Broad Sound is 150km from the nearest centres of Mackay and Rockhampton, and therefore sees relatively little recreational fishing pressure.
This is a shallow area swept by the biggest tides on the Australia’s East Coast, leaving vast drying flats at low tide.
Broad Sound is the innermost of two similar bays, the other being Shoalwater Bay, between which lies a peninsula that ends at the tiny fishing town of Stanage.
Such tidal conditions require careful planning of boat launching and retrieval, and navigation.
The big tides tend to concentrate fishing action into specific periods, depending on the species sought, but the fishing and crabbing can be superb.
Some creeks retain enough water to fish holes at low tide.
West Hill has a good creek, but with poor boat launching access.
South of West Hill is the tiny community of Clairview, with Clairview Creek 10km south of the town.
The launch site at Clairview is good, but dries towards low tide.
Further south, Broad Sound is drains several wide but shallow creeks.
On the largest tides, tidal bores occur in Broad Sound’s bigger creeks, a hazard for boaters.
Take note also of extensive GBRMPA green zones.
Broad Sound and Shoalwater bays are turbid except during neap tides, but outside of the inner islands lies clear water, with reef and pelagic fish.
Broad Sound has good habitat for barramundi, blue and king salmon, grunter and mud crabs, as well as bread and butter fish.
Broad Sound’s Charon Point, between the Styx and Herbert Rivers, can be reached by rough track from Marlborough.
Charon Point has a public reserve with camping and a 4WD boat launch, but the fishing area is restricted by green zones.
A base for estuary fishing and crabbing within Broad Sound is St Lawrence.
The township has a bank launch on St Lawrence Creek and bank fishing opportunities, both only available on the upper tide.
Large tides and shallow water make conditions tricky in all the local creeks.
Popeye mullet are usually abundant in this area, and make great livebait.
The easiest access to the Styx and the Hoogly waterways are from Charon Point.
The Bund Creek public launch site on the Waverley River, accessed via St Lawrence, was unuseable at the time of this post, being covered in several feet of mud.
There is no launch site at Ogmore.
Stanage is perhaps the best fishing location in this area, as its location at the top of the peninsula between Broad Sound and Shoalwater Bay.
Stanage gives access to a labyrinth of mangrove-lined creeks, as well as coastal reefs and islands.
This is arguably some of the best mud crab country in Australia, the local mud crabs are often huge.
With a bit of planning trailerboaters can catch barramundi and reef fish on the same day fishing out of Stanage.
Stanage Bay tides
Clairview tides
QLD fishing regulations
QLD marine parks
GBRMPA marine parks
QLD stocked waters
QLD dam levels
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