The Nerang River is arguably the Gold Coast region’s premium fishing river.

It is a perennial river 62km in length, with its mouth flowing into Southport Broadwater.

The river rises in the McPherson Range in Numinbah Valley on the NSW and Queensland border and flows north, then east.

The upper section is in the McPherson Range and Springbrook Plateau, eventually flowing into Hinze Dam and Little Nerang Dam.

Tributaries include Mudgeeraba Creek, Bonogin Creek, Wyangan Creek, Worongary Creek, Gin House Creek, Little Nerang Creek, Crane Creek and Mooyumbin Creek.

Several islands are located in the residential canal region of the lower tidal section, including Girung, Paradise, Chevron, Cronin and McIntosh Islands.

Two man-made lakes are also in the lower catchment, Lake Rosser and Lake Capabella.

The Nerang River’s mouth has moved with the drift of sand along the coast.

In the early 1800s it entered the ocean further south at Broadbeach and by 1930 its mouth was where the Sea World tourist facility is now.

The river is a great fishing location with a variety of species to be caught in the tidal waters, including the manmade canals.

A cartopper dinghy or yak is perfect to fish much of the river, but a special feature for landbased fishos, and for all Gold Coast region waterways, are the many riverside parks and fishing platforms.

These public parks are listed below. Some can be accessed by public transport.

The tidal waters have mainly bream, flathead and whiting, but with a chance of many other species, including tarpon, mulloway, grunter, trevally, cod, moses perch, luderick, tailor, tarwhine, giant herring, queenfish, catfish, prawns and mud crabs.

The upper reaches have bass, with mangrove jacks throughout.

Hinze Dam is stocked with bass.

Occasional barramundi have been caught in the Nerang River.

There are many manmade structures in the river such as bridge pylons, these often hold fish.

Current bottlenecks in the canals are always worth a look for fish.

Bass are most commonly caught from Nerang upstream past Weedons Crossing.

Week days and night often produce the best fishing in the tidal section, when boating traffic drops off. Big tides tend to produce the best bites.

Like other Gold coast estuaries, nippers are the ideal local bait, but fish such as bream and grunter can be caught on a variety of baits.

Jacks and mulloway respond to lures and livebait.

Being a busy location, fishing as light as possible with live or fresh bait will bring the best results.

Nerang River landbased fishing spots

The river has many bankside parks and reserves that make for an easy fishing experience. Reserves located next to structure such as bridges or bottlenecks that create tidal rips are often the best spots, but fish move through the river with the tide and be caught almost anywhere.

This is not an exhaustive list, but includes some of the better locations.

Sundale Bridge, Gold Coast Highway and Waterways Drive, Main Beach – this spot has nearby parking, sandy foreshore, nearby bridge pylons, boat ramp. The pylons can be fished from north and south banks. Best on week days and/or at night on big tides. Mainly bream, luderick, tarpon, trevally, grunter, school mulloway.

Pelican Beach, Waterways Drive, Main Beach – this spot has nearby parking, a sand foreshore, and toilets. Its location on the lower Nerang River can be busy, but big fish pass through here. Best fished at night during the week. flathead, whiting, bream, luderick with chance of mulloway.

Bill And Ursula Birmingham Park, Nerang Connection Road, Nerang – this spot has nearby parking. There is a rocky river bank, and it is near shops and transport. This is a nice spot on the upper tidal Nerang River, with mainly bream, grunter, tarpon and mangrove jacks caught. Prolonged heavy rain will push fish downstream into the lower reaches.

Arthur Earle Park, Nerang Connection Road, Nerang – this spot has nearby parking. There is a rock foreshore, boat ramp, skate park, toilets and transport. Another nice spot on the upper tidal Nerang River, with mainly bream, grunter, tarpon and mangrove jacks . Prolonged heavy rain will push fish downstream into the lower reaches. Best on week days and at night.

Budds Beach Reserve, River Drive, Surfers Paradise – this spot has nearby parking, a sandy foreshore, boat ramp, toilets, taps, playground, barbecues, transport and is near shops.
This lower Nerang River location is a good sheltered spot within Surfers Paradise. Casting from the reserve’s beach produces mainly flathead, bream and whiting.

Remembrance Drive Reserve, Remembrance Drive, Surfers Paradise – nearby parking, rocky foreshore, bridge pylons, near shops and transport. One of the better landbased location on the Nerang River. Fish the pylons on big tides and at night.

Via Roma Reserve, 2a Amalfi Drive, Surfers Paradise – nearby parking, rock foreshore, bridge pylons, near shops and transport. One of the better landbased location on the Nerang River. Fish the pylons on big tides and at night.

Tranquility Park, 2 Kawana Crescent, Ashmore – nearby parking, manmade rock foreshore, playground. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Pidd Family Park, 21 Carrara Road, Carrara – nearby parking, rock foreshore, boat ramp. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Sir Bruce Small Park, 407 Benowa Road, Benowa – nearby parking, manmade rocky foreshore, playground. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Bruce Park, 165 Sir Bruce Small Boulevard, Benowa – nearby parking, manmade rock foreshore. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Campbell Street Reserve, 1 Campbell St, Bundall – nearby parking, rock foreshore, playground. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Waterview Crescent Reserve, 15 Waterview Crescent, Bundall – nearby parking, sand foreshore. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Neddy Harper Park, 2840 Gold Coast Hwy, Surfers Paradise – nearby parking, rock foreshore, playground, toilets, near shops and transport. Good fishing location on the Nerang River, flathead, bream, occasional mangrove jacks .

John Fraser Memorial Park, 14 Remembrance Drive, Surfers Paradise – nearby parking, rocky foreshore, near shops and transport. Fish the entrance rip into the Nerang River on big tides.

Watson Esplanade Reserve, Watson Esplanade, Surfers Paradise – nearby parking, long sandy beach, near shops and transport. Canal offshoot of the Nerang River that is a great place to walk the beach and cast for flathead.

Furlong Street Park, Furlong Street and Rio Vista Boulevard, Broadbeach Waters – nearby parking, manmade rock foreshore. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Monaco Street Reserve, 88 Monaco Street, Broadbeach Waters – nearby parking, rock foreshore, pylons. Great bream and luderick spot on big tides.

Sunset Boulevard Park, Sunset Boulevard, Surfers Paradise – nearby parking, rocky foreshore. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Korman Family Park, 183 Stanhill Drive, Surfers Paradise – nearby parking, fishing platform, rock foreshore, playground, taps, toilets, near shops and transport. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Harry Bond Park, Regatta Parade, Southport – nearby parking, long sandy beach, playground, taps, near transport. Great place to walk, wade and cast lures for flathead.

Wells Street Reserve, Regatta Parade and Wells Street, Southport – nearby parking, rock foreshore, near transport. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Darrambal Street Reserve, Darrambal Street and Stanhill Drive, Surfers Paradise – nearby parking, manmade rock foreshore. Near shops and transport. Limited fishing area. Bream fishing into the Nerang River.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for SEQ waters.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

Nerang River tides at Paradise Waters
Gold Coast parks and reserves
QLD fishing regulations
QLD marine parks
Return to QLD fishing map

Email updates or corrections to [email protected]

The Coomera River is a perennial river with a dual mouth that extends north and south around Coomera Island into the mangrove flats and channels of southern Moreton Bay.

The river descends more than 500m over its 80km course.

It has 10 small tributaries and the upper river retains many natural values, before flowing downstream through residential development, including canal estates.

The north branch of the lower river flows north of Coomera Island and heads towards Jumpinpin Channel to join Pimpama River.

The main southern course flows south of Coomera Island towards the Gold Coast seaway, flowing around the Sovereign Islands and Hope Island.

The southern Coomera River mouth enters the northern end of the Gold Coast Broadwater at Paradise Point.

This is a great fishing river with a variety of species available.

The river’s tidal waters have mainly bream, flathead and whiting, but with a chance of many other species, including tarpon, mulloway, grunter, trevally, cod, moses perch, tailor, tarwhine, giant herring, queenfish, catfish, prawns and mud crabs.

The upper reaches have bass, with mangrove jacks throughout.

Occasional barramundi have been caught in this river.

A cartopper dinghy or yak is perfect to fish much of the river, but a special feature for landbased fishos, and for all Gold Coast region waterways, are the many riverside parks and fishing platforms.

The public parks are listed below in arguable order of fishing potential. Some can be accessed by public transport.

Week days and night often produce the best fishing, when boating traffic drops off. Big tides tend to produce the best bites.

Nippers are the ideal local bait, but bream especially can be caught on a variety of baits. mangrove jacks and mulloway respond to lures and livebait.

Coomera river landbased fishing spots

Coomera River fishing deck, De Barnett Street and Esplanade, Coomera – this 150m long dedicated fishing deck lies under four bridges, and the pylons form a giant artficial reef within casting distance. Anything can turn up here but good luck landing big fish as the pylons provide an effective refuge. There is nearby parking, and the deck has some shade. Bream, mangrove jacks , flathead, luderick, salmon-tailed catfish.

Coomera River Causeway Park, Brittany Drive and Old Tamborine Rd, Oxenford – this park is situated next to a rockfill barrier that separates tidal water from fresh. The park has a manmade foreshore rockwall and adjacent rocky foreshore, with lawns. Best during the week and at night. There is a playground, barbecue and picnic shelters, making it a good family fishing spot.

Coomera River bridges, Heathwood Drive, Oxenford – extensive pylon structure is fishable from shore. Bream, luderick, flathead, mangrove jacks , cod. There is nearby parking, and a boat ramp, so week day and night fishing is better.

John Siganto Park, 2 Gawler Place, Upper Coomera – bream and mangrove jacks are a good chance here. Better on week days with less boating traffic. There is nearby parking, with a boat ramp, fishing platform, rock foreshore, playground and barbecues.

Banksia Park, 21 Crescent Avenue, Hope Island – One of the better tidal canal locations just off the lower Coomera River. Expect bream, mangrove jacks , flathead, trevally, moses perch, luderick. There is nearby parking, with a manufactured rock foreshore, barbecues and toilets.

Coombabah Creek Weir, Coombabah, Myola Court, Coombabah – this is an interesting fishing spot where the creek flows into Coombabah Lake outlet, which joins the lower Coomera River. flathead, mangrove jacks and bream. There is nearby parking, with the concrete structure fishable on foot.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for SEQ waters.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

Coomera River at Sanctuary Cove Tides
Gold Coast parks and reserves
QLD fishing regulations
QLD marine parks
Return to QLD fishing map

Email updates or corrections to [email protected]

NOTE: Special snapper rules apply in South Australia – more info here.

Port Noarlunga, south of Adelaide, has an exceptional fishing jetty.

This is an important platform for Adelaide fishermen because the area inside the fringing reef at the jetty’s end holds salmon schools.

Schools of big fish often come inside the reef during heavy weather in winter.

But the salmon also show up at other times.

Bait and lures work, and the fishing is frantic when salmon are on.

Juvenile salmon, locally called salmon trout, are caught throughout the year.

Less well known is that the jetty and nearby beaches produce plenty of yelloweye mullet during the annual autumn run.

Yelloweye mullet take small meat baits, including cockle, prawn and minced red meat.

Occasional snapper, silver trevally, zebra fish, mulloway, kingfish, sweep, rays and sharks are caught at the jetty from time to time, but salmon are the main catch.

Divers report 50 species of fish can be found around the reef, which is within a marine sanctuary.

No fishing is allowed within the sanctuary but line fishing is permitted from the local beaches and most of the jetty, and also within the nearby Onkaparinga River, a bream hotspot.

Other spots to try nearby are the rock at the end of beach road and the rock wall at O’Sullivans Beach, both of which produce kingfish in summer and salmon in winter.

Onkaparinga River mouth tides
South Port (Onkaparinga mouth) on Beachsafe
SA fishing regulations
SA marine parks
SA stocked dams
SA dam water levels
Murray River fishing spots

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