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

Closure dates for 2023:

• 12 October 2023 to 16 October 2023
• 10 November 2023 to 14 November 2023

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, 433KB)

East coast Spanish mackerel

The northern Spanish mackerel closure dates for 2022 are:

• 22 October 2022 to 12 November 2022
• 21 November 2022 to 12 December 2022

Northern closure dates will be adjusted in subsequent years to align 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).

The southern Spanish mackerel closure dates for 2023 are:

• 1 February 2023 to 21 February 2023
• 1 March 2023 to 21 March 2023

The southern closures apply to east coast waters south of latitude 22˚S (located slightly north of Stanage Bay, between Mackay and Yeppoon).

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