cairns fishing tours

• DIRECTORY: cairns fishing tours
• cairns big game fishing
• great barrier reef fishing
• cairns estuary fishing
• fresh water & barramundi fishing
• daintree, cape tribulation & cape york fishing
• cairns river fishing
• cairns fishing regulations

Enjoy one of nature’s best attractions when you go fishing in the Cairns region. There are a number of fantastic fishing opportunities in the Cairns region and Tropical North Queensland.

cairns big game fishing

If you are up for big game fishing, Cairns is the home of marlin fishing in Australia. There are a number of great charter companies that offer everything from a day on the ocean to week-long trips with a “mother ship” as luxurious as a five-star hotel.

From June to August, you can fish for black marlin and from September to the middle of December, go after the giant black marlin.

For some great information about the history of marlin fishing in the region and tips on the best spots, check out The Cairns Fishing Guide for more information.

great barrier reef fishing

Cairns is the hub of fishing on the Great Barrier Reef and the activity of reef fishing offers a certain attraction to visitors.

There are great-tasting fish to be caught including spanish mackerel, coral trout, red emperor and nannygai or sweetlip.

According to experts, the most effective way to catch reef fish is with heavy hand lines but rods and reels can also be used.

The Marlin Marina, at Pier Shopping, the Shangri-la Hotel and the Reef Fleet Terminal off the Cairns Esplanade, is full of boats for hire for fishing trips.

There are specialist marlin fishing boats during the season and also fishing tours up the river for some estuarine fishing.

cairns estuary fishing

Trinity Inlet, only five minutes by boat from the city centre, is the prime location for estuary fishing thanks to its more than 90km of meandering waterways.

This spectacular natural harbour, surrounded by luxuriant greenery, mountains and mangrove forest, is home to an immense variety of species. Catches in this area include the famous barramundi, mangrove jack, salmon grunter, fingermark, gold spot and trevally.

In order to protect its magnificent Cairns wildlife and mangrove forest, Trinity Inlet will be soon declared a State Marine Park.

If you keep your eyes open, you may even spot a saltwater croc sunbathing on a muddy bank. Trinity Inlet is also a fish nursery and a “Fish Habitat Reserve”, which is why so many young fish as well as prawns abound in these waters.

There is a wide array of fishing charters available and all are suitable for all the family as no experience is required.

Unlike other types of fishing, estuary fishing is not weather dependent. This means most Cairns fishing tours will run seven days a week.

King’s Point, just off Cairns Harbour, abounds in squid and is home to the big fingermark.

fresh water & barramundi fishing

For fresh water fishing, visitors can head to the Atherton Tableland and try their hand at Lake Tinaroo.

The annual Tableland Fish Stocking Barra Bash at Lake Tinaroo is a very popular event with over 1000 people taking part. Those involved catch up to 40 barramundi during the event. There are also organised barramundi fishing tours during the season.

daintree, cape tribulation & cape york fishing

There are also a number of fishing charters available from Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation and the Daintree that will travel up to Cape York.

Cape York is considered to be one of the best fishing areas in Australia with people travelling from around the world to enjoy the empty beaches and well-stocked rivers.

Most anglers will stock up in Cairns with all their gear before either joining a specialised tour or taking a self-drive trip up the Telegraph Road to get to the tip of the state.

If this is your first visit to the area an organised tour is recommended as the road conditions, even in the dry period from April onwards, are very rough. It also pays to have a guide who knows the best spots for the best catches.

>> See our 4WD section for more information on self-drive tours

Fish worth catching in the Cape York area include barramundi, mangrove jack, queenfish, trevally, mackerel and tuna.

There are a number of popular fishing spots including the Daintree River, only 100 kms north of Cairns, Cape Tribulation and Cooktown.

Other, harder to reach and less well-know areas are Princess Charlotte Bay, Lakefield National Park, Temple Bay, Shelburne Bay, and the Jackey Jackey located right at the tip of Australia.