Brisbane’s winter weather is usually mild and perfect for fishing, and there are quite a few species available at this time.
Winter water tends to be reasonably clear in Moreton Bay, so fish light for success, and use fresh or live bait such as nippers or worms.
The clear water brings on great squid fishing under jetty lights at night.
Hardyheads (a baitfish) are about and make great fresh bait for tailor, flathead and bream.
Nippers can be pumped from mudflats and are ideal bait for whiting and bream.
Brisbane winter fish …
Garfish – best in winter. Can be caught from jetties, use berley.
Bream – bite well in winter in the river and along beaches and headlands, in canals and creeks.
Bass – these make their way from the fresh to the lower estuarine Brisbane River in winter. Not usually targeted.
Flathead – bite all year.
Grunter – bite well around Brisbane in winter.
School mackerel – caught in Moreton Bay in winter.
Sand whiting – can be caught in winter.
Diver whiting – these are a popular winter catch taken over Moreton Bay’s shallow weedbeds, often in big numbers. Boat needed. Float a bait out for the mackerel.
Mulloway – can fish well during winter in the river.
Pink snapper – caught from rock foreshores and jetties in winter, but better from a boat.
Threadfin salmon – these are caught in the river mouth and nearby estuaries in winter.
Tailor – all year.
Squid – these fish well around Brisbane in winter, try under jetty lights.
Also, Brisbane landbased fishing spots
Also, Gold Coast landbased fishing spots
Some ideas …
*Fish any Moreton Bay jetties at night for squid
*Big bream and small snapper off the Redcliffe Peninsula foreshores at night
*Threadfin salmon on livebait off Pinkenba rock walls
*Boat fishing for diver whiting while also fishing for school mackerel
*Berley for garfish off jetties or in a boat
*Lure fishing in canals and around foreshores, taking advantage of the clearer water
Further afield …
*Tailor in the surf beaches beyond the Gold Coast
*Tweed River bream
*Tweed River/Gold Coast luderick
*Pumicestone Passage bream, tailor and grunter
Here is a list of recommended tackle for SEQ waters.

Brisbane River tides at Breakfast Creek
QLD fishing regulations
QLD marine parks
Return to QLD fishing map
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