Cairns Catch CheckHOOKED IN THE TROPICS

FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND / TIDAL WATERS

Can I keep this catch?

Check size limits, possession and closures for fish, crabs and prawns. Look up the rules for your cast net or crab pots.

Official closure dates

01 / LOOKUP

Find your catch

    02 / SPECIES RULES

    Spanish mackerel

      03 / CATCH CHECK

      Check this catch

      For a whole fish caught by recreational line fishing in tidal Cairns or east-coast FNQ.

      Cairns zoning map (PDF) ↗ Closed tidal waters ↗

      04 / FISHING GEAR

      Crabbing & cast-netting

      Check the gear and your exact spot before setting a pot or throwing a net in tidal Cairns and east-coast FNQ.

      Crab pots & dillies

      • Up to 4 pots and dillies combined per person, including gear carried on a boat in the water. Inverted dillies (witches hats) and crab hooks are prohibited.
      • Label each pot or dilly with your surname and full address, clearly visible and legible in English. Rope it to a visible, solid, light-coloured float at least 15 cm in every dimension marked with your surname, or tie it to a fixed object above high water and tag the rope above the high-water mark with your surname.
      • Sort the crabs at each pot and release undersized and no-take crabs before moving on.

      Cast nets

      • In tidal waters, the net can be up to 3.7 m with mesh up to 28 mm. Cast nets are prohibited in fresh water.
      • Measure from the rope attachment to the leadline or the bottom of the lowest pocket, whichever is farther. A net must leave at least half the waterway or channel passable.
      • Check the size, possession and closure rules for what’s in the net, including fish you keep for bait.

      Check the exact spot

      In the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, bait netting and recreational crab trapping are generally allowed in light-blue, dark-blue and yellow zones. Special rules can apply. Green zones are no-take.

      Check local closures too, including the closed parts of Mission Bay and the Barron River, and the Centenary Lakes closure in Cairns.

      Queensland gear rules ↗ Reef Marine Park gear and zones ↗ Cairns zoning map (PDF) ↗ Closed tidal waters ↗

      FIELD REFERENCES

      Official sources

      Rules checked 9 November 2026. Trip dates use Queensland time and the published closure calendars. The species rules are a dated snapshot.

      Tidal size and possession limits ↗Queensland Government Closed seasons in tidal waters ↗Queensland Department of Primary Industries Great Barrier Reef zoning maps ↗Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Closed tidal waters ↗Queensland Department of Primary Industries Protected and no-take species ↗Queensland Government Crab pots, nets and other fishing gear ↗Queensland Government Recreational fishing in Reef Marine Park zones ↗Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority How to measure your catch ↗Queensland Government Fish identification guide ↗Queensland Government Marine Park protected species ↗Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Fisheries Declaration 2019 ↗Queensland Legislation