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RIVER FISHING: 8 GREAT SPOTS TO FISH NEAR BUNDABERG 1. Burnett River The Burnett River begins at Burnett Heads and meanders its way through the countryside, passing the town of Bundaberg before heading inland. It offers a smorgasbord of fishing options and can be fished from Ben Anderson’s Barrage to its mouth at Burnett Heads. Popular Bundaberg fishing spots to try to include Skyringville, the North Wall, Kirby’s Wall, Strathdee’s Rocks, Splitter’s Creek, and the Town Reach. Bream, whiting, and barramundi can be caught throughout the year, and in colder months the river produces tailor and blue threadfin salmon. The mouth of the river is also a haven for tuna and mackerel, and the north wall for bream, whiting, flathead, and Moses perch. 2. Burrum River The Burrum River offers fantastic fishing and crabbing opportunities. Fish species commonly caught here include bream, black bream, whiting, estuary cod, and flathead. Mud crabs can be found all year long, while prawns, barramundi, and mangrove jack are usually seasonal. It’s easy to find the best spots — the main access point to the south is at Burrum Heads and from the Bundaberg side, Walker’s Point at Woodgate. When temperatures start to rise, keep your eyes peeled for both jacks and barra as they love warm water. 3. Kolan River There’s something for everyone at Kolan River, which is popular with local fishers as well as those who love boating and kayaking. The small mangrove-lined tributaries hide cod, mangrove jack, black bream, and mud crabs, while the broad, shallow sand flats offer whiting and flathead. 4. Elliot River The Elliot River is popular with both fishermen and swimmers and is a pristine waterway with crystal clear waters covering white sand in its lower reaches. The river has a healthy supply of whiting and flathead, and as you venture upstream, you can encounter mangrove jack, barramundi, cod, and lots of other estuarine species. The river also offers passage to the sea and is a popular launching spot for anglers wanting to fish the offshore artificial reefs located a few miles from the mouth of the river. 5. Baffle Creek As one of Queensland’s few remaining undisturbed coastal rivers, Baffle Creek is a pristine river system surrounded by rainforests and lots of wildlife. At 35 kilometers long, it’s bigger than any other estuary in Southeast Queensland and ideal for those who love boating, canoeing, and of course fishing! In terms of a possible catch, you’ll be spoilt for choice here. From tailor, queenfish, trevally, bream, salmon, and whiting to perch, flathead, barramundi, cod, and more! If you’re after bream, whiting, flathead, flounder, or sole, try the extensive sand flats. If you’re a barra chaser, check out the rocky areas down from the mouth of the river. 6. Pancake Creek and Middle Creek For years these creeks have been popular destinations for anglers in the Bundaberg area and beyond. At Pancake Creek, there are fantastic angling, spearfishing, and snorkeling opportunities. There are also endless opportunities for families, with a coral reef at the mouth of the creek. The oyster-encrusted rocks are bream magnets, but you can also catch tarwhine and flathead here. With favorable weather, consider fishing the rocks and headlands offshore that offer a variety of reef fish. To access Middle Creek, there is a ramp where you can launch a boat with a four-wheel-drive at all but low tide. A higher tide is needed at Pancake Creek to make the trip safely. Care should also be taken to avoid the rocks and shallow sandbars scattered throughout the entire system. 7. Lake Gregory Lake Gregory is one of two main freshwater reservoirs within an hour of Bundaberg and is surrounded by beautiful native trees and a shoreline filled with green lily pads. In terms of good fishing spots in Bundaberg, it is stocked with bass and saratoga, but before throwing in a line, you’ll need to pay a small fee for a compulsory license. These can be found at most of the region’s tackle shops. It is one of the healthiest bass systems in the area with great catch rates year-round—bass half a meter and larger are regularly caught. 8. Lake Monduran Located 20 kilometers north of Gin Gin, Lake Monduran covers over five thousand hectares and is home to catfish, bass, and some of the best barramundi fishing in Australia. In fact, it was the site of the 2010 world record barra catch—a monster that weighed over 44 kilos! Although the dam was devastated by flood events in 2011 and 2013, stocks are slowly being replenished, and anglers are now landing numerous (and sizeable!) fish in a session. Source: www.almactrailers.com.au/news/blog/river-fishing-great-sp...

Tin Can Bay, situated on the western shore of a mainland inlet south of Fraser Island, is 200 km north of central Brisbane. It is thought that the name came from the anglicization of tin-kun, an Aboriginal expression describing a narrow-leafed coastal vine, or of similar-sounding expressions meaning dugong, big fish, or mangroves. The protected shallows of the inlet were ideal for exploitation. Dugongs were hunted for their oil, and a dugong station was set up at the mouth of Kauri Creek (eight km north of the inlet) in the 1850s. Timber was rafted out for Maryborough sawmills, and oysters were cultivated and harvested at the mouth of Schnapper Creek, the waterway running through Tin Can Bay township. In 1922, after only a few humpies had been built at Schnapper Creek, township lots were put up for sale. They were bought mostly by residents of Gympie and Widgee Shires for holiday houses. In the 1930s, the cheap land and plentiful fishing attracted permanents affected by the economic Depression. A school was opened in 1934, and the town was known as Wallu until it reverted to Tin Can Bay in 1937. By the early 1950s the population had grown to about 240, with a wharf and fish market (1945). In 1957 a prawning ground was found, bringing in a trawling industry. Tin Can Bay became a fishing port and ultimately the boating and fishing resort it is today. A sealed access road, a hotel, and reticulated electricity followed in a few years. A new fish market was opened in 1971. Source: queenslandplaces.com.au/tin-can-bay#:~:text=By%20the%20ea....

Tin Can Bay is in Queensland, Australia. The most popular species caught here are Mangrove red snapper, Shovelnose guitarfish, and Surf bream. Source: fishbrain.com/fishing-waters/3Pvfo5_O/tin-can-bay

For those that don't know, Tin Can Bay is about 3 hours drive north of Brisbane and 50 minutes from Maryborough, nestled between Kauri Creek and Rainbow Beach. It is one of the last places where you can feed a wild dolphin or two. There seem to be yabbies to dig on most exposed banks at low tide. Good whiting and flathead would push up over there as the tide rises. There was a great sample of summer whiting, with a lot close to 30cm, along with some good pan-sized flathead. Bream and tarwhine were literally everywhere. Source: tackletactics.com.au/Species/Saltwater/Whiting/The-Tin-Ca...

Once upon a time, the mouth of the Wynnum Creek was a hub of activity. Back in the 1920 s and 1930s, it was the base of one of the biggest fishing fleets in Queensland. It's still a popular spot to launch boats to explore and fish in Moreton Bay, but the once busy fish market/fish and chip shop is now closed. Along the creek are abandoned fishing boats, but, there is often quite a bit of activity in the creek. Source: www.weekendnotes.com/wynnum-creek/

Main Aboriginal Camp of Wynnum, variously called Black’s Camp or Beach End. This was Camp was central to dugong and turtle hunts of the lower Moreton Bay, and annual excursions to St Helena Island to hunt flying fox and gather shellfish. It became an important fishing village in the 1860s, and the usual base for Aboriginal families moving back and forth between the Bayside and Stradbroke Island to access work and schooling. Residents would take European visitors on fishing and boating excursions from here. In 1884, the Aboriginal residents were attacked and assaulted by ruffians, and in 1888 a large fishing expedition was organized from here involving the Aboriginal residents. Over the 1890s there were complaints of drunkenness but also praise for the clean and industrious nature of the Camp. In 1900, King Sandy (Kerwalli) died here. The residents largely moved into housing in Wynnum between 1900 and 1920 – the area being offered to Council for park use in 1908. Source: mappingbrisbanehistory.com.au/history-location/wynnum-cam...