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Bag and size limits - fresh waters
Changes to recreational and commercial fishing rules including bag and size limits come into effect from 1 March 2009
On this page:
- Size, take and possession limits- fresh waters
- Why do we have size limits?
- Why do we have bag limits?
Size, take and possession limits - fresh waters
The following legal limits apply to fish taken in Queensland waters. A take and possession limit is the total number of fish a person may take or possess at any one time.
| Species | Legal size (cm) | Take and possession limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian bass* | 30 min | 2 | |
| Australian lungfish | No take | ||
| Barramundi* | |||
| East coast | 58 min 120 max (1 greater than 120 cm from some dams) | 5 (1 during closed season for some dams) | |
| Gulf of Carpentaria | 60 min 120 max (1 greater than 120 cm from some dams) | 5 (1 during closed season for some dams) | |
| Cherabins | No limit | Combined limit of 10 in total of both species: Macrobrachium lar and M. rosenbergii | |
| Cod | |||
| Bloomfield River cod | No take | ||
| Mary River cod - Upstream of the walls of Cressbrook, Hinze, Maroon, Moogerah, North Pine, Somerset and Wivenhoe Dams and Lakes Dyer (Bill Gunn Dam) and Clarendon | 50 min | 1 | |
| Mary River cod - Elsewhere in Queensland | No take | ||
| Murray cod* (Queensland part of Murray-Darling Drainage Division) | 60 min 110 max | 2 | |
| Eels | |||
| Longfin | 30 min | Combined limit | |
| Pacific shortfin (south Pacific) | 30 min | of 10 in total | |
| Southern shortfin | 30 min | of all species | |
| Freshwater catfish (eel-tailed catfish) (Tandanus tandanus) | 35 min | Combined limit of 5 in total of fish in the genera Neosilurus, Tandanus and Neosiluroides (e.g. black, Cooper Creek, eel-tailed, false spine, shortfinned catfish and Hyrtl’s tandan) | |
| Catfish eel-tailed (Tandanus tandanus) |
35 min | Combined limit of 5 in total for fish in the genera Neosilurus, Tandanus and Neosiluroides (e.g. black, Cooper Creek, eel-tailed, false spine, short-finned catfish and Hyrtl’s tandan) | |
| Freshwater sawfish | No take | ||
| Garfish | No limit | 50 | |
| Mangrove jack | 35 min | 5 | |
| Molluscs any- excluding oysters |
No limit | 50 | |
| Perch and grunter | |||
| Golden perch (yellowbelly) |
30 min | 10 | |
| Jungle perch | 35 max | Combined limit of 1 in total of jungle perch and spotted flagtail | |
| Spotted flagtail (northern jungle perch) | 35 max | Combined limit of 1 in total of jungle perch and spotted flagtail | |
| Silver perch | 30 min | Combined limit of 5 in total for silver perch, Welch’s grunter and Barcoo grunter. Silver perch in Paroo and Warrego River basins are catch and release only | |
| Barcoo grunter | 30 min | Combined limit of 5 in total for silver perch, Welch's grunter and Barcoo grunter | |
| Welch’s grunter | 30 min | Combined limit of 5 in total for silver perch, Welch's grunter and Barcoo grunter | |
| Sooty grunter | 28 min | Combined limit of 10 in total for sooty grunter and khaki grunter | |
| Khaki grunter | No limit | Combined limit of 10 in total for sooty grunter and khaki grunter | |
| Rainbow fish (Melanotaenia sp.) |
No limit | Combined limit of 50 (banded, blackbanded, chequered, crimsonspotted, desert, eastern, Lake Eacham, McCulloch’s and Murray River rainbow fish) | |
| Redclaw crayfish in its natural range | |||
| (Gulf of Carpentaria Drainage Division and from the Jacky Jacky River basin south to the Normanby River basin on the east coast of Queensland) | No limit | 40 (females carrying eggs or young must be returned to the water within their natural range) | |
| River blackfish | No take | ||
| Saratoga | |||
| Northern | 50 min | Combined limit of 1 in total of northern and southern saratoga | |
| Southern | 50 min | Combined limit of 1 in total of northern and southern saratoga | |
| Sea mullet | 30 min | 20 | |
| Spiny crayfish | No take | ||
| Yabby (freshwater blueclaw crayfish) | No limit | 100 (females carrying eggs or young must be returned to the water within their natural range) | |
*A closed season applies to these species. Please see Closed seasons - fresh waters for more information.
| The following freshwater species have a take and possession limit of 20 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggassiz’s glassfish (perchlet) | Aru gudgeon | Australian smelt | Banded grunter | Blackmast (strawman) | |
| Blue catfish | Bony bream | Boofhead catfish | Cairns rainbowfish | Celebes flathead goby | |
| Coal grunter | Concave flathead goby | Delicate blue-eye | Desert goby | Elongate glassfish | |
| Empire gudgeon | Fimbriate gudgeon | Firetail gudgeon | Flagtail gudgeon | Flathead gudgeon | |
| Flyspecked hardyhead | Freshwater longtom | Gilbert’s grunter | Golden flathead goby | Golden goby (dwarf goby) | |
| Highfin catfish (Berney's catfish) | Lake’s carp gudgeon | Leathery grunter | Lorentz's grunter | Macleay's glassfish | |
| Marjorie’s hardyhead | Midgley’s carp gudgeon | Mueller’s glassfish | Mulgrave goby | Northern purplespotted gudgeon (trout gudgeon) | |
| Obbes’ catfish | Ornate rainbowfish | Pacific blue-eye | Penny fish | Poreless gudgeon | |
| Rendahl’s catfish | Roman nose goby | Sailfin glassfish (sailfin perchlet) | Scaleless goby | Sevenspot archer fish (common archer fish) | |
| Silver catfish (silver tandan) | Silver cobbler (shovel nosed catfish) | Sleepy cod | Small headed grunter | Snakehead gudgeon | |
| Southern purplespotted gudgeon | Spangled perch | Speckled goby | Spotted blue-eye | Square blotch goby | |
| Striped gudgeon | Tank goby | Threadfin rainbow fish | Western carp gudgeon | ||
No-take species
- Australian lungfish
- Bloomfield River cod
- Freshwater sawfish
- River blackfish
- Spiny crayfish
- Mary River cod - no take except upstream of some dams
Why do we have size limits?
In Queensland, there are limits on the size of fish that can be legally taken for many species. There are minimum size limits and also some maximum size limits.
Size limits are typically based on biological research into each species’ reproductive cycles. Minimum size limits generally allow fish to spawn at least once and contribute to the population before they are taken.
However, in some species larger individuals contribute more to the population, which is why maximum size limits apply. For example, most barramundi begin their lives as males and later, as they grow larger, become females. A maximum size limit is applied to protect large females and to allow them to spawn.
Why do we have bag limits?
A bag limit is the number of fish that one person can legally take and keep. These limits serve several purposes. They:
- conserve heavily exploited species
- conserve species that are susceptible to capture
- share the catch more equitably among anglers
- reduce the illegal marketing of fish
- send out a message promoting ethical and responsible behaviour when using a limited natural resource.
Resources
-
Table of size, take and possession limits (PDF, 223 kB)
Includes the size, take and possession limits for both fresh and tidal waters.
Related information
Author: Peter Tanner
Page maintained by Julie Van Melzen
Last updated 28 November 2006