is forecast to ease off, but the swell is still sitting up a bit. A couple of sessions were shut down over the weekend due to the swell size, which made it tough to get out.

Because of that, not many offshore reports have come through this week, though there were still a few mackerel getting around the week before. There’s been good trevally up in the canals, and some decent flathead coming out of the seaway — one angler landed a 91cm fish over the weekend.

Crabbing has gone quiet again. Bait supplies like mullet have slowed down, which could explain why predator activity has dropped off. Mud crabs had been running well with the fresh in the system over the last couple of weeks, but that’s tapered off now.

Further north, around the Pin, prawns have been active — with reports of them skipping across the surface. Some nice threadfin have been caught up around the Logan River, and the prawns in that area could bring more predators on the move, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.

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

The rivers are still pretty dirty, and it’s taking a while for the water to clean up — this latest bit of rain hasn’t helped. Offshore though, the snapper fishing has been great, with more anglers starting to target them now. One angler recently landed a new personal best — a 90cm snapper off the Gold Coast — so it’s shaping up to be a promising snapper season.

There are still some big Spanish mackerel around, along with the odd wahoo showing up, but numbers have definitely dropped off. This time of year, a lot of fishos begin shifting their focus to reef species and heading wider when the weather settles and we get those calm, glassed-out days. There have also been reports of big yellowfin tuna still getting caught out wide. There are still some crabs getting around, but it’s definitely slowed down.

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

Pearl perch, Maori cod, snapper, and Moses perch have been coming off the 24s northeast of the Tweed entrance, with good mixed bags for those making the trip wide.

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

Brunswick Heads

The weekend brought some beautiful weather despite the heavy swell. Offshore, there are still a few mackerel hanging around in the clearer water, along with good numbers of snapper and kingfish being caught. The beaches and rock walls are holding plenty of dart, with a few tailor, bream, and trevally mixed in. In the rivers, anglers are finding jacks, bream, flathead, blackfish, trevally, and whiting.

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

Ballina

The bulk of the rain should be gone by the weekend, but a few showers are still expected on both days, so raincoats are worth packing. Offshore activity is looking unlikely this coming week, so fishing efforts will be limited to the beach or river. The rock platforms and break walls are worth checking out for mulloway over the next few days. There have been reports of school-sized fish during the week, and with wind and swell set to increase slightly, larger models may start to show up. Large hard-body lures or soft plastics are the best bet, as sharks and stingrays have been beating the mulloway to the baits.

Most of the fish are still holding in the lower reaches of the river following the last flood. Bream continue to respond well to small hard-body cranks worked close to the rock walls. Flathead have been taking pilchards or mullet for bait anglers, while lure fishers have had success on vibes and metal blades. The deeper channels are holding better numbers of flathead at the moment. Plenty of scent remains a good idea due to the limited water visibility.

A few mangrove jacks have been reported around the rock walls as far up river as Pimlico Island, but with the weather cooling, the next few weeks may be the last chance to target them for a while. Mullet fillets and suspending hard-body lures have been the most effective.

There have also been good numbers of bream, flathead, and a few whiting and tailor coming from the beaches. Wind and swell may make conditions a little challenging this weekend, but if you’re up for it, try Patch’s, Angels, or Seven Mile Beach.

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

Evans Head

Along Airforce and Main beach there have been some good tailor, bream and whiting. Bream, flathead and whiting in the Evans River and the upper reaches of the River has been producing mud crabs. Before the weather deteriorated, offshore on the coast reach, at North Ground and Chaos Reef there have been snapper, jew and trag.

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

Yamba

There’s only really been a couple of blacked-out days this week, so we did have a bit of a chance to get outside and have a crack. A couple of reports came in from those who managed to get out — not many mackerel locally, but those heading further south have found better results, although you’re almost spending more in fuel than it’s worth. With the cooler weather starting to creep in, there have been a few snapper around, and that should only improve as things continue to cool down.

It’s been a little tough overall due to the swell and the odd shower. We’ve had a bit more rain again, but it doesn’t look like it’ll colour up the river too much — today should be the last of it. In the river, there’s still a few bream and flathead being caught. The whiting have slowed down with the cooler change, but we’ve had reports of jewfish, and finally, some mud crabs showing up in Lake Wooloweyah up from the top of the Oyster Channel. That whole system has cleaned up nicely now, and the crabs seem to be on the move before it gets too cold.

The rest of the Oyster Channel would also be worth a look — it’s holding bream, flathead, and a few trevally, which have picked up again lately. So your bread-and-butter species are still fishing quite well — it’s mostly the whiting that have gone a bit quiet. The bottom end of the system is still fishing reasonably well too.

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

FRESHWATER FISHING

Wivenhoe Dam

Wivenhoe Dam has been producing plenty of bass and yellowbelly throughout Billys Bay, Platypus Cliffs, the main basin, and up past Hamon Cove and Logans Inlet. Saratoga have also been showing up in the upper reaches, with spinnerbaits and topwater lures working well early in the day. Bass have been taking metal spoons, plastics, crankbaits, lipless cranks, and chatterbaits, and the yellowbelly have responded to a similar mix, including metal blades. Most fish have been holding either along the old riverbed or where it rises up toward shallower ground, so it’s worth focusing on that transition zone. Rocky banks near Platypus Cliffs and within Billys Bay have also delivered some quality yellowbelly.

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

Moogerah Dam

Moogerah Dam has been another consistent performer this week, with bass hitting soft plastics, metal spoons, and crankbaits, including lipless and chatterbaits. The fish are active again following the recent rain, with good numbers found from the 6-knot zone and tree lines all the way to the dam wall.

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

Hinze Dam

Hinze Dam continues to fish well too, with bass taking spoons, plastics, and crankbaits in deeper water. A Saratoga was caught up in the western arm last week, with small topwater and subsurface lures doing the trick around the backs of the bays.

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

Maroon Dam

Over at Maroon Dam, the bite has been a little more subdued, but there have still been bass caught around the trees on the edges, mainly on chatterbaits and small crankbaits.

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

Kurwongbah

Kurwongbah Dam continues to fish well with saratoga actively hitting surface lures and poppers.

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

Borumba Dam

No report this week.

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

Lake Lenthalls – Lake Monduran

Lake Lenthalls has been relatively quiet, while Lake Monduran has been fishing well. One angler recently landed over 60 barramundi over a meter after six days of fishing, using a variety of baits, including big swimbaits and Samaki hard bodies.

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