Fishing from Gold Coast Beaches

Most people already know that the Gold Coast is an incredibly beautiful place, but this wonderful area is also becoming quite well known as a fantastic place to fish. There is a huge variety of fishing to be enjoyed on the Gold Coast, from off-shore charters to countless creeks and estuaries, while one of the more popular options being fishing from the Gold Coast’s gorgeous beaches. The following is a brief guide to everything you will need to know to have you set up on a beautiful beach reeling in those great catches on the Gold Coast.

Where to stay on the Gold Coast

Being such a small area, you are almost always close to great beach fishing here, with Gold Coast apartments, hotels, and hostels mere metres from the sand. If you are coming from out of town be sure to make your bookings well in advance, because if you leave it too late you might just find all the Gold Coast accommodation options packed.

Getting geared up

If you are a first-time fisherperson or were just not able to bring your own gear with you, never fear, as there are a number of great local businesses up here that will have you all geared up and down at the beach fishing in no time at all. Apart from the dedicated fishing shops, one of which is now 24 hours, most camping stores also carry fishing gear, so you have no worries getting anything you want or need while here.

Where can you fish

Beach fishing is allowed on all Gold Coast beaches, but obviously not in between the red and yellow surf lifesaving flags that mark out designated swimming areas. Otherwise, you are free to fish anywhere you’d like along the beach, and often around dawn and dusk there will be dozens of fishermen and women stretched out along the various Gold Coast shorelines. If you end up going further south and cross into NSW to fish, you will need to purchase a NSW fishing license to be able to fish there legally. If you stay on the Queensland side though, it is totally free.

Where are the best spots?

As any good angler knows, the best spots to fish can change a lot depending on the time of day or season, so your best bet is to check out some of the fishing blogs before you come. The following two spots are always worth a cast or two as well.

• Kirra Reef

This great spot just down from Snapper Rocks is the perfect place to fish for tailor and jewfish, as they are often found near the gutter close to shore. The reefs are also packed full of bait fish all year round, making Kirra a popular spot among the local fishing community.

• The Tweed area

Some extremely rewarding fishing can be found where the Tweed River meets the sea, which is just around from Snapper Rocks near Point Danger and Duranbah. Both the north and south walls of the river offer fantastic opportunities to catch trevally, jewfish, flathead and bream, making this some of the best fishing in the area. Just up from here, you can fish from the pylons near the sand-pumping station, and often catch decent dart, tailor and whiting, as well as flathead and bream.