Fishing Report for 26 March 2026

Hervey Bay / Fraser Island

Grassy sweetlip, grunter, estuary cod and the occasional coral trout caught from the shallow reefs around Point Vernon. Similar catches on the deeper inshore reefs but sharks are thick. Nannygai in southern Platypus Bay. Smaller sized spanish mackerel have moved into the Northern Bay. A few school mackerel in the Western Bay off the Burrum Coast. Tuna primarily in Central Bay. Dirty water has impacted the fishing in the Great Sandy Straight, but threadfin salmon persist in reasonable numbers in the 80cm to 100cm range. Some bigger Barra present if you can find them. Mangrove jacks, cod and jewfish on the western ledges of Fraser Island. Beach fishos can look for scattered flathead turning up in unusual places – eg boat ramps, jetties and pylons. Whiting are limited. There is a fishing comp on at Lake Monduran this weekend so things will be busy.

Keep your eyes on our Easter Sale with lots of great offers!

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

Tin Can Bay

Even with the dirty water and the cooler nights the creeks have been fishing well. Jacks continue to be on the hunt, with bait fishos catching plenty.  Herring, mullet and pike are all great live baits and have been working well.  Lure fishos will need to get them down deep and slow them up. Darker coloured lures have been working with the dirty water; dark reds and black & gold being the best. Flathead & whiting have also been getting caught in good numbers, with average sizes of flathead being in the mid 500’s and the whiting seem to be around the 300 mark all making for a good feed of fresh fish. Crabs have also been getting caught in pretty good numbers throughout the Great Sandy Straights with many “almost legal” crabs going back for next time.  Kauri & Snapper Ck have been crabbing well. 

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

Noosa

Really good fishing since the rains. Mud crabs are going crazy throughout the whole river from the mouth of the river to the first Lake. Sting Rays and catfish are down from the everglades also in big numbers, after the rains — watch for the stinging barb on both species. Sooty grunter in big numbers, bream, trevally between Tewantin and the first lake. Flathead and whiting around the Frying Pan towards the river mouth.

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

A few juvenile queenfish in Noosa Woods and large numbers of grunter right throughout the River.

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

The bar has been very challenging and there have been limited charters with shorter runs. Have found some really nice sweetlip including a 10kg specimen. A few good snapper, but not much else standing out. Fishing mainly the bottom of North Reef.

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

Plenty of fish being caught between breaks in the weather. Spanish mackerel, spotted mackerel, trout, sweetlip, cobia. Sunshine Reef fishing the best in close. North Reef still holding plenty of sharks.

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

Maroochydore

Fishing has been solid with an abundance of big whiting from Chambers Island to the mouth of the river. There are big catches. Good grunter bream throughout. Nice sized flathead at the motorway bridge. Eudlo creek producing grunter bream and yellowfin bream. Mud crabs are not going away with the spurts of rain and larger tides creating the perfect mix — expecting a good run through to Easter.

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

Mooloolaba

Big numbers of longtail tuna between Mooloolaba and Coolum. Spanish mackerel at the blinker. Wahoo and Spanish mackerel at the banks. Coral trout at Murphy’s Reef.

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

Caloundra

Limited charters but trying to get out in the coming days. Don’t forget our bar crossing courses are now available.

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

A few whiting and some crabs moving in the Passage. You can expect sweetlip, tuskfish, spotted and spanish mackerel on the inshore reefs at 3, 5 and 7 mile. On the beaches there’s been dart, whiting and good numbers of school jewfish. A few squire and sweetlip on the headlands. In the creeks, still a couple of mangrove jacks on lures and live baits. From easter onwards, traditionally there is a good run of flathead in the Passage — but everything seems to be running late this year with higher temperatures. Bass in the fresh at Ewen Maddock worth a go this time of year.

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

Northern Moreton Bay

Some good spotted and spanish mackerel in Moreton Bay, together with longtail tuna. Off Redcliffe there are snapper, jewfish and grunter early morning and later afternoon in the 5m mark. Jewfish at night around bridges in Pine River and at the mouth of the Brisbane River. Flathead in numbers in the mouths of the rivers as prawns are moving around. Bream moving down the rivers — Caboolture, Pine River and Nudgee Creek, with the fresh water. A few threadfin salmon in Bramble Bay / Shorncliffe. Crabs very good on the bigger tides.

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

Moreton Bay Offshore

No report this week.

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

Redcliffe Peninsula

Bream, whiting, flathead and some queenfish in Hayes Inlet & the Pine River. Mangrove Jack and school jew in the Pine. Snapper off the Eastern beaches, jetties & rocky points. School jew and grunter off Woody Point jetty, in Bramble Bay, off the beaches and on the inshore reefs. Tailor off the northern end of the Peninsula. Mangrove Jack in the canals. Jacks and the odd threadfin in the rivers and creeks. The odd Threadfin in Bramble Bay.

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

Brisbane

Fishing has been quite muted but there is activity on the rock walls in the Brisbane River, with bream and flathead. Threadfin salmon anywhere from Colmslie to Port of Brisbane, with the Port being the best option with the cleaner water. Some snapper and a lot of jewfish in similar locations, but the jewfish are mostly undersize. Mud crabs are still consistent but sand crabs seem to be pretty non-existent. Estuary fishing still looks like the best option with the weather.

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

Wynnum / Manly

Tailor and flathead along the Wynnum / Manly waterfront. Plenty of prawns at the salt works, Nudgee and Tingalpa Creek. School mackerel wide of Green Island and on the eastern side of Hope Banks. Sweetlip and squire around the islands. Squid are thick before the dogleg in the Rous Channel.

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

Moreton Bay / Jumpinpin

Report pending.

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

Jumpinpin

Banana prawns are patchy, but there are still full buckets to be had if you put the work in. Some good threadfin salmon around, in strong numbers in the deeper holes. They can be harder to nab on live baits. Chopper tailor in the rivers among the catfish. Plenty of mud crabs still around. Bread and butter species have been quieter.

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

This week saw plenty of good threadfin salmon coming out, with some specimens over 1 metre. Vibes, paddletails, and live baits have been working well for them. Some late season mangrove jacks have been around, notably a nice one caught off the Jacobs Well jetty. Some solid jewfish have been coming out of the bar at night on live baits. Whiting are still being caught in good numbers. Expect some tailor to start being caught following the westerly currently pushing through.

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

South Stradbroke Island

Report pending.

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

Gold Coast Broadwater

Saturday looks fantastic with light winds early and clear skies. Sunday will be great too but with stronger winds. The seaway area at the time of writing is wild with pressure waves breaking on the run-out tide, so it’s best to keep clear until the swell drops off. Sunday afternoon when the tide starts to run in will be best, and at times some bigger snapper get caught in the seaway straight after a big swell. Whiting were caught at Crab Island and around the Wavebreak/Curlew Island area. Crab Island held a few fish, but with the smaller tides, I would target further up the rivers. Flathead are being caught near the Aldershots, Tipplers Channel, and the mouth of the Pimpama River. Trevally were caught in the Runaway bay canals, the seaway, and along Sovereign Island. Prawns are still going great guns and worth the trip up. A handful of sand crabs are out the front of runaway bay but with the large tides last week, it’s been challenging keeping them out of the current.

David McDonald  Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

We got out over the weekend. Cobia, spotted and spanish mackerel offshore (18-24 fathoms). Mixed bag of grunter, whiting, bream, tarwhine, trevally, tailor and sweetlip inshore on lures and beach worms. Big swell has kept us inshore most this week, but looks like we’ll be out again over the weekend. 

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

This weekend still looks challenging but if you can get out, there are big kingfish, pearl perch. Lots of spaniards around on the . Nice sized spotted and school mackerel. Long tail tuna mixed in. Whiting in the low tide gutters. Nothing to speak of with tailor. Lots of gar on the banks . Good numbers of whiting. Oceanic queenfish. At Jumpinpin, good numbers of . Mud crabs good in the rivers, and a few big bream in the middle of the rivers Nerang and Coomera and in Tallebudgera and .

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

Tweed Coast

Report pending.

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

Good whiting around in numbers on yabbies and worms — look for the cleaner water. A lot of bass up in the fresh systems like Currumbin and Tallebudgera and the Clarrie Hall dam and also Doon Doon Creek, where the bass have spilled over from the dam. Flathead are quiet. Offshore, mackerel and wahoo are in good numbers from 9 Mile to Brunswick Heads. Reef fish are pretty limited. Tailor have just started running a bit better off the rock walls and beaches from Fingal to Hastings; and there are drummer around Kingscliffe groyne down to Hastings — try prawns on a 1/0 hook, a very light sinker, and follow the wash — they are the “Mike Tyson of rock fish”.

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

Ballina

Report pending.

Ballina Bait and Tackle   Ph (02) 6686 2527 | https://www.facebook.com/p/Ballina-Bait-and-Tackle-100063582669959/

Evans Head

Try along Airforce and Main Beach for bream, school jewfish and tailor. Around the rock walls there have been school jewels, tailor and bream. Luderick on the south wall. In the Evans River, there are bream, flathead and whiting and mud crabs in the upper reaches. Offshore, spotted and spanish mackerel, snapper and trag on the close reefs.

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

Brunswick Heads

The swell has been up, so offshore fishing has been difficult, but last Friday / Saturday saw snapper mackerel and longtail tuna taken.  The beaches have been quieter with the larger swell and rips also. Rock walls have been hit hard with the swell, but there are still good catches of big bream. The river is still holding mangrove jack, large bream and lots of mud crabs — typical for March. 

Bruns Beach Bait and Tackle Ph 0432 394 869 |

Yamba

Spotted and spanish mackerel have been going well offshore; with live bait the choice for spanish and plastics and skirts for spotties. Tuna also in good numbers. Not many reports of bottom bashing with mackerel season on. In the Clarence River, some very good jewfish including a couple of 20kg specimens have been taken, alongside the soapies (juveniles) in the 60 to 70cm range. Bream, whiting, flathead fishing is going well, and the luderick are around but not quite in season. Crabbing is solid, with good muddies and smaller but legal sized blue-swimmers back.

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

FRESHWATER FISHING

Maroon Dam

Maroon is producing plenty of bass, mostly in the 25–35 cm range, with a few better fish mixed in. Small-profile lures are the key this week. Dark 2.7–3 inch soft plastics slow‑rolled around the lily‑pad edges are working well, along with small blades. The Rapala Suspect in baitfish colour, and Keitech in electric-shad are working very well. Keeping lures small is important, resulting in more consistent bites.

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

Moogerah Dam

Moogerah remains the strongest performer. Bass are moving around but holding well on the bottom, making heavier jigheads (½ oz to 5/8 oz) effective with 3‑inch paddle‑tail soft plastics slow‑rolled along the bottom. Natural colours work well, but brighter chartreuse colours are also getting attention. Chatterbaits are still effective, and deep‑diving crankbaits in the 5–6 m range are producing fish around the weed beds.

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

Hinze Dam

Hinze is fishing steadily and should continue to do so into the weekend. Fish have recently been moving between the trees, backs of bays and steeper points. Targeting the steeper points and tree lines with metal spoons, soft plastics and small crankbaits is recommended. With the bass spreading through different zones, finding structure and rolling lures back into the deeper edges has been the most reliable approach.

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

Reasonable numbers of bass, mainly bait fishing with the rains. You would also get them on spinnerbaits, with something big and flashy. Live shrimp on a circle hook, with a ball sinker down on top of the hook is also hard to go wrong.

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

North Pine Dam (Lake Samsonvale)

In the Permit area, there are saratoga at the top of Rush Creek.

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

Lake Kurwongbah

Kurwongbah has been a quiet achiever. Bass are responding well to small metal blades and 3‑inch plastics thrown tight to the weed edges. A light paddle‑tail allowed to waft down the edge before being worked back has been producing good fish. Reports this week included several quality bass taken from kayaks around the weed beds.

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

Saratoga early morning and late afternoon on poppers. Bass off the points on deep diving plastics.

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