Hervey Bay · Fishing

Species, seasons and spots

Hervey Bay fishes as three distinct waters — the flat protected bay in the lee of K'gari (Fraser Island), the mangrove creeks of the Great Sandy Strait and the Burrum system, and the deeper reefs and gutters on the eastern side of the island. Golden trevally on the flats, Spanish mackerel on the shoals in spring, and world-class bream, whiting and flathead in the strait. And from July to November, you fish alongside humpback whales.

8 target species 6 fishing spots Seasonal calendar

8 · Target species

What's biting in Hervey Bay

Season, where, how, and the rules that keep the fishery healthy.

Species 01

Year-round; best August–November.

Golden Trevally

The bay's marquee flats fish.

Season: Year-round; best August–November.
Where: Sandbanks and yabbie flats out from Urangan, Point Vernon, the western K'gari edges.
How: Sight-cast small soft plastics, prawn imitations or fly to tailing fish on the rising tide.
Rules: 45cm minimum, 20 in combined trevally possession (QLD).

Species 02

Best September–April.

Sand Whiting

The bay's bread and butter.

Season: Best September–April.
Where: Point Vernon flats, Toogoom banks, Big Woody edges, the strait sandbanks.
How: Live yabbies or bloodworms on light gear on a rising tide over clean sand.
Rules: 23cm minimum, 30 in possession.

Species 03

Year-round; best August–March.

Dusky Flathead

Every drain in the strait.

Season: Year-round; best August–March.
Where: Great Sandy Strait drains, the Burrum system, K'gari west-coast sand edges.
How: Drift soft plastics and vibes on the run-out tide across the sand and weed edges.
Rules: 40–75cm slot, 5 in possession.

Species 04

August–November peak.

Spanish Mackerel

Spring speed on the shoals.

Season: August–November peak.
Where: The Gutters, Rooneys Point shoals, Arch Cliff, wide off Urangan.
How: Trolled rigged garfish and skirts, or floated pilchards on wire behind a burley trail.
Rules: 75cm minimum, 3 in possession.

Species 05

October–May.

Queenfish

Surface bust-ups on the flats.

Season: October–May.
Where: Bait schools out from Urangan and across the western K'gari beaches.
How: Cast stickbaits and slugs at surface schools; troll shallow divers along the sand edges.
Rules: 40cm minimum, 5 in possession.

Species 06

October–April.

Mangrove Jack

Snags in the strait and the Burrum.

Season: October–April.
Where: Burrum and Cherwell snags, Great Sandy Strait creeks, K'gari mainland creeks.
How: Live baits and hard-bodies tight to structure — heavy leader, drag locked.
Rules: 35cm minimum, 5 in possession.

Species 07

May–September.

Snapper

Cooler-month reef fish.

Season: May–September.
Where: The Simpson reefs, wrecks and gravel patches out from Urangan and the eastern K'gari grounds.
How: Drift baits and soft plastics on the change of tide, dawn and dusk. Light drags.
Rules: 35cm minimum, 4 in possession, seasonal closures apply.

Species 08

November–April

Mud Crab

Wet-season creek bonus.

Season: November–April, best after summer rain.
Where: Burrum and Cherwell tributaries, Susan River, Great Sandy Strait mangrove creeks.
How: Baited pots in the drains and mangrove edges.
Rules: Males only, 15cm minimum, 10 in possession, 4 pots per person.

6 · Where to fish

Hervey Bay's classic grounds

From canal pontoons to the shelf — where the fish live and how locals fish them.

Spot 01 · bay

Urangan & Point Vernon Flats

Sight-fishing on the doorstep.

Shallow sand and yabbie-bank country running from Urangan around to Point Vernon and Toogoom. Sight-cast tailing golden trevally on the rising tide, whiting on the sand and flathead in the drains on the run-out. World-class flats fishing within sight of the ramp.

Best tide

Rising tide over the flats.

Target species

Golden trevallySand whitingFlatheadQueenfish

Local tip

Fresh-pumped yabbies on the flats out-fish frozen bait every time.

Spot 02 · estuary

Great Sandy Strait

The classic all-round estuary.

The 70nm protected strait between K'gari and the mainland — flathead in the drains, bream on the leases, whiting on the sandbanks, jacks in the mangrove creeks. Cover ground, work the tide and pick the wind's leeward side of the strait.

Best tide

Last of the run-out for flathead; rising tide for whiting.

Target species

FlatheadBreamWhitingMangrove jackMud crab

Local tip

The oyster leases are private — fish the edges, not the racks, and stay out of the operational areas.

Spot 03 · offshore

The Gutters (Northern Bay)

Spring mackerel and pelagic country.

The deeper shoals and gutters in the northern part of Hervey Bay, wide of Rooneys Point. Spring Spanish mackerel run, longtail tuna schools and the occasional black marlin later in the season. A long run — plan the weather and the fuel.

Best tide

Run-in on the shoals; change of tide on the drop-offs.

Target species

Spanish mackerelLongtail tunaCobiaQueenfish

Local tip

Watch the birds and the current lines — the mackerel schools push bait to the surface most mornings in Sept–Oct.

Spot 04 · creek

Burrum River System

Northern mainland creek run.

The Burrum, Cherwell and Isis rivers converge at Burrum Heads north of Hervey Bay. Mangrove-lined snags, deep bends and long stretches of quiet water. Jacks, threadfin, grunter and mud crabs through the warmer months.

Best tide

Top of the tide into the run-out.

Target species

Mangrove jackThreadfin salmonGrunterMud crab

Local tip

The junction of the Burrum and Cherwell fires on the last of the run-out — quietly.

Spot 05 · reef

The Simpson Reefs

Snapper country in reach of a good day.

A network of hard patches and gravel out from Urangan and the eastern grounds. Winter snapper, pearl perch, sweetlip and cobia on the shoulder of the reef. Neap tides fish best — spring tides move too much water.

Best tide

Neap tides on the change of light.

Target species

SnapperPearl perchSweetlipCobia

Local tip

Anchor upcurrent of the mark and let a burley trail bring the fish to you.

Spot 06 · bay

Platypus Bay & Rooneys

Whales, tuna and long white beaches.

The western K'gari coast from Moon Point up to Rooneys. Flat water in the trades, longtail tuna schools in autumn, queenfish on the surface and the added privilege of fishing among humpback whales through winter. Give the whales 100m of space — it's the law.

Best tide

Whichever tide the trades let you fish.

Target species

Longtail tunaQueenfishGolden trevallyMackerel

Local tip

Whale season means slower runs and constant watching — treat every dark patch as a whale until proven otherwise.

Seasonal calendar

A year on the water

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Jacks and threadfin in the Burrum and strait creeks. Whiting on the flats. Watch for summer storms.

Autumn (Mar–May)

Longtail tuna push into the bay. Big flathead in the strait pre-winter. First snapper on the reefs.

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Peak snapper on the Simpson reefs. Whale season fires up. Bream in the strait.

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Spanish mackerel run through the northern bay. Golden trevally tail on the flats. Everything switches on.

Local rule of thumb

✓Whales are protected — stay 100m off any humpback, 300m if calves are present. Off the boat, off the throttle.
✓The strait is shallow and beacon-marked. Read the marks, watch the tide, don't take shortcuts.
✓Golden trevally are a sight-fishing game. Slow the boat, wear polarised glasses, and cast to fish you can see.
✓The Gutters and the eastern K'gari grounds are a long run. Plan fuel, weather and comms before you leave the harbour.
✓Take a feed, release the rest. The fishery your kids inherit is being decided today.

Official rules

Queensland Fisheries

Bag limits, size limits, closures and licences — always check before you go.

Open regulator site