Turkey Beach, Queensland

Turkey Beach is a small holiday community east-south-east of Gladstone, next to a large estuary called Rodd’s Harbour, into which Oyster Creek and Oakey Creek flow.

Immediately to the west of Turkey Beach is the Seven Mile Creek estuary. To the east is Pancake Creek. These estuaries are large systems, and subject to large tides.

The estuaries around Rodd’s Harbour are accessible by trailerboat from Gladstone in good weather (about 22nm), but it is safer to tow a boat in by road.

Offshore from Rodd’s Peninsula, the outermost of the exposed rocks off Clew Point is one of the East Coast’s great spanish mackerel hotspots in winter.

Big threadfin salmon are a highlight in the estuaries, along with mud crabs, bream, fingermark, mangrove jacks and some barramundi.

Spotted and grey mackerel come into the bays in season, usually about August.

Reef fish are caught in close over scattered reef and coral.

Yabbies (nippers) are plentiful and are the best bait for whiting on the flats and tuskfish on the reefs.

Boaters can launch at Turkey Beach township’s concrete ramp, or at the Pancake Creek causeway, which requires plenty of tide.

Both ramps are affected by tidal currents and some boaters launch to the side of the Turkey Beach ramp.

At Pancake Creek, the whiting and flathead fishing can be exceptional. Pancake Creek is also an excellent anchorage.

There is a firm landing on Sandy Creek, about 12km south-west of Turkey Beach, where boats can be launched on the upper tide.

The landing turn-off is just past a quarry about along Turkey Beach Road, called Dyckhoffs Road but only signposted for Jinkies Landing. Leave gates as you find them. Camping is not allowed.

GPS marks in WGS84

Ethel Rocks, off north side of Rodds Peninsula
23 58.117S
151 37.403E

Ethel Wide
23 57.524S
151 37.916E

Outer Rocks, off Bustard head
23 58.633S
151 46.572E

Middle Rocks, off Bustard head
23 59.668S
151 46.517E

Jansen Rock, navigation hazard outside mouth of Pancake Creek
24 00.202S
151 43.320E

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fish finder book

Turkey Beach tides
QLD fishing regulations
QLD marine parks
GBRMPA marine parks
QLD stocked waters
QLD dam levels

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