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Local's Tips
You'll find a fisher's paradise upstream in the Kolan River, at the overflow of freshwater from Monduran Dam. In the floods of the past few years, Barramundi washed over the dam wall and now inhabit the top freshwater sections of the river. There are days when it is nothing to catch 6-8 Barra in a morning session.
Geoff Beyer
Bundaberg Port Marina | Manager
Fishing Guide
The Mouth of the Burnett River
The mouth of the Burnett River is a haven for Mackerel and Tuna so drop some metal slugs, barra spoons or squid skirts and start catching. You can also try the north wall for Moses Perch, Bream, Flathead and Whiting.
Bundaberg Port
Try your luck and cast a line for the elusive Mangrove Jack, Barramundi and Fingermark.
Ferry Crossing
Catch a feast of mud crab and prawns at Rubyana Creek, or hunt for large Salmon, Trumpeter and Mangrove Jack.
Large Sandbar near the Red Beacon at Fairymead
Pack your yabby pump and pull up some live bait. Throw in your line and wheel in some flathead and whiting while the kids go for a swim. This is an ideal place to take the kids fishing for the first time.
Kirby’s Wall
Prawn, squid and soft plastics are a favourite for the locals swimming below the surface here. Fish along the large bank of rocks jutting out from the shoreline for a feed of Bream, Cod and Moses Perch.
Town Reach
A prime area for Trevally and Queenfish, Town Reach is best fished at the hightide mark. A hot water outlet behind Millaquin Mill where structures are riddled with oysters giving soft plastic anglers quite the challenge.
Tallon Bridge
One of the deepest holes in the river, so drop a line with live bait and lure in Salmon, Trumpeter, Bream, Cod and Flathead.
Toft Rocks
Best at high tide this stretch of rocks crossing almost halfway across the Burnett River. A popular spot to cast a line for Mangrove Jack, Bream, Trumpeter, Whiting and Flathead.
Splitters Creek
Splitters Creek is a mud crab and prawn haven, so throw out the cast net and put the pots in to catch a feed for tonight’s dinner.
The Bass to Barra Trail
If it's freshwater fishing heaven you're after, it's here on the Bass to Barra Trail. This is a fantastic freshwater fishing road trip with locations for both keen anglers and grey nomads looking to see just what the South Burnett, Biloela, Gladstone, Bundaberg, North Burnett and Fraser Coast regions have to offer.
As this trail winds its way through the country you will cover nearly 1000 kilometres kicking off in the South Burnett and looping in a semi-circle back to Hervey Bay.
Get angling for fishing's biggest prizes on this nine day freshwater hot-spot rail, bag a Barra, catch a Mangrove Jack or lure a Saratoga - once you're hooked you won't look back.
All this time in a car makes for good yarns and war story swapping around rigs, jigs and fingerlings and about braids and spools and schools and what you may (or may not have) caught.
Part of the Bass to Barra Trail are Lake Barambah (Bass and Yellowbelly); if the fish aren't biting catch Redclaw (Crayfish), Lake Boondooma, Lake Wuruma (bass, Yellowbelly and basic camping facilities) and Lake Cania (great fishing and lots for the family to do as well, including bush-walking in the gorge or just relaxing in either of the two campgrounds near the dam) adjacent to the Cania Gorge National Park.
Your journey of fishing paradise will lead you north to the majestic view that is Lake Callide (no camping facilities but Biloela is just a short 15 minute drive away) and then Lake Awoonga just outside of Gladstone. Lake Awoonga is the only spot on the trail that you don't need a stock impounding permit, so make sure if you are checking our any of the other destinations, get your licences in place.
Next stop is Lake Monduran, the largest of the destinations in the trail and also home to a world record Barra which weighed in at 44 kilograms! Our locals hot tip is that due to the efforts of Monduran Anglers and Stocking Association, this dam over the next few years will shine. Facilities at Monduran include cabins, guest houses, powered and unpowered camp sites and camp kitchens.
Lake Paradise and Lake Lenthall are the final two stops on the journey ending up in Hervey Bay. It is a very scenic dam to fish and both the Bass and Barra will respond to most types of lures and there are only unpowered campsites available at this location.
Most of the destinations on the trail have great camping, accommodation and other recreational facilities such as boardwalks, barbecues and picnic spots so be sure to make the most of the hours between sunrise and sunset.
There is a schedule of big fishing competitions mainly held in February to March and September to November annually so be sure to check in - you could be named the next big winner.
So if the lure of Bass and Barra is too much to take, may the fish be biting, may their weights and lengths be long and may you bag a big one on this fishing adventure trail.