Places to fish
Fishing Hervey Bay & Surrounds
Welcome to our playground… We are absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to fishing around the Hervey Bay region and greater areas that are all just a stone throws away. Let us take you to the best spots on offer to ensure we can get you onto the fish when you plan to make your next visit.
Beach & Pier Fishing
Beach fishing around Hervey Bay offers relaxed, family-friendly angling with the chance to hook into some quality fish right from the sand. With long stretches of accessible shoreline along the Fraser Coast and the calm, protected waters of the Great Sandy Strait, it’s an ideal setup for both seasoned anglers and first-timers.
From the beaches and pier you can expect a great mix of species, including Whiting, Bream, Flathead and Dart, with the chance of Threadfin Salmon, Tailor and Trevally cruising the gutters at the right times. Easy access, gentle conditions and plenty of room to spread out make beach fishing and pier fishing in Hervey Bay as enjoyable as it is productive, proof that you don’t need to head offshore to enjoy a cracking day’s fishing.
Reef Fishing
Hervey Bay is perfectly positioned at the gateway to some of Queensland’s most productive fishing grounds, with the sheltered waters of the Great Sandy Strait on one side and the open grounds around K’gari (Fraser Island) and Platypus Bay on the other. From inshore flats and channels to offshore reefs and drop-offs, there’s no shortage of top-notch fishing options right on our doorstep.
These waters produce outstanding fishing opportunities and more than their fair share of prize-winning fish. Species commonly found throughout the region include Snapper, Sweetlip and Coral Trout, along with Grunter, Flathead and Whiting in the Strait. Add in pelagic action from Mackerel, Tuna, Trevally and Cobia, and you’ve got something biting for anglers of all ages and skill levels.
There’s no doubt we’re absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to fishing in the Hervey Bay region and while word is definitely getting out, it’s still one of Queensland’s best-kept family fishing secrets.
Offshore Reefs
The wider reefs and offshore fishing are becoming increasingly more popular on the Fraser Coast & Burnet Regions, with advancements in technology allowing smaller vessels the opportunity to reach these once relatively untapped areas. There are numerous options within the more sheltered water of Platypus Bay that offers artificial reefs, coffee rock, rubble patches and natural sink holes. The wider reef systems such as the 25 Fathom Hole, Gutters system (16-mile, 18-mile, Southern, Northern & African) to Breaksea Spit and beyond creates endless opportunities and the species on offer is limitless. Whether bait or lure fishing in less than 20 meters of water to deep dropping with electric reels in depths exceeding 400 meters, there is something for every angler with a variety of options to explore. Species you may encounter range from, Coral Trout, Red Emperor, Grass Sweetlip, Red Throat Emperor, Spangled Emperor, Cod, Maori Cod (Brown & Blue), Wrasse, Tusk Fish, Mangrove Jack, Moses Perch, Hussar, Spanish Flag, Snapper, Gold Banned Snapper, Bar Cod, Flame Tail Snapper, Pearl Perch, Job Fish (Green, Rosie, Iron jaw), Trag Jew, Mixed Pelagic (Mackerel, tuna & trevally species) & Nannygai.
Game Fishing – Break Sea & Beyond
The Eastern side of Fraser Island or Break Sea as it is commonly referred to is a game fisherman’s haven. This place has the potential to produce some of the best game fishing you will experience Australia wide. The light tackle billfish fishery has gone viral with incredible numbers of fish migrating through our waters each season.
Trolling the shallower grounds merely a casting distance off the bar for juvenile black marlin, sailfish and the potential list of pelagic bi-catch is quite unique. In recent years the heavy tackle fishery can only be described as ‘Mental Fishing’ with the potential to cross paths with three species of marlin (striped, blue and black) in large quantities on the one day.
With such great numbers of fish being caught it is drawing anglers with experienced crews both nationally and internationally to try their luck at a giant.
Aside from trolling there are opportunities for the top water enthusiasts to try their luck casting large stick baits and poppers over shallow reef systems in search of the gangsters of the ocean, the mighty GT. Some enormous fish haunt these waters and have destroyed gear and tested some of the most experience anglers. The deep-water jigging options are endless with numerous reefs and sunken wrecks scattered throughout the shallower country to the continental shelf, a mere 13km’s from the 2mile crossing. If you are a sucker for pain, then knife jigging the shelf is for you Species you may encounter range from, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Stripe Marlin, Yellow Fin Tuna, Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, Spanish Mackerel, Amberjack, King Fish & Job Fish (Green & Rosy).
For the very best Expert Advice, Pop into Fisho’s Tackle World Hervey Bay and see Dane and the team to ensure you have all the latest gear and the best knowledge for when you hit the water.
We hope you find the fish in July, We’ll See You At The Hervey Bay Sports Club!