Unveiling the Hidden Gems: The Five Best Lure Fishing Spots in Moreton Bay

Moreton Bay, situated along the southeastern coast of Queensland, Australia, is a haven for fishing enthusiasts seeking to experience the thrill of battling a variety of sport and table. Known for its diverse ecosystem and abundant marine life, lure fishing in Moreton Bay offers a plethora of opportunities for anglers of all skill levels. In this article, we delve into the five best fishing spots in Moreton Bay, where anglers can enjoy bountiful catches and create unforgettable memories.

Note that there are a number of green zones in Moreton Bay, so please familiarise yourself before hitting the water.

Five Moreton Bay Fishing Spots

Amity Point, North Stradbroke Island

Amity Point on North Stradbroke Island is a Moreton Bay fishing paradise, drawing land-based and boating anglers from near and far. Renowned for its crystal-clear waters and abundant fish population, this spot is ideal for both seasoned anglers and beginners. Amity Point’s jetty provides easy access to productive fishing grounds, where you can catch a variety of species including bream, whiting, tailor, flathead, and even the occasional spotted mackerel or longtail tuna. The rock walls can produce the same species, plus grass sweetlip and occassional kingfish. Arrow and tiger squid are also a viable target from the jetty and rock walls. The stunning island backdrop adds to the charm of this serene fishing location.

Peel Island

Situated in the southern part of Moreton Bay, Peel Island is easily accessible by small boat from Wellington Point or Raby Bay when conditions are favourable. This does make it a very popular destination and heavy boat traffic on long weekends and holidays can make the fishing a little tough. With its well-preserved marine habitats, rocky outcrops and seagrass beds an array of species such as snapper, cod, sweetlip, and trevally are on offer, with jewfish, spotted mackerel, whiting and even the occassional coral trout showing up in the right places.

Rous Channel

Rous Channel, located between Moreton and North Stradbroke Islands, is a go-to destination for anglers seeking larger game fish. This deep-water passage is frequented by schools of pelagic species like school and spotted mackerel, longtail tuna and cobia. The current rips through this area, but on smaller tides or around the turn it’s a great place to fish for jewfish, snapper and a range of reef species. Moving up onto amity banks and around the weedbeds will reward anglers with whiting and very large tiger squid.

Artificial Reefs

There are eight artificial reef structures specifically designated for fishing in Moreton Bay. These are

 easy to find and attract a wide variety of marine life, making them excellent fishing spots for those new to the area. A quick check of the Qld Parks website will provide GPS marks for these structures. They’re often teeming with fish like snapper, sweetlip, and coral trout, with mackerel, kingfish, cobia and longtail tuna often moving through as they follow bait schools. It’s worth doing some research as the currents can be extremely strong on many of these systems, which may dictate when or how you fish them.

Pearl Channel

Situated at the northern end of Moreton Bay, Pearl Channel is a deepwater passage flanked by sand banks and patches of fringing reef. It’s a prime place to target pelagics such as school and spotted mackerel as well as kingfish. Working the tides will also produce demersal species such as snapper and large estuary cod, whilst the banks can produce whiting and bream at times.

Moreton Bay Fishing By Season

Spring

Those fishing in Moreton Bay during spring months might notice water temperatures beginning to rise as the East Australian Current strengthens offshore of the Bay. Early in the season the usual winter species, such as snapper and sweetlip are still on the chew, but as the season progresses the pelagic species start to move in. Captures of spotted mackerel, cobia and longtail tuna increase throughout the bay.

Summer

The summer months are when most of the rain falls in this part of the world, so the western side of the bay is frequently blighted by dirty water as the rivers are in full flow. This pushes the bait to the western side of the bay and the deeper channels, reef structures, ledges and dropoffs. Pelagic species such as yellowtail kingfish, spotted mackerel, longtail and mack tuna, plus cobia come into the bay to feed on the prolific bait at these times and the action can be frantic.

Autumn

The transition from summer to autumn sees many of the pelagics leave the bay system as the water cools in late April or into May. A few cobia will stick around (usually the bigger specimens), but the reef fish such as snapper become more commonplace. Squid, tailor and jewfish will become more prevalent as the winter approaches.

Winter

The winter months usually produce a run of school mackerel, snapper and assorted reef species. The dry, cool weather often results in clear water, which favours a run of tiger squid. 

ALF Episodes About Fishing Moreton Bay