Redcliffe Peninsula, QLD

Fishing Redcliffe Peninsula

Top 10 Species

Landbased

• Woody Point Jetty: This iconic jetty performs exceptionally well two hours after low tide in the evening, particularly for bream, flounder, and flathead, with occasional snapper and mackerel adding excitement. Anglers use light weighted soft plastics or fresh baits like peeled prawns and squid strips near the pylons to trigger strikes. Dolphins, dugongs, and turtles are frequent visitors here, adding to the local experience. Yellow zone: up to 2 rods or handlines and 2 hooks per person, and up to 4 crab pots.
• Redcliffe Jetty: Located at Captain Cook Park, this incredibly popular pier stretches deep into the bay where schooling squire, bream, and flathead hold. Casting micro jigs or unweighted baits at sunset and sunrise is a prime tactic for catching snapper and the occasional pelagic. Fish cleaning benches are conveniently installed along the length of the jetty for anglers to prep their catch.
• Scarborough Spit: The sand flats and rocky shoreline at the northern tip of the peninsula are a premier land-based playground for targeting flathead, whiting, and bream. Wading these shallows on a rising tide while casting small hardbodies or surface walk-the-dog lures is highly effective. The nearby weed lines also produce excellent numbers of tiger squid on light egi gear during high water.
• Ted Smout Memorial Bridge: The rocky edges and mudflats adjacent to the southern entry bridge hold vast schools of flathead, bream, and tailor. Fishing the run-out tide with soft plastic paddle tails or fresh drifted baits near the bridge support pillars is a highly productive tactic. Strong tidal currents sweep through this channel, meaning heavier jig heads or sinkers are required to stay in the strike zone.
• Pelican Park Flathead Flats: This shallow sand and weed flat on the southern side of the peninsula is a hotspot for wading anglers chasing big dusky flathead on shallow-running lures. Work the area during the first three hours of the run-out tide, casting soft plastic grubs or swimbaits over the draining sand bars. The muddy pockets and seagrass zones here also host abundant populations of mud crabs and sand crabs. Yellow zone: up to 2 rods or handlines and 2 hooks per person, and up to 4 crab pots.

Offshore

• Scarborough Reef: This shallow, fringing rock and coral reef system is a magnet for squire, grassy sweetlip, and bream. Anglers must navigate carefully in shallow water, casting unweighted baits or light-gauge soft plastics during low-light hours at dawn and dusk. Working the reef edge with a stealthy approach on a rising tide is critical to avoid spoofing the feeding fish. Rules check: this reef is in a yellow zone (Castlereagh Point–North Reef conservation park zone). You can use up to 2 lines with 2 hooks in total per person. Check the Qld Marine Parks app before you go.
• Turner Artificial Reef: Located roughly one nautical mile east of Scarborough in six meters of water, this artificial habitat features concrete reef modules holding outstanding fish. It is a premier location for targeting quality snapper, sweetlip, and school mackerel. Anglers use micro-jigs, soft plastics, or unweighted baits drifted down through the water column on light spin gear to secure a feed.
• Shield Street Reef: This shallow rock strip just off Redcliffe, north of the jetty, holds excellent numbers of big bream, flathead, and squire. Anglers focus on casting shallow-running hardbodies or light soft plastics over the structure during the high tide. Using a kayak or small tinny to quietly drift over the structure at first light produces the most consistent catches. Rules check: this reef is in the Redcliffe habitat protection zone. Normal bag and size limits apply.
• Scotts Point Ledges: Closed to fishing. The water off Scotts Point, east and south of the point toward Woody Point, is a green zone (MNP12). No fishing, crabbing or bait collecting there. Fish north of the point toward Margate instead, or Woody Point Jetty to the west (yellow zone: 2 rods and 2 hooks each). Check the Qld Marine Parks app before you go.
• Woody Point Reef: A shallow rocky reef on the southern side of the peninsula, outside the Scotts Point green zone, that holds good snapper and bream in the cooler months. Anglers target this reef during night sessions using unweighted fresh squid or mullet strips to bypass the smaller bait thieves. Stealth is paramount here, as the water is shallow and sound transfers quickly through the rocky bottom. Zone check: the reef is yellow zone, so up to 2 rods or handlines and 2 hooks per person. The water off the tip of Scotts Point is a green zone (no fishing), so stay outside it and check the Qld Marine Parks app before you go.

Hot Spots

• Newport Cannals: Artificial canal system offering deep pontoon edges and concrete bridge pylons holding aggressive summer mangrove jack, estuary cod, and Yellowfin Bream.
• Scarborough Boat Harbor: Secure marina breakwaters and pylons holding yellowfin bream, flathead, and highly popular winter squid grounds under lights.
• Scarborough Foreshore: Shallow rubble reefs and weed beds produce quality shallow-water snapper, Tailor, Yellowfin Bream and Dusky Flathead.
• Redcliffe Foreshore: Sandy beach popular for, tailor, whiting, and flathead on a rising tide.
• Margate Foreshore: Shallow sand beach and rock bars perfect for targeting high-quality sand whiting and flathead on a rising tide.
• Scotts Point: Rocky point with bream, squid and snapper. Green zone warning: the water off Scotts Point is a green zone (MNP12). It covers the water east and south of the point, along the shore toward Woody Point, out about 1 to 1.5 km. No fishing, crabbing or bait collecting there. You can fish the water north of the point toward Margate, and Woody Point Jetty just to the west (yellow zone: 2 rods and 2 hooks each). Check the Qld Marine Parks app before you go.
• Hays Inlet: Mangrove creeks and gutters with flathead, whiting and mud crabs. Zone check: the top end of Hays Inlet (around Saltwater Creek) and the mangroves along the western shore down to Freshwater Creek are a green zone, so no fishing or crabbing there. The rest of the inlet is a yellow zone: up to 2 rods or handlines and 2 hooks each, and up to 4 crab pots. Check the Qld Marine Parks app before you go.

Local Bait Tips

• Mud Worms: A highly effective bait for whiting and bream, mud worms can be dug from the thick, soft intertidal mud and clay beds around Woody Point at low tide. They are highly sought after by local whiting and bream specialists and must be kept moist on damp newspaper.
• Rock Worms: These can be gathered by digging into the coarse sand between rocks and in the clay material at various rocky locations around Redcliffe and Scarborough. They are exceptionally hardy and highly prized as local whiting bait.
• Squid: Squid can be caught using squid jigs. They are highly productive during the winter months on dark nights around the Redcliffe Jetty, or on dark, moonless winter nights under portable spotlights along the northern rock wall of the Scarborough Marina.
• Prawns: Live prawns can be gathered by using a cast net in the accessible foreshore areas around the peninsula. They make an exceptional live bait option for targeting flathead, mangrove jack, and estuary cod.

Boat Ramps

• Coast Guard Boat Ramp Scarborough:

  Situated next to the Redcliffe Coast Guard headquarters off Bird Opassage Parade in Scarborough, this excellent four-lane concrete ramp features a wide central pontoon and temporary mooring.

• Scarborough Boat Harbour Ramp:

  Located at the end of Thurecht Parade in Scarborough, this major four-lane concrete ramp is highly protected inside the marina and features a central floating walkway and adjacent concrete pontoon.

• Queens Beach Boat Ramp:

  Located on Flinders Parade opposite Griffith Road in Scarborough, this dual-lane concrete ramp offers reliable access to Moreton Bay with a fish cleaning station and adequate lighting.

• Mabel Street Boat Ramp, Margate:

  Located at Mabel Street in Margate, this concrete launching ramp provides beach access.

• Woody Point Boat Ramp:

  Located at the southern end of Oxley avenue in Woody Point, this concrete ramp provides convenient launching into Bramble Bay and is highly popular for local tinnies.

• Pelican Park Boat Ramp Clontarf:

  Located at Pelican Park on the Hornibrook Esplanade in Clontarf, this single-lane concrete ramp provides direct access to Bramble Bay and Hays Inlet with nearby public toilets and a wide sandy rigging beach.

Bait and Tackle

• Hornibrook Bait & Tackle: 146 Hornibrook Esplanade, Clontarf QLD 4019 | Phone: 0483 846 966
• Rod Design Quality Bait & Tackle: Palmtree Avenue, Scarborough QLD 4020 | Phone: 0429 344 070
• Boat Harbour Marine: 3/28 Thurecht Parade, Scarborough QLD 4020 | Phone: (07) 3880 0111
• BCF Rothwell: 757 Deception Bay Road, Rothwell QLD 4022 | Phone: (07) 3204 9075
• 7-Eleven Clontarf: 9 Elizabeth Avenue, Clontarf QLD 4019 | Phone: (07) 3889 3644

Basecamp & Accom

• Oaks Redcliffe Mon Komo Suites: 99 Marine Parade, Redcliffe QLD 4020 | Phone: (07) 3284 6520
• The Sebel Brisbane Margate Beach: 1 Margate Parade, Margate QLD 4019 | Phone: (07) 3448 3448
• Scarborough Holiday Village: 2 Reef Point Esplanade, Scarborough QLD 4020 | Phone: (07) 3203 8864
• Bells Caravan Park: 39 Thompson Crescent, Clontarf QLD 4019 | Phone: (07) 3283 2317
• Redcliffe Showgrounds Camping: Scarborough Road, Redcliffe QLD 4020 | Phone: (07) 3284 5387

Emergency & Safety

• Coast Guard Redcliffe QF3: 2 Thurecht Pde, Scarborough QLD 4020 | Radio: VHF 16, 67, 73 | Phone: (07) 3203 5522 | Emergency: VHF 16 or 000