TNQ Writer
The biggest fishing story of your life starts here in Tropical North Queensland.
It’s no surprise that Tropical North Queensland is considered one of the world’s greatest fishing destinations. From the hundreds of species of fish living in the pristine waters of the Great Barrier Reef to the inland rivers packed with Australia’s most iconic fish – the Barramundi – this is an angler’s paradise with plenty of chances to reel in a catch of a lifetime.
Dedicated local operators provide expert guidance and a range of world-class fishing experiences for both seasoned anglers and novices, all while preserving the delicate ecosystem. Their deep knowledge and connection to the region ensures each trip is not only thrilling but also respectful of the marine environments in this slice of paradise.
Group Charters
Cairns Reef Fishing
You’ll be hooked for life after a full day of deep-sea fishing with Cairns Reef Fishing.
Their fleet of modern vessels include a 42ft Randell, 28ft Randell and the latest edition, a 55ft Conquest, completely fitted with the latest in electronics, safety and fish finding equipment – over 2000 GPS fishing marks – to help you hook your dream fish.
Departing Cairns on a shared or private charter, the expert team will head to the open waters where the fish are diverse, the views are spectacular, and the air is filled with a sense of adventure.
On the line, some of most caught species include Coral Trout, Red Emperor, Spanish Mackerel, Large Mouth Nannygai and Trevally, and anglers may also encounter Spangled Emperor, Cod, Reef Jacks, Dolphin Fish, Sailfish, Wahoo, Marlin and Tuna.
After you’ve worked up an appetite, enjoy lunch in an undercover deck area or take a refreshing dip from the swim platform into the crystal-clear waters.
Fish Tale Charters
Choose your own adventure with Fish Tales Charters with guided fishing charters to three different locations from Cairns – Trinity Inlet for estuary fishing, Mulgrave and Russell Rivers & Mutchero Inlet for river fishing and fishing on the world famous Great Barrier Reef.
Each waterway is packed full of different varieties of fish, so whatever is on your bucket list, consider it covered.
The highlight for most visitors is where freshwater meets saltwater at the mouth as this is home to every anglers dream catch – the Barramundi – plus impressive stock of Fingermark, Mangrove Jack, Estuary Cod, Javelin Fish, Salmon, Queen Fish, Trevally, Bream and Mud Crabs.
Hosted by keen anglers and local Cairns duo, learn tips of the trade from correct handling to care for the fish species, as well as cooking tips.
Gone Fishing Cairns
In need of some reel therapy? Gone Fishing Cairns has the remedy, taking you on a fishing adventure through Trinity Inlet on a half or full day tour, suitable for everyone from novice to experienced anglers.
Locally owned and operated, your guide is your expert on live bait fishing, wildlife and ecosystem, and of course, where you’re destined to hook your dream catch – whether it’s famed coral trout, nannygai and Spanish mackerel or the elusive barramundi, blue salmon or mangrove jack.
Multi-Day Fishing Expeditions
Fishing
Tropical Sportfisher
Tropical Sportfisher are the experts in multi-day adventure fishing expeditions. Whether it’s the wide blue ocean or backcountry wilderness, there’s a tour with your name on it.
Venture out to far reaching corners of East Cape York and the Great Barrier Reef aboard Aroona, a 70ft luxury mothership with Tropical Sportfisher, for a seven night journey to tropical islands, sand cays, and coastal reefs.
By day, you’ll fish for up to 40 different species and by night, sit back and relax with onboard chef-made gourmet meals and luxurious suites.
Alternatively, if you want to feel you’re a contestant on ‘Alone’, choose Tropical Sportfisher’s Back Country Heli Tour.
After an incredible scenic flight to the Hinchinbrook’s back country, you’ll be dropped in the wilderness, challenged with hiking up rivers in search of your next fish on this last frontier experience.
This inland country offers the best lure and fly fishing the region has to offer. Not only fish, you’ll see local crocodile inhabitants, birdlife, dingoes and wild pigs roaming free.
The three-night outback camping adventure includes all meals, equipment and heli transfers – the main ingredients for a trip of a lifetime.
Tropical Sportfisher also off half and full day-chartered fishing tours, fly-fishing tours and wildlife encounters.
Indigenous Led
Yagurli Tours
Yagurli Tours
Walkabout Cultural Adventures, mud crab spearing
Walkabout Cultural Adventures, mud crab spearing
Walkabout Cultural Adventures
For a barefoot fishing experience of a different kind, Walkabout Cultural Adventures guided tours visit culturally significant areas and offer insight into the local Kuku Yalanji people of Northern Queensland and their traditional hunting practices.
Hosted by a local Aboriginal guide, the itinerary includes wandering the coastal habitats of the Daintree Rainforest with a spear in hand searching for mud crabs, mussels and periwinkles in the mangroves at low tide, and then cooking your findings alongside a delicious lunch.
Based in the Mossman area of the Daintree River, this small group intimate tour offers greater understanding of the cultural connection the local Aboriginal people have with their land, and a chance to learn about the plants, resources, bush food and medicines within nature.
Sample some bush tucker, collect shellfish and complete the adventure cool off in a pristine freshwater stream.
Yagurli Tours
Located on the Albert River in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Yagurli Tours in Burketown will leave you with an appreciation for traditional fishing practices and the cultural heritage associated with the local river systems.
Owned and operated by local Gangalidda and Garawa people, you’ll be guided to hot spots in search of prized tropical species including Barramundi and King Salmon.
On your guided boat tour, you’ll witness the natural beauty of the remote waterways, spot diverse native wildlife, including the dinosaurs of the north – Saltwater Crocodiles – and then throw a line in the iconic Gambumanda (Albert River) in the Barramundi capital of Australia.
Get ready for a fight on the line, as Barra up here will leap, dive and flip, making every catch an achievement.
Guaranteed Catch
Hook-A-Barra
Hook-A-Barra
Grab-A-Barra
Grab-A-Barra
Grab-A-Barra, cook your catch
Grab-A-Barra, cook your catch
Hook-A-Barra
The Barra are biting at Hook-A-Barra, a land-based fishing experience located at Daintree Saltwater Barramundi Farm near Port Douglas.
Guaranteed to secure you a catch on the day and suitable for beginners through to experienced anglers, an hour of catch-and-release Barramundi fishing will get your heart rate up. These are feisty fish with plenty of jumping, popping and kick flips to test your skills.
All the equipment is included, and the Hook-A-Barra team can give you all the tips and tricks to help you reel in a monster (some measure over the 1-meter mark).
When you’ve had your adrenaline rush, let the lure of freshly made Barra burgers guide you to the Big Barra Café on site.
Grab-A-Barra
Chase the legend underneath the water with the crew at Grab-A-Barra, a sustainable fish farm located in Cairns.
Catch and release your fishy friend, or opt for the BBQ package and cook up your catch right by the riverfront. Barramundi not your style? They also have mud crab fishing and cooking, so you can swap fins for claws.
Simply turn up and enjoy – all the equipment is included, expert guides are on hand to provide help and the experience operates rain or shine.
Self-Drive Fishing Adventures
Cairns Boat Hire, Fishing
Cairns Boat Hire, Fishing
Cairns Boat Hire, BBQ
Cairns Boat Hire, BBQ
Cairns Boat Hire
Life is better on a boat, and if you want to captain your own journey then the team at Cairns Boat Hire have the package for you – all without needing your own boat license.
Explore the wild side of the Cairns mangrove forests and numerous tributaries and reel in the local inhabitants of Barramundi, Mangrove Jack, Golden Snapper, Barred Grunter, Bream, Spotted Estuary Cod, Flathead and more. You know the fish are in abundance when there’s no shortage of saltwater crocs basking in the sun digesting their latest seafood meal.
Scale your boat size up to eight guests, and make a day of it by booking a gourmet BBQ pack to some snags and burgers while on the water. BYO fishing gear or add rods and fishing equipment to your day hire.
Cape York Jet Ski Tours
Turn your fishing trip into a thrilling jet ski adventure with Cape York Jet Ski Tours. As a First Nations family-owned business, you’ll explore Cape York Peninsula (Pajinka) and the Torres Strait Islands with local guides with expert knowledge on the land, sea and culture.
Zoom through iconic locations like Red Island, Parau Island, Roko Island, Peak Point, Possession Island and even The Tip, stopping along the way to cast your line and reel in the catch.
Wildlife Encounters
Daintree River Fishing & Photography Tours
Departing from Cape Tribulation, join local guide David Patterson from Daintree River Fishing & Photography Tours on a small group tour of the Daintree rivers to lure a fish, birdwatch or photograph the stunning nature and wildlife.
With all the high-quality gear included in your tour, expect to catch Barramundi, Mangrove Jack, Fingermark, Trevally and Mudcrabs. For an after dark experience, book a night tour and see the river environment under a starry sky.
Or go further afield with reef, wreck and open water tours in the search of Spanish Mackerel, Tuna, Coral Trout, Nannygai and Reef Sharks.
David has been fishing the waterways for over thirty years and has a tale of two of historic catches –his stories will have you on the line faster than the fish.
Heading Further Afield
Cooktown Barra Charters
Cape York Adventures
Cape York Adventures Fishing offers an unforgettable way to explore one of Australia’s most untouched and remote fishing destinations. Departing from Somerset Beach or Punsand Bay, you’ll explore these pristine waters targeting pelagic species such as Queenfish, Trevally, Mackerel, and Tuna. Opt for the Cook Your Catch tour, where you’ll head to Albany Island to savour the fresh taste of your own catch in paradise.
Roko Pearls and Fishing Charters
Explore one of the most beautiful fishing destinations with Roko Island Fishing, offering everything from chasing Spanish Mackerel in the sparkling blue waters to hooking Barramundi in the winding estuaries.
Based on Roko Island, their expert team can guide you across the Torres Strait islands and both the west and east coasts of Cape York. Explore every fishing ground imaginable: reefs, rocks, pressure edges, deep holes, and channels. Whether you prefer topwater fishing, jigging, trolling, or bottom fishing, you can fish to your style.
Cooktown Barra Charters
For those looking to experience the very best of Tropical North Queensland’s fishing scene, Cooktown is hard to beat. From the Annan River and Archer Point to the nearby reef systems, the variety of fishing spots means there’s a location to suit every style of fishing. Experience this diverse region with expert local guides from Cooktown Barra Charters or Gone Fishing Cooktown, and you’ll be sure to reel in an impressive catch.
The Lure Shop Cooktown
Not sure where to begin? The Lure Shop Cooktown has you covered with knowledgeable staff ready to supply not just the right gear, but also insider tips on the best fresh, estuary and bluewater fishing spots and conditions. The team knows all the local tour operators too, so give them a call and they’ll get you hooked up.
Start with Bait, End with a Plate
The Backyard, Shangri-la The Marina, Cairns
After a day on the water, you can take your freshly caught fish straight from the boat to the table, where talented chefs will cook your catch to perfection.
The Backyard at Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns
Located in the heart of Cairns, skilled chefs at The Backyard will prepare your fish just the way you like it: pan-fried, roasted, beer-battered, steamed or even sashimi style. With waterfront views and the freshest seafood possible, it’s the perfect reward for all your hard work.
Seabean, Port Douglas
At Seabean Tapas Bar, their chefs make the most of your catch, transforming it into four unique dishes for the ultimate ocean-to-plate dining experience. With a Mediterranean-inspired style that could give Barcelona a run for its money, Seabean’s share-friendly plates are made for savouring together.
