Fishing Report for 3rd April 2025

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

Hervey Bay / Fraser Island

The Bay is currently holding a good amount of tuna, particularly around the Wathumba area, with a mix of Spanish mackerel and broad-barred mackerel alongside them. Inshore reefs are also seeing a few broadbars. There were reports of prawns around Woodgate, but they’ve moved on due to the rain, and no one has located them again. As the water clears up, they should return, but they’ve likely been pushed into the rivers with the fresh floodwater. Similarly, the crabs and prawns around the riverheads were thick, but that has since been affected by the influx of fresh water.

Fishing has been quiet around Fraser Island, primarily due to the weather conditions. However, there have been a few flathead caught off the Urangan Pier.

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

Tin Can Bay

Pack the raincoats and the crab pots—crabs are on the move in all the creeks around Tin Can Bay and the Great Sandy Strait after the recent rain. The middle reaches down to the mouths, as well as the flats around Carlo and the powerlines, are producing. Big fresh baits and a long soak should help secure a feed.

For those keen to fish, heading up one of the creeks could be worthwhile, with jacks and cod active. Floating live baits back into the snags around the top of the tide is the best approach to entice a bite.

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

Maroochydore

Mud crabs are spread throughout the river, while bream are active in the lower reaches. Trevally are being caught near the river mouth, and school jew are showing up in the Cod Hole.

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

Noosa

Only a couple of days earlier in the week saw boats heading out from Noosa due to the wet and windy conditions. Those who managed to get out found pearl perch, Spanish mackerel, snapper, parrotfish, tuna, and a mix of reef species. North Reef, Barwon Banks, and the Hards have been producing as expected for this time of year.

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

Saturday morning’s torrential rain didn’t stop the fish from biting, with plenty of bream and Moses perch caught up in Weyba Creek, feeding in the stormwater runoff.

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

Great conditions on Sunday and Monday allowed for some solid fishing. Sunshine Reef produced coral trout, a couple of solid longtail tuna, and plenty of grassy sweetlip. Further out around Chardons Reef on Monday, there was a good catch of pearl perch, goldband snapper, nannygai, trag, and tuskfish. The weekend is looking promising.

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

The fishing in the river system has been interesting lately, with sooty grunter reported all the way from the river mouth up to the first lake. Whiting have been active around the river mouth on the bottom of the tide, especially during the slack tide period when the current slows down a bit. However, with the recent freshwater influx from the floods, there’s been an overwhelming presence of catfish, especially from Toowonton up towards the first lake. The catfish are abundant, and they have been stinging like a stingray, avoid bringing them onboard unless your willing to accept the slimy skin.

Mud crabs have been fairly active, with pots yielding 3-4 crabs each. The floodwaters seem to have brought in some fresh crabs, and they’re a good sign for the area. Additionally, there’s been a good run of trevally, with reports of anglers catching up to 6 at a time just past the car ferry on the first bend. It looks like the area is still productive, with people continuing to check their crab and having great success. Once the freshwater clears up, the catfish should dissipate, and the fishing should improve further.

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

Mooloolaba

Mud crabs are being caught throughout the Maroochy and Mooloolah rivers, while mangrove jack are active around the pontoons in the Mooloolah River.

Offshore, Spanish mackerel have been taken at Barwon Banks and Murphy’s Reef, with wahoo showing up at the northern end of Barwon Banks. Pearl perch and snapper are coming from the Hards and Caloundra Wide, while grassy sweetlip have been found around Coolum.

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

Spanish mackerel and mac tuna are being caught on trolled minnows and skirts at the Barwon Banks. Cobia and amberjack have been reported midway to the Banks, while snapper, pearl perch, and tuskfish are being taken at the Hards on bait and Octo jigs.

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

Caloundra

The Passage has been producing good numbers of mud crabs, with solid catches reported. Flathead have been active towards the top of the tide when the water clears, but conditions remain murky, making fishing a challenge. If the rain holds off, the water should improve in the next week or so. Beaches are starting to recover after the recent cyclone, with dart along the Kawana stretch and a few whiting and bream showing up. Offshore, Spanish mackerel, snapper, sweetlip, and cobia have been caught on the inshore reefs when conditions allow. For now, anglers are waiting for the swell to settle and the water to clear further.

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

Donnybrook

Mud crabs have been quiet, though some anglers are still giving it a go. Whiting have slowed down with the fresh influx of water, but if the weather holds, things should pick up as conditions settle.

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

Bribie Island

Mud crabs have been flushed out with all the rain, with good numbers coming from False Ningi Creek, Toorbul, and Donnybrook. Grunter have also been caught in False Ningi Creek, though fishing here comes with high reward and high risk—you need to get in and out before low tide to avoid getting stuck.

A nice flathead was landed at the Bellara Jetty and boat ramp, while bream are still about in the passage, though many anglers have stayed put with the rough conditions.

* Note — Gateway Bribie Adventures will be closing down on the 11th April 2025, with all stock being sold at major discounts. Give Cheryl and the team a call or visit to grab a great bargain. We will greatly miss cheryl but they have opened up a camping site called “Esk Ponds Getaway”

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

Northern Moreton Bay

With good weather forecasted for the weekend, it’s looking like a great opportunity for anglers to head out. However, anyone heading into the Bay should be cautious of debris due to the recent rain. Offshore, Spanish mackerel are being caught at Hutchies Reef, both trolling and casting stick baits. There have also been plenty of longtail tuna off the Sunshine Coast and northern Moreton Bay. Snapper are abundant around the 80 to 100-meter mark off Hutchies and Deep Tempest, with some good-sized fish also being caught at Redcliffe, particularly near Scarborough. Grunter are also being landed in the same area.

In the rivers and creeks, mud crabs are still in good supply, and there’s been plenty of flathead at the mouths of the Caboolture and Pine Rivers, especially on the incoming tide with cleaner water.

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

Sandgate

It’s been an excellent week for fishing around Moreton Bay, with plenty of action across different spots. Flathead are still being caught in good numbers on the flats, with hard bodies, soft plastics, and bait all proving effective—though blue bait remains the go-to. At Shorncliffe Pier, snapper have been landed, with a mix of keepers and undersized fish. Despite heavy rain midweek, fishing conditions remained productive. Bream and small snapper were caught in the downpour, along with a tagged trevally—an uncommon catch for the area.

Live hardyheads produced plenty of mackerel, with fish hitting baits almost instantly. As the size of the fish increased, upgrading to 20lb leader became necessary to stay connected. Some quality bream, averaging 32–35cm, were also landed using half blue baits, along with a new bait, “Magic Mullet,” which will soon be available in store. Plenty of action this week—conditions look promising for more great fishing ahead.

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

Brisbane River

Out in the bay, the further you get from Brisbane, the better the fishing, as the dirty water from the rivers is still affecting the closer areas. It should start to settle next week once the dam releases ease off. There have been a few small jewfish and grunter caught, but nothing of notable size.

Over near Moreton and around Amity, there’s been some tuna and mackerel activity. The islands are still fishing well for sweetlip and squire. The Brisbane River should improve as conditions stabilize, but for now, most anglers seem to be focused on prawning and crabbing.

Mud crabs have been great, especially around the mouth of the Brisbane River, out front of the airport, and back towards Fisherman’s Island. However, prawn reports have been quiet, with no significant sized prawns in the river but better numbers and sizes are coming from the southern end of the bay.

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

Moreton Bay Offshore

Great snapper fishing 80/100m with light wind and slow current. Great sign for the future winter fishing

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

Float-lining the 29s resulted in some solid snapper and pearl perch. The snapper were holding mid-water and at the bottom, responding well to pilchards and squid baits, while the pearlies were coming up from deeper structure. Conditions were relatively calm, making for an enjoyable day on the water, and with the weather looking favorable, similar results could be expected for those heading out this weekend.

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

Redcliffe Peninsula

Bream, whiting, flathead, grunter, and school jew are being caught in Hayes Inlet, the Pine River, and Bramble Bay. Yellowfin whiting are also showing up in these areas and along the eastern foreshores. A few scattered winter whiting are starting to appear. Snapper, grunter, and some tailor have been caught off the eastern beaches, jetties, rocky points, and inshore reefs. School mackerel are being landed off Woody Point Jetty and around the beacons in the Bay. Mud crabs are active in the rivers and creeks.

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

Redland Bay

The weather has been rough, but Spanish mackerel have been biting well around Moreton Island’s Coffee Rocks and “The Group” off Stradbroke Island. Moreton Bay has produced some solid snapper, particularly around Harry Atkinson’s. Whiting have been caught off Main Beach on Moreton Island, while both sand and mud crabs are active around the creek mouths and throughout Moreton Bay.

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

Moreton Bay/ Jumpinpin

Jumpinpin’s water is still quite dirty after last week’s rain, and it may take some time to clear up. However, clean water is pushing through on the high tide, so focus your efforts near the Jumpinpin Bar or further south around the Seaway. There’s a clear dirty water line where you can see the difference in water color, and staying in the cleaner water will give you the best chance at fish. Flathead are showing up again near the mouth, so look for clean water and bait for the best results.

Moreton Bay has been fishing surprisingly well, especially around Goat Island, the northern side of Coochiemudlo, Peel Island, and Harry Atkinson’s Reef. The water here is much cleaner since it avoids runoff from the feeder systems. If you can locate bait or use a good sounder to scan for fish, you’ll find schools of snapper, squire, and sweetlip in the shallow reefs around Peel and Goat Islands. Mud Island has also been fishing well, though there haven’t been many pelagics reported in the bay over the past week.

Up in Hervey Bay, longtail tuna are in good numbers, so it shouldn’t be long before they push down into the bay. There have been some tuskfish caught, particularly on the ledges out the front of Moreton and around Harry Atkinson’s Reef, but they’re not in huge numbers. Sharks are still an issue in deeper water, which makes fishing the shallow reef edges a better option to avoid losing fish.

Mud crabs have been turning up after the rain, though it’s unclear how widespread the catches are. Given the conditions, soaking some pots could be worthwhile.

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

The Pin has seen good numbers of flathead this week, mostly found along higher sandbanks. Threadfin salmon and prawns are also making their rounds further up the Pin in muddier areas. The odd tailor is coming through periodically, occasionally caught as bycatch while targeting flathead.

South Stradbroke Island

With water clarity only just beginning to improve after the cyclone, the recent rain has turned it brown again, reducing visibility to about 10cm. Fishing in the Broadwater has been slow over the past week, and bait is proving more effective than lures under these conditions. If using soft plastics, applying scent may help. On the positive side, mud crabs are being caught, and with high tides occurring just after midnight in the coming days, overnight crabbing should be productive.

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

Gold Coast Broadwater

Looks fantastic for the weekend with light winds and smaller swell. If you have ever wanted to sneak offshore and target mackerel it will be a great opportunity to head out. They have been caught at the 24’s and also around the 18’s. The tide is only small which isn’t ideal but definitely worth trying. What the smaller tides do help with are prawns. It’s peak season and this weekend will be perfect. Already this week there has been great catches and bucket limits caught up towards Jacobs well, Horizon shores and Macleay island. The morning low should she them school up as the tide stops. It will be busy out there so be prepared to be casting with dozens of other boats. Mudcrabs are still being caught towards the mouth of the Coomera and Jacobs well channel. With the extra fresh they are on the move. Try different depths to find out where they are but a little deeper seems to be more productive. Towards the seaway there have been tailor, trevally, bream, flathead and Jew. Whiting still around the sand banks south of Wavebreak. A few fish in the gutters in the surf with bream, dart and the very occasional tailor. Try pippies as they have a bit more smell as the water is still fairly dirty.

David McDonald  Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

Water color has improved significantly today (Thursday) compared to the fresh, brown water encountered on Monday’s trip. However, there’s still plenty of debris floating around, including large logs and other potentially dangerous items. A try at the bottom in 26 fathoms resulted in only small snapper being caught. Photos below show a great mix of good sized spanish mackerel still getting around.

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

Offshore, the canyons are holding good numbers of yellowfin tuna, along with blue marlin. Striped marlin have been showing up around the 50-fathom line, while wahoo are also in good numbers. The 36-fathom reefs are producing snapper and pearl perch, while the 18- and 24-fathom marks are holding snapper and plenty of jewfish. Spanish mackerel are still active along the coast.

On the beaches, there have been some solid bream, flathead and Tarwhine caught, along with good numbers of dart. Inside the Broadwater, the whiting fishing remains steady, and a few squid are starting to show up. The rivers are still producing good numbers of mangrove jacks and estuary cod, along with plenty of mud crabs thanks to the recent rain.

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

Tweed Coast

Pelagic fishing on the closer grounds has been a bit slow due to the influx of freshwater, but heading wider is proving more productive, with good numbers of black marlin and wahoo in the cleaner water. Bottom fishing has been more consistent, with quality catches of tuskfish, snapper, and flathead coming from the reefs. As conditions continue to settle, the offshore bite should improve further.

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

Yellowfin tuna are being caught offshore, with some solid models reaching 40 to 60kg, while smaller fish are showing up further south around Cape Byron. There are still good numbers of jewfish off the headlands, taking advantage of the rough and dirty water. In the creeks, mud crabs are still being caught, though mangrove jacks are starting to thin out. Spanish mackerel and wahoo are still being landed, along with marlin, which is a great sign for offshore anglers.

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

Brunswick Heads

Deep sea fishing is still producing quality catches, with mackerel, snapper, yellowfin tuna, and kingfish in the mix—though the ever-present sharks remain a nuisance. Beach and rock fishing has quietened down, with only a few blackfish, whiting, and bream being reported. In the rivers, trevally, mangrove jacks, bream, and flathead are about, along with some mud crabs.

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

Evans Head

Off Airforce Beach, anglers have been finding some jewfish in the early mornings and evenings, with a solid run of bream and flathead during the day. Over at the north and south walls, there’s been a few more jewfish, along with good numbers of bream and flathead. Evans Head has fortunately not been to affected by the recent fish die-off we have seen at Ballina.

In the lower reaches of the river, bream and flathead are still in good supply, with the occasional mangrove jack making an appearance. While there have been some anglers crabbing upstream, there haven’t been any solid reports on how the crabbing is going just yet. Offshore hasn’t been accessible recently, but with the weather looking up, things should hopefully pick up in the coming week.

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

Yamba

The fishing has slowed again after the recent rain, with the beaches affected by dirty water. The surf fishing has quieted down, though there’s still the odd bream and flathead being caught. Offshore reports have been limited, with only a few scattered mackerel showing up in cleaner water further south.

Shark fishing has been the main highlight, with bull sharks being hooked, particularly by jewfish anglers on the mouths wall as by catches to the Jewfish they are chasing.

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

FRESHWATER FISHING

Wivenhoe Dam

At Wivenhoe Dam, the fishing has been decent, with fish caught around Billy’s Bay, Platypus Cliffs, and towards the buoy line. There are also fish holding in the middle of the dam. Metal spoons, soft plastics, and lipless crankbaits are working well, with the Jackall Trigon being particularly effective. Chatterbaits are also producing fish along the edges.

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

Somerset Dam

Somerset Dam is fishing similarly to Wivenhoe, with fish hanging around on the points and deeper water. Metal spoons, soft plastics, chatterbaits, and lipless crankbaits are all effective, and metal blades are also producing bites.

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

Hinze Dam

Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast has had a lot of rain, and the water is quite dirty up the back, particularly in the eastern arm where there’s been significant inflow. Fish are moving out towards the main basin in search of cleaner water, with good numbers holding around submerged timber. Ian’s Island and the western arm have been productive, as well as the prominent points with structure. Target these fish using crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, and soft plastics with vibration, such as beetle spins. Heavy spinnerbaits around 5/8 oz are also effective when slow-rolled past the trees for reaction bites

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

At Hinze Dam, fish have been moving up into the newly covered grassy areas. Fly fishing and lightly weighted soft plastics are working well for those targeting them.

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

Kurwongbah

In the dams, reports have been light from North Pine, but over at Kurwongbah there have been a few Saratoga caught on surface lures around the edges early morning and late afternoon.

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

Lake Lenthalls – Lake Monduran

Over at Lake Monduran, the fishing has been strong, particularly at night, with the fish sitting deeper. During the day, they’re moving into the weed beds, where topwater lures like the Panic Station mullet in 6 inches have been working well.

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

THIS WEEK’S GALLERY

---

David McDonald 

Deep Sea Fishing Co

Noosa Bluewater Charters

Moreton island fishing charters

High Calibre Charters

BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters

Tackle Land


Smithys Fishing Charters