Lake Maraboon, or Fairbairn Dam, is on the Nogoa River, 20km east of Emerald.

The lake was formed in 1972, with a vast area when full of nearly 8000ha, but with only an average depth of 9m.

There are considerable irrigation demands on the water, which has reduced levels to almost empty during drought.

The dam has barramundi, Murray cod, saratoga, silver perch, eels, yellowbelly, eel-tail catfish, leathery grunter, redclaw, sleepy cod and spangled perch.

Redclaw crayfish are a hugely popular catch.

Yellowbelly tend to inhabit the upper reaches of the lake.

Silver perch and cod are usually hard to find, and not enough barramundi have been released to build useful fishing densities.

There is a better chance of catching barramundi and other fish in the town weir section below the dam.

Saratoga are also caught in the lake, but redclaw are likely to remain the main attraction for Fairbairn fishermen for some time.

Best fishing is usually in the Nogoa River and Sheep Station Creek arms, where there are ample weedbeds, timber and channels.

Lake Maraboon Holiday Park and boat ramp is near the dam wall, this is the only public launch site.

Queensland dam water levels
Queensland stocked impoundment permits

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With its rock ledges, weedbeds, sheltered coves and clear water just 18km from Perth, Rottnest Island is a popular boating and fishing destination.

Rottnest has some of the southern-most coral reef in Australia, with 135 species of tropical fish on the island’s reefs, compared to 11 along the metro coastline.

Overall, 450 species of fish are found in Rottnest Island waters.

Migrating whales pass through the area on their way to and from northern breeding grounds.

To conserve this special marine environment, sanctuary zones, no-boating areas, speed limits and other guidelines are in place.

The island is so popular that an annual ballot system is run to allocate accommodation during holidays.

Visit www.rottnestisland.com for details.

A raft of local regulations are intended to preserve Rottnest’s environment.

Everyone entering the Rottnest Island Reserve, including the marine reserve, must pay an admission fee.

The Rottnest Island Authority manages moorings and jetty pens on the Island.

Spearguns, gidgies and net fishing are prohibited in the Marine Reserve.

Visit www.rottnestisland.com/boatinginformation for details.

General fishing

Being an island there is always a lee shore.

Herring, bream and silver trevally (skippy) are usually available from shore, with squid over the shallow weedbeds.

king george whiting are caught around Rottnest, and small mulloway.

Yellowtail kingfish, pink snapper and dhufish are popular with boaters.

West End and the south side produce mackerel.

Salmon schools can be accessed from shore, and from boats, usually around West End. tailor are also caught.

Fishing gear can be hired or bought at Rottnest Malibu Diving, the General Store in Thomson Bay, and the Geordie Bay Store.

The local fish include reef dwellers, seagrass inhabitants and pelagic species.

The dhufish is king of the reefs, mostly taken from deeper waters, but some fish are caught from the rocks.

King wrasse, silver drummer, red-lipped and dusky morwong, black-spot goatfish, leatherjackets, breaksea cod and sweep are plentiful.

Big samson and yellowtail kingfish are sometimes caught from land platforms.

The seagrass beds host mainly sand and king george whiting, cobbler, squid and flathead.

Lobsters, octopus, cuttlefish and squid inhabit inshore reefs.

Popular local spots include …

1. Parker Point: The area outside the sanctuary produces tailor, herring and trevally. Troll the deep water outside the
sanctuary for yellowfin tuna, yellowtail kingfish and shark mackerel.
2. Salmon Point to Fairbridge Bluff (outside sanctuary) -herring, trevally, whiting, tarwhine.
3. Bathurst Point is a good place to fish before catching the ferry at Thomsons Bay nearby. Herring are abundant off the rocks if
you use berley.
4. Henrietta Rocks has herring and trevally: use small baits with berley.
5. Geordie Bay is the second-most popular mooring area after Thomsons Bay. It has accommodation and is crowded during summer
holidays. Herring and sand whiting are caught from shore and from moored boats.
6. Point Clune to Longreach Bay has mostly herring from the beaches and reefs. Some trevally and king george whiting are taken
here.
7. Thomson Bay is the main settlement and the ferry landing. The ferry jetty has herring, gar, trevally, whiting and squid. Herring are
common around Thomson Bay.
8. Phillip Point has a reef with tailor: fish from a boat and cast into the white water. From shore there are herring, trevally and some tailor.
9. Charlotte Point to Armstrong Point is a good area for smaller species such as herring, skippy, tarwhine, sand whiting and occasional king george whiting.

Wide of Rottnest Island is a deep trench, a ship graveyard, and several FADs.

FADs are installed up to 60km off Perth each summer.

Dolphin fish (mahi mahi) are the main catch around the FADs, with tuna, cobia, trevally and mackerel.

Visit the Perth Game Fishing Club for the latest information on FADs … http://www.pgfc.com.au/fads/

Several large vessels have been scuttled west of Rottnest Island.

The Derwent wreck, for example, lies at approx 32 03.516S 115 12.207E, 22km west of the island, in almost 200m.

Ask Perth tackle shops for GPS data for others.

Some wrecks are historic sites that can not be fished.

The deep trench off Rottnest produces deep-sea reef fish for those willing to work the great depth. There’s also the chance of blue and black marlin and sailfish.

Rottnest Island tides
WA fishing regulations
WA marine parks
Return to the WA Fishing Map

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Karumba is the gateway to the rivers of the lower Gulf of Carpentaria and, for those with suitable boats, Cape York Peninsula’s south-western rivers.

Karumba is a gulf port 72km by sealed road from Normanton.

There are two boat ramps at the Norman River mouth.

The lower Norman River is not netted.

The main species caught are barramundi, threadfin and blue salmon, golden snapper (fingermark), grunter, black jewfish, goldspot cod and groper, mackerel, queenfish, trevally, catfish and mud crabs.

Also present but rarely targeted are pikey bream, flathead and whiting.

Grunter are hugely popular and mostly caught in the dry season, which ends with the onset of hot weather around September.

Mackerel are best in the dry season (winter months).

Jewfish are occasionally caught off the beach at Karumba Point.

Offshore structure is hard to find, but if you do find some you will catch golden snapper and jewfish.

Most action takes place along the channel edges and markers.

Big jewfish, barramundi and golden snapper are best around Karumba in Sept/Oct as the weather warms.

Unfortunately the winter tourists season is also the time of slowest barramundi activity.

Barramundi are best in warm, still weather.

A big wet season in the lower Gulf catchment will produce good fishing long after the floodwaters subside.

Poor wet seasons tend to produce poor fishing for the rest of the year.

A popular overnight trip from Karumba is the 26 nautical miles to the anchorage within the Smithburne River.

Travel between the mainland and Pelican Island only at high tide.

Grunter and salmon are caught out the front and along river mouth channels, and foreshores at high tide, jewfish are in the hole at the Norman mouth, with mixed species in the rivers.

Walker’s Creek is easily accessible as the crossing is on the sealed road between Normanton and Karumba.

There is limited access to the Leichardt, Flinders and Bynoe Rivers on the Normanton-Burketown Road.

The Flinders, Bynoe and other smaller waterways are all worth fishing.

Travelling up the peninsula by long-range boat is a true adventure, but this is truly remote country that requires careful navigation, as the coastal mudflats extend far out to sea, and on a diminishing tidal cycle it is possible to become stuck for several days.

Keep in mind the mouths of many Gulf rivers are shallow and constantly changing and should be entered only on a rising tide.

Plan the trip home for a rising tide or near high water.

Inland river crossings in this region can fish well for barramundi during flooding, but vehicles can become trapped if the floods rise to form an inland sea.

Detailed fishing maps for Gulf and Top End rivers are available in the North Australian FISH FINDER book.

Karumba tides
QLD fishing regulations
QLD marine parks
GBRMPA marine parks
QLD stocked waters
QLD dam levels

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