Closed seasons in tidal waters

Australian bass

• Where: All Queensland tidal waters.
• When: 1 June to 31 August each year.

Barramundi

Queensland east coast:

• 1 November to 31 January

Gulf of Carpentaria:

• 7 October to 31 January

Coral reef fin fish

Two 5-day coral reef fin fish closed seasons are in October and November each year.

When

2024 closure:

• 30 September to 4 October 2024
• 29 October to 2 November 2024.

2025 closure:

• 18 to 22 October 2025
• 17 to 21 November 2025.

2026 closure:

• 8 to 12 October 2026
• 6 to 10 November 2026.

2027 closure:

• 26 to 30 October 2027
• 25 to 29 November 2027.

2028 closure:

• 15 to 19 October 2028
• 13 to 17 November 2028.

2029 closure:

• 5 to 9 October 2029
• 3 to 7 November 2029.

2030 closure:

• 24 to 28 October 2030
• 22 to 26 November 2030.

2031 closure:

• 13 to 17 October 2031
• 12 to 16 November 2031.

2032 closure:

• 1 to 5 October 2032
• 31 October to 4 November 2032.

2033 closure:

• 20 to 24 October 2033
• 19 to 23 November 2033.

Where

Map of coral reef fin fish closures for Queensland (PDF, 443KB)

Tidal waters from the northern tip of Cape York along latitude 10°41' south to:

• longitude 145° east
• latitude 13° south, longitude 145° east
• latitude 15° south, longitude 146° east
• latitude 17°30' south, longitude 147° east
• latitude 21° south, longitude 152°55' east
• latitude 24°30' south, longitude 154° east
• latitude 24°50' south, longitude 154° east
• along latitude 24°50' south to the mainland shore
• along the shore to the northern tip of Cape York at latitude 10°41' south.

Snapper and pearl perch

• Where: East coast tidal waters.
• When: 15 July to 15 August each year.

Spanish mackerel

Northern closed seasons

The northern closures apply to east coast waters north of latitude 22˚S (located slightly north of Stanage Bay, between Mackay and Yeppoon).

Northern closure dates are aligned with new moon periods.

2024:

• 30 September to 21 October 2024
• 29 October to 19 November 2024.

2025:

• 18 October to 8 November 2025
• 17 November to 8 December 2025.

Southern closed seasons

The southern closures apply each year to east coast waters south of latitude 22˚S (located slightly north of Stanage Bay, between Mackay and Yeppoon).

The annual southern Spanish mackerel closed seasons are:

• 1 to 21 February
• 1 to 21 March.

Locations

Spanner crab

Where

Tidal waters of spanner crab managed areas A and B.

Spanner crab managed area A consists of tidal waters south of latitude 23º south and east of longitude 151º45' east.

Spanner crab managed area B consists of the following tidal waters:

• waters north of spanner crab managed area A and east of longitude 142º31'49" east
• waters north of latitude 10º48' south and between longitude 141º20' east and longitude 142º31'49" east
• waters in the Gulf of Carpentaria between the 25th mile line and the shore of the mainland, south of latitude 10º48' south.

When

1 November to 15 December each year.

Tropical rocklobster

• Where: Queensland east coast north of latitude 14º S and Gulf of Carpentaria waters.
• When: 1 October to 31 December each year.