QUEENSLAND & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF FISHING MAP

Fishing Hot Spots

From Cairns and the Ribbon Reefs down the Great Barrier Reef coast to Townsville, the Whitsundays, Hervey Bay and Brisbane. Tap any star or dot to see what it is and what to fish there.

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Fishing & access

Marine chart layers

Parks & rules

Data rule: Every hot spot sits on a named, mapped place: a marina or harbor from OpenStreetMap, the nearest point on a Natural Earth river or lake to the town, or a named bay, cape, lake or reservoir looked up through Nominatim. These are general positions, not pinpoints, and each star says which one it is. Boat ramps and marinas come from OpenStreetMap, and parks and reserves come from the World Database on Protected Areas: areas closed to fishing in solid red, other protected areas in dashed red. No hot spot sits inside or right next to a closed area. Every star shows its source when you tap it. BigJoe does not invent coordinates.
Select a Fishing Hot Spot on the map or from the list below.
★ Fishing Hot SpotBoat rampMarinaWreckObstructionRock (yellow = awash)Coral / rock bottomCanyonWeather/tide stationNo-fishing zone (solid red)Protected area, fishing with rules (dashed red)

Safety: these are planning references. Use current official charts, weather and marine alerts and proper safety equipment before heading out.

Fishing Hot Spots by area

Harbors, channels, bays and lakes. Tap one to fly to it on the map.

Black marlin, barramundi and coral trout

Cairns is the home of the giant black marlin, with fish over 1,000 pounds caught on the Ribbon Reefs every spring. Inshore, the mangrove channels hold barramundi and mangrove jack, and the reef has coral trout and red emperor.

Rules: no saltwater license in Queensland, but bag and size limits apply, Great Barrier Reef green zones are closed to fishing, and stocked dams need a permit.

On the bay, in the mangroves or on the ocean, the everyday struggles get left at the dock. For those few hours, it's just you, the water and peace.

BigJoe’s gear for Queensland & Barrier Reef

What BigJoe would bring to fish these waters.

Rod7 ft medium-heavy spinning rodShop on Amazon ↗Reel5000 sealed saltwater spinning reelShop on Amazon ↗Line30 lb braidShop on Amazon ↗TrollingSkirted trolling lures for mahi & wahooShop on Amazon ↗Jigs1 oz bucktail jigs for the reefShop on Amazon ↗RigSnapper bottom rigsShop on Amazon ↗TopwaterSaltwater poppers for jacks & barracudaShop on Amazon ↗SunglassesPolarized fishing sunglassesShop on Amazon ↗

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Species GuidesFish found in these waters.Weather & TidesCheck the ocean before you go.All Hot Spots mapsThe Caribbean, the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific.