Australia’s Nature Coast - Fishing

With more than double the species of fish found anywhere else in the country, including Hervey Bay, is renowned as the home of Australian Fishing. 

Our water ways are special.  There is an overlap in northern (tropical) and southern (cold water) species which means we are the only place in Australia where keen anglers can catch all 3 of Australia’s iconic sports fish – bass, bream and our legendary barramundi!

Not many places in Australia where you can catch a coral trout and snapper for dinner, then trophy hunt for a BIG queenfish in the same day.

Thanks to the protection afforded by Fraser Island, The Great Sandy Strait, between Fraser Island and the mainland, provides one of Australia's largest seagrass beds, acting as a nursery for many larger fish species, and a feeding ground for fish and prawns.

Our choice of catch is impressive.  Here you will have some of the best sport, game, sheltered beach and deep sea fishing to be found in Australia with catches like flathead, threadfin salmon, queenfish, black marlin and golden trevally and of course our legendary bass, bream and barramundi.

If you’re all about great fishing and just itching to flick a lure, check out Fraser Guide Fishing. These local and extremely knowledgeable guides promise you a fishing tour full of screaming drags and racing heart beats.  One and half day tours are available along with charter tours for groups.

World class fishing is not just limited to those with boats; Hervey Bay’s calm foreshore is also well known for producing good numbers of fish in season.

It’s long and bustling esplanade is littered with cafes and restaurants and seasoned anglers tell us that the esplanade can be fished with success during the early morning or late afternoon.  Fishing at night is recommended for those chasing the bigger fish.

And, for a catch- and-cook option, you do the “catching” and Hervey Bay’s Vineyard Restaurant, ranked by Trip Advisor as #1 out of 190 restaurants in the region, will do the cooking! 

For real enthusiasts, don’t miss our Hervey Bay Game Fishing Classic held in November each year!

Each year thousands of serious anglers head for the island in search of tailor but also whiting, dart, bream and other species that are caught off its Seventy Five Mile Beach.  Eurong Beach Resort, on Fraser Island is the perfect beach base and just five minutes’ walk from 75 mile beach!

Fishing experts also recommend the western side of the island famous for its great golden trevally fishing. Featuring small creeks, mangrove lined banks and plenty of beach fishing opportunities, the western side is well worth exploring at anytime of the year. 

And for a fishing experience that’s just a little bit special, Air Fraser can fly you to the northern tip of Fraser Island where you’ll be met by the hosts of Elisa Fraser Lodge – a remote but premium, short stay lodge.

While freshwater fishing on Fraser Island is prohibited, ocean fishing is a very popular pursuit in this part of the world and your hosts are fishing experts.

Sandy Cape, Waddy point, Middle rocks and Indian Head attract tailor, bream, mackerel and shark. It is the beach fishing on the north-eastern beaches around Orchid Beach that lures many die-hard anglers, particularly between August and October when the tailor run.

Wathumba Creek and Platypus Bay on the western side of the island offer a sheltered alternative to Orchid Beach and Sandy Cape.   Anglers can expect good whiting, bream and flathead. There are also plenty of yabby patches along the west coast. 

Expect a remote and rugged landscape complemented by elegant and comfortable surroundings.

If deep-sea and game fishing are more to your taste, Fishing Offshore Noosa, might be the perfect choice for you!  Air Fraser can fly you from Elisa Lodge to Sunshine Coast Airport, and from there, Noosa is a 40 minute drive.

Specialising in reef fishing, Fishing Offshore Noosa offer a half day, full day, overnight or extended fishing trips and, with years of local fishing knowledge combined with state of the art fish-finding and navigational equipment to get you right in the action, they cater for the novice through to the experienced fisherman.

Dependent on weather conditions and length of charter, your fishing adventure can take you to a number of local Sunshine Coast reefs including Sunshine Reef, Jew Shoal, North Reef, Halls Reef and Barwon Banks.

We target a wide variety of colourful and delicious to eat local reef fish and an exciting range of speedy and cunning pelagic fish.   Trolling sport or game fishing can be organised by prior arrangement.

For a spot of country-style fishing, local experts call Lake Borumba, located in the heart of Mary Valley Country (40 minutes north west of Noosa) a “Fishers paradise”! 

Calm waters, misty mornings and the sounds (and often sightings) of dingo and deer, Lake Borumba produces Golden Perch, Silver Perch and the endangered Mary River Cod.   The real drawcard however is the Saratoga, which, after an initial release of 200 fish some time ago, has firmly established itself as a self sustaining Australian icon.

Lake Borumba is a perfect place for fly anglers to test their skills. Saratoga and bass will readily take a sub-surface fly cast around the many snags and overhanging trees, however there is nothing better than the explosive fun of a surface strike. So take a variety of flies.

While not known as a big bass lake, Borumba produces some quality bass in the high 40cm range on occasion with the average fish being in the mid 30cm range.

Are you an experienced and keen offshore angler?

If so, Sunshine Coast Afloat’s nine hour deep sea fishing charter could be for you.   This nine hour experience is for the more expert fisher as this is hard core, trophy fish chasing at its best and challenging to even the most experienced!

Sunshine Coast Afloat travels around 15 – 17 nautical miles out to the Barwon Banks Reef system and devotes a large part of the trip to chasing that trophy fish!

For those completely new to deep sea fishing, Sunshine Coast Afloat suggests either their five or 7 hour charter.  The sunrise charters include a BBQ lunch, and their sunset and evening charters include a BBQ dinner.

For something a little different, why not give the rapidly growing sport of kayak fishing a try?

An experienced local guide will escort you through the beautiful waters of the Sunshine Coast in a lightweight and stable kayak and you will receive expert tuition on the finer points and techniques of fishing this way.

Sunshine Coast Afloat only choose areas that have minimal fishing pressure and are rewarded with bream, whiting, flathead, tailor, trevally, jew, mangrove jack and even Barramundi.

Of course, you’ll find great beach fishing spots all over the Sunshine Coast (and just as many tackle and equipment hire places too).

So, as the sun drops behind the Glass House Mountains for the day, why not join the rest of our locals (and local wildlife) for a spot of dusk beach fishing – a perfect end to your busy Sunshine Coast day!