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.

Indicative closure dates for 2023–2028:

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

• 30 September to 4 October 2024
• 29 October to 2 November 2024

• 18 to 22 October 2025
• 17 to 21 November 2025

• 8 to 12 October 2026
• 6 to 10 November 2026

• 26 to 30 October 2027
• 25 to 29 November 2027

• 15 to 19 October 2028
• 13 to 17 November 2028

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

Northern Spanish mackerel closed seasons

Indicative dates for 2023–2028:

• 12 October to 2 November 2023
• 10 November to 1 December 2023

• 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).

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