Closed seasons - tidal waters
Australian bass
All Queensland tidal waters: Australian bass closed season – 1 June to 31 August
Barramundi
Queensland east coast: barramundi closed season – 1 November to 31 January
Gulf of Carpentaria: barramundi closed season – 7 October to 31 January
You can’t target barramundi for catch and release during these closed seasons, as the stress of capture may prevent a fish from spawning.
Coral reef fin fish
Two five-day coral reef fin fish closed seasons in October and November each year.
Dates for 2024–2025:
- 30 September to 4 October 2024
- 29 October to 2 November 2024
- 18 to 22 October 2025
- 17 to 21 November 2025
Closed seasons apply in tidal waters from the northern tip of Cape York along latitude 10°41' south to:
- longitude 145° east
- latitude 13° south, longitude 145° east
- latitude 15° south, longitude 146° east
- latitude 17°30' south, longitude 147° east
- latitude 21° south, longitude 152°55' east
- latitude 24°30' south, longitude 154° east
- latitude 24°50' south, longitude 154° east
- along latitude 24°50' south to the mainland shore
- along the shore to the northern tip of Cape York at latitude 10°41' south.
Map of coral reef fin fish closures for Queensland (PDF, 442.6KB)
East coast Spanish mackerel
Northern Spanish mackerel closed seasons
Dates for 2024–2025:
- 30 September to 21 October 2024
- 29 October to 19 November 2024
- 18 October to 8 November 2025
- 17 November to 8 December 2025
Northern closure dates are aligned with new moon periods.
The northern closures apply to east coast waters north of latitude 22˚S (located slightly north of Stanage Bay, between Mackay and Yeppoon).
Southern Spanish mackerel closed seasons
The southern Spanish mackerel closed seasons are:
- 1 to 21 February
- 1 to 21 March
The southern closures apply each year to east coast waters south of latitude 22˚S (located slightly north of Stanage Bay, between Mackay and Yeppoon).
© Queensland Government
Snapper and pearl perch
All Queensland tidal waters: snapper and pearl perch closed season – 15 July to 15 August
Spanner crab
All Queensland tidal waters: spanner crab closed season – 1 November to 15 December
Tropical rocklobster
Queensland east coast north of latitude 14º S and Gulf of Carpentaria waters: tropical rocklobster closed season – 1 October to 31 December