Australia’s biggest barramundi are caught in Queensland’s stocked impoundments, but NT and WA wild waterways also produce 120cm+ fish regularly.
A history of line-class records show that Queensland’s Tinaroo, Monduran, Kinchant and Peter Faust dams produce most of the big barra.
Lake Awoonga also has a history of trophy fish.
Keep in mind that each dam is affected by floods and droughts, with big barra leaving dams when the walls breech, unless barrier nets are installed.
Here’s a few line-class records over the years …
23.7kg 117.5cm Lake Tinaroo 21 September 2011 Mark Hope
25.2kg 116cm Lake Tinaroo 24 August 2011 Mark Hope
29kg 132cm Lake Tinaroo 2 September 2014 Mark Hope
40.7kg 136cm Lake Tinaroo 28 July 2012 Mark Hope*
28.3kg 127.5cm Lake Tinaroo 7 January 2012 Mark Hope
29.85kg 127cm Lake Tinaroo 15 October 2000 Noel Ritchie
30.8kg 126cm Lake Tinaroo 4 September 2014 Jason Kuchel
41.5kg 135cm Kinchant Dam 14 October 2011 Willem Reichard
44.64kg 134cm Lake Monduran 21 December 2011 Denis Harrold
27.6kg 121.5cm Lake Tinaroo 2 September 2012 Mark Hope
In the NT, proven big-fish waters are the Daly, Mary, Adelaide and all Kakadu rivers.
Strangely enough, the NT’s stocked Manton Dam rarely produces fish over a metre.
In WA, the Ord and Fitzroy Rivers produce many big wild barramundi.
The Ord’s Lake Kununurra is stocked and produces fat 120cm fish.
For a shot at trophy wild barramundi in Queensland, the Fitzroy River is the logical choice.
Also, try Gladstone’s Boyne River after the Lake Awoonga dam wall has breeched, as escaped fish spread throughout the river and into Gladstone Harbour.
See the Monduran monster here.
The Mt Isa region also produces some monsters … see a 2022 report here.
*Note that the biggest Tinaroo fish listed above was caught in winter, and Tinaroo is a high-country impoundment. While warm to hot weather is always best for barramundi, they can be caught in cool weather.
