Moreton Bay · Fishing

Species, seasons and spots

Moreton Bay fishes as big and varied as any water in the country. Pumicestone Passage and the Bribie flats deliver whiting, flathead and mud crabs. The Rous and Rainbow channels funnel mackerel and tuna. The Peel and Curtin reefs hold winter snapper. And Cape Moreton puts blue water — marlin, wahoo, mahi mahi — an hour from the ramp when the weather plays.

7 target species 6 fishing spots Seasonal calendar

7 · Target species

What's biting in Moreton Bay

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

Species 01

Best October–April.

Sand Whiting

The bay's bread and butter.

Season: Best October–April.
Where: Pumicestone flats, Bribie banks, Amity to Wellington Point sand, Rainbow Channel.
How: Live yabbies, bloodworms or surface poppers over the sand on a rising tide.
Rules: 23cm minimum, 30 in possession (QLD).

Species 02

Year-round

Dusky Flathead

Every drain, every drift.

Season: Year-round, best August–March.
Where: Bay flats off Amity, Kooringal, Pumicestone drains, Bribie 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 03

May–August peak; year-round on the reefs.

Snapper

Winter's inshore prize.

Season: May–August peak; year-round on the reefs.
Where: Peel Island reefs, Curtin Reef, Harry Atkinson, Cape Moreton drop-off.
How: Plastics and floated pilchards on the change of tide, dawn and dusk. Light drags, patient drifts.
Rules: 35cm minimum, 4 in possession, seasonal closures apply.

Species 04

Spotted — Dec–April; Spanish — Jan–May.

Spanish & Spotted Mackerel

Speed in the channels.

Season: Spotted — Dec–April; Spanish — Jan–May.
Where: Rous Channel, Cape Moreton, the shipping channels, current lines wide.
How: Trolled hardbodies, floated pilchards on wire, or spun slugs on surface schools.
Rules: Species-specific limits — check QLD DPI before you go.

Species 05

March–July.

Longtail Tuna

Bay speed on the surface.

Season: March–July.
Where: Bribie Passage, the northern bay, Rous Channel, wide of Cape Moreton.
How: Cast slugs and stickbaits to surface schools; troll skirts along bait lines.
Rules: No size limit; possession limit applies — check QLD DPI.

Species 06

October–April

Mud Crab

Summer bonus in the creeks.

Season: October–April, best after summer rain.
Where: Pumicestone Passage, Ningi and Elimbah creeks, the Stradbroke and Moreton back-creeks.
How: Baited pots in the drains and mangrove edges.
Rules: Males only, 15cm minimum, 10 in possession, 4 pots per person.

Species 07

Blacks Jan–April; Stripes May–August.

Black & Striped Marlin

Blue water off Cape Moreton.

Season: Blacks Jan–April; Stripes May–August.
Where: The shelf and the wide grounds east of Cape Moreton.
How: Trolled skirts and swimming baits along the temp breaks.
Rules: Tag and release strongly encouraged.

6 · Where to fish

Moreton Bay's classic grounds

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

Spot 01 · estuary

Pumicestone Passage

Whiting, flathead, patience.

Thirty-plus kilometres of shallow, sheltered passage between Bribie and the mainland. Whiting on the rising tide over clean sand, flathead in the drains on the run-out, and crabs in the mangrove creeks after summer rain. Read the beacons and stay off the leases.

Best tide

Rising tide for whiting, last of the run-out for flathead.

Target species

Sand WhitingDusky FlatheadBreamMud Crab

Local tip

Cover ground on the sand banks — the fish move with the tide, boats that don't miss out.

Spot 02 · reef

Peel Island Reefs

Central bay snapper country.

The rocky ledges around Peel Island hold snapper, sweetlip and squire all through the cooler months. Marine park zoning is strict — check the map, respect the green zones, and fish where you're allowed.

Best tide

Change of tide, dawn or dusk.

Target species

SnapperSweetlipSquireGrass Sweetlip

Local tip

The green zones are watched hard. Know the boundaries cold before you drop.

Spot 03 · offshore

Rous & Rainbow Channels

Where the pelagics run.

The deep channels between Moreton, Stradbroke and the mainland funnel bait — and follow the mackerel, longtail tuna and marlin. Troll the edges, cast slugs at surface schools, mind the ship traffic.

Best tide

Weather over tide — pick your day.

Target species

Spanish MackerelSpotted MackerelLongtail TunaMarlin

Local tip

Two working sounders, two working comms, and know your channel etiquette.

Spot 04 · bay

Bribie Flats & Passage Mouth

Northern bay classic.

The sand and weed edges around the southern tip of Bribie and out into the northern bay hold whiting, flathead, bream and school jew. Drift the banks on the run-out and cover ground.

Best tide

Last two hours of the run-out.

Target species

Sand WhitingDusky FlatheadBreamSchool Jew

Local tip

Sound around the bait schools — the bigger flathead sit just off the clean sand edge.

Spot 05 · offshore

Cape Moreton & The Shelf

Blue water on your doorstep.

The eastern side of Moreton Island and the wider grounds beyond hold marlin, wahoo, mahi mahi and yellowfin at the right time of year. Serious boats, serious weather windows.

Best tide

Weather-dependent — read the swell and the wind.

Target species

MarlinWahooMahi MahiYellowfin Tuna

Local tip

Cross the bar early, come back before the sea breeze fills in — non-negotiable.

Spot 06 · creek

Ningi & Elimbah Creeks

Crabs and jacks in the mangroves.

The mangrove creeks running off the western side of Pumicestone Passage are mud-crab country in summer, with mangrove jack and flathead through the warmer months.

Best tide

Top of the tide into the run-out.

Target species

Mud CrabMangrove JackFlatheadBream

Local tip

Set pots on the rising tide, pull on the next — don't leave gear overnight.

Seasonal calendar

A year on the water

Jan–Feb

Peak summer — whiting on the flats, jacks in the creeks, blacks off Cape Moreton.

Mar–Apr

Longtail tuna fire up in the channels, mackerel wide, crabs after rain.

May–Jun

Snapper switch on — Peel, Curtin, Harry Atkinson. Winter whiting start.

Jul–Aug

Peak snapper. Striped marlin wide. Bay quiet, offshore pumping when clean.

Sep–Oct

Snapper taper, sand whiting fire up, first jacks return with warm water.

Nov–Dec

Summer species switch on — whiting, jacks, mud crabs after rain.

Local rule of thumb

✓The bay is a marine park — know the green zones before you drop a line.
✓Pumicestone Passage is shallow and beacon-marked. Read the marks, watch the tide.
✓Rous and Rainbow channels carry ships. Ships have right of way, always.
✓Cape Moreton and the bar demand respect. Check the swell forecast, not just the wind.
✓Take a feed, release the rest. The fishery your kids inherit is being decided today.

Official rules

Queensland DPI — Recreational Fishing Rules

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

Open regulator site