Far North Queensland is a fishery in three parts — the outer Ribbon Reefs and Agincourts for reef species and heavy-tackle marlin, Trinity Inlet and the Daintree creeks for barra and jacks, and the inshore shoals for mackerel, GTs and tuna. The most complete tropical fishery on the coast.
Season, where, how, and the rules that keep the fishery healthy.
The northern reef's headline act.
Deep-water gold.
The world's heavy-tackle capital.
Trinity Inlet silver.
The tropical thug.
Reef-edge freight train.
The reef-edge speedster.
The Trinity Inlet crown.
From canal pontoons to the shelf — where the fish live and how locals fish them.
The reef in a day.
The classic day-run reefs east of Cairns — Norman, Saxon and Hastings. Coral trout on the bommies, red emperor deeper, and sweetlip and cobia on the drop-offs. A serious boat and a serious weather window.
The bommies fish best on the last of the run-in — the trout push up off the coral to feed.
The world's marlin capital.
The chain of reefs from Cairns north to Lizard Island — Sep–Dec is heavy-tackle season and the world's fleet gathers here to fish for granders. A game-boat undertaking and a lifetime pursuit.
Tag and release is the culture. Photos, tags and stories — the fish swims off.
The city creek system.
The mangrove-lined estuary that runs south from Cairns — barra on the bigger tides, jacks in the snags, threadfin on the flats, muddies in the pots. A world-class fishery on the doorstep.
The upper reaches on the neap tides after the wet fire hard — clean water and hungry fish.
The Port Douglas playground.
The reef system off Port Douglas — Low Isles for the inshore, the Agincourts for the outer. Trout, GTs and mackerel through the year, marlin in spring on the shelf.
The Agincourts fish best in the light morning trades — get out early and be off by lunch.
Rainforest barra country.
The tidal reaches of the Daintree — mangrove-lined snags under rainforest canopy. Barra, jacks and threadfin in the classic tropical creek setting. Serious croc country — treat every log as a croc.
Do not clean fish at the water. Do not stand at the edge. This is not the Gold Coast.
Inshore mackerel and GT country.
The reef systems and headlands off Palm Cove, Double Island and Yorkeys — mackerel through the run, GTs on the headlands and queenfish surface-feeding on bait balls.
Watch the bird work — the mackerel push bait against the reef edge on first light.
Wet season. Barra closed east-coast until Feb 1. Jacks and threadfin in the creeks. Watch for cyclones.
Barra opens. Reef fish switch on as the water cools. Trailing edge of the marlin season.
Prime reef fishing — coral trout, red emperor, sweetlip. Trade winds strong. Trinity Inlet fires on neaps.
Marlin season on the Ribbons. Spanish mackerel run inshore. Everything switches on before the wet.
Bag limits, size limits, closures and licences — always check before you go.
Open regulator site