Laguna Bay and Noosa offshore fishing marks
4 places to fish in Laguna Bay and off Noosa: all reached only by boat. Each has the ramps a boat trip there leaves from, its tide place and what is in season in October.
Updated
Species seasons here follow our Noosa guide, which covers Noosa River, Lake Weyba/Cooroibah, Laguna Bay, Noosa Heads, Sunshine Beach and Noosa North Shore (Teewah) beach. Positions are a guide only, not for navigation.
See this week's fishing forecast for Laguna Bay: the app rates each day for small-boat fishing, with the best time of day, wind, tide and what to target.
Spots at a glance
| Spot | Type | Access | Sheltered in | Zone | Tide place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Laguna Bay (off Noosa Heads) | Boat area | Boat | Open water | Not in a marine park | Noosa Head |
| 2. Jew Shoal | Reef | Boat | Open water | Not in a marine park | Noosa Head |
| 3. FAD 20 Noosa | FAD (fish aggregating device) | Boat | Open water | Not in a marine park | Noosa Head |
| 4. FAD 9 Noosa | FAD (fish aggregating device) | Boat | Open water | Not in a marine park | Noosa Head |
1. Laguna Bay (off Noosa Heads)
Reached across the Noosa River bar, which breaks and shifts: check MSQ bar advice and conditions first.
- Type
- Boat area
- Access
- Boat; from Noosaville – Albert St ramp or Tewantin – Doonella St ramp, across the Noosa Bar; our forecast plans a 4-hour trip; about 0.6 nm offshore
- Best tide
- Any tide for mac tuna; change of tide for mulloway
- Best wind
- Open water: exposed to every wind
- Zone
- Not in a marine park (Fisheries rules still apply)
- Note
- Sheltered from the SE behind Noosa Head; snapper, sweetlip and pelagics in season. Access: Reached by crossing the Noosa River bar (dangerous; MSQ advises local knowledge).
- Map
- -26.37396, 153.09021 · Open in Google Maps
- Tide times here
- Noosa Head (MSQ predictions)
- Forecast
- Open in the forecast
2. Jew Shoal
- Type
- Reef
- Access
- Boat; from Noosaville – Albert St ramp or Tewantin – Doonella St ramp, across the Noosa Bar; our forecast plans a 4-hour trip; about 0.9 nm offshore
- Best tide
- Any tide for mac tuna; change of tide for mulloway
- Best wind
- Open water: exposed to every wind
- Zone
- Not in a marine park (Fisheries rules still apply)
- Note
- Shallow reef north of Noosa Head; snapper, mackerel and tuna in season. Access: Boat only.
- Map
- -26.36083, 153.11333 · Open in Google Maps
- Tide times here
- Noosa Head (MSQ predictions)
- Forecast
- Open in the forecast
3. FAD 20 Noosa
- Type
- FAD (fish aggregating device)
- Access
- Boat; from Noosaville – Albert St ramp or Tewantin – Doonella St ramp, across the Noosa Bar; our forecast plans a 6-hour trip; about 6.4 nm offshore
- What's good here
- No species in this area's guide is listed for this spot; see what is in season across the area below.
- Best tide
- No species listed here is in season this month
- Best wind
- Open water: exposed to every wind
- Zone
- Not in a marine park (Fisheries rules still apply)
- Note
- Surface fish aggregating device about 9 nm from Noosa; mahi mahi in summer. Access: Offshore boats only. Check it is deployed.
- Map
- -26.37833, 153.23833 · Open in Google Maps
- Tide times here
- Noosa Head (MSQ predictions)
- Forecast
- Open in the forecast
FADs move: check it's deployed on the qld.gov.au FAD list (list last updated 31 Aug 2026, checked 8 Oct 2026).
4. FAD 9 Noosa
- Type
- FAD (fish aggregating device)
- Access
- Boat; from Noosaville – Albert St ramp or Tewantin – Doonella St ramp, across the Noosa Bar; our forecast plans a 6-hour trip; about 13.4 nm offshore
- What's good here
- No species in this area's guide is listed for this spot; see what is in season across the area below.
- Best tide
- No species listed here is in season this month
- Best wind
- Open water: exposed to every wind
- Zone
- Not in a marine park (Fisheries rules still apply)
- Note
- Surface FAD about 14 nm from Noosa. Access: Offshore boats only.
- Map
- -26.25930, 153.32923 · Open in Google Maps
- Tide times here
- Noosa Head (MSQ predictions)
- Forecast
- Open in the forecast
FADs move: check it's deployed on the qld.gov.au FAD list (list last updated 31 Aug 2026, checked 8 Oct 2026).
Reefs and offshore marks
4 boat-only marks in Laguna Bay and off Noosa: Laguna Bay (off Noosa Heads), Jew Shoal, FAD 20 Noosa and FAD 9 Noosa. FAD 20 Noosa and FAD 9 Noosa are also on the FAD GPS marks page, with GPX and CSV downloads.
| Mark | Position (decimal, DMS, DDM) | Launch from | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Bay (off Noosa Heads) | -26.37396, 153.0902126°22′26″S 153°05′25″E26°22.438′S 153°05.413′E | From Noosaville – Albert St ramp or Tewantin – Doonella St ramp, across the Noosa Bar | Not in a marine park |
| Jew Shoal | -26.36083, 153.1133326°21′39″S 153°06′48″E26°21.650′S 153°06.800′E | From Noosaville – Albert St ramp or Tewantin – Doonella St ramp, across the Noosa Bar | Not in a marine park |
| FAD 20 Noosa | -26.37833, 153.2383326°22′42″S 153°14′18″E26°22.700′S 153°14.300′E | From Noosaville – Albert St ramp or Tewantin – Doonella St ramp, across the Noosa Bar | Not in a marine park; FAD: check it's deployed (list 31 Aug 2026) |
| FAD 9 Noosa | -26.25930, 153.3292326°15′33″S 153°19′45″E26°15.558′S 153°19.754′E | From Noosaville – Albert St ramp or Tewantin – Doonella St ramp, across the Noosa Bar | Not in a marine park; FAD: check it's deployed (list 31 Aug 2026) |
Positions are a guide only, not for navigation: check your chart and the official zoning maps.
What's biting here in October?
In season in Laguna Bay and off Noosa in October: mac tuna and mulloway. Of the 4 species in our Noosa guide that these spots reach, none peaks in October 2026 and 2 are in season.
Out of season in October: Spotted mackerel (best Mar–May); Longtail tuna (best Apr–Aug).
Every species and its size and bag limits: species guides. Seasons are closure-aware: a species in its closed season is never listed as in season, and its best months leave out any month with a closed day.
Species photos are used under Creative Commons or public-domain terms; see photo credits for each photographer and licence.
Can you fish here? Rules and safety
You don't need a licence to fish Queensland's tidal waters (licence rules), but size and possession limits and closed seasons apply.
Size and bag limits: Queensland tidal size and possession limits (our species guides were checked 8 Oct 2026). Fishing rules for South East Queensland.
Bars and open water
Trips to sea from here cross the Noosa Bar. MSQ: only experienced skippers with local knowledge should cross. Lifejackets must be worn crossing a designated bar in an open boat, or in an open area of any boat (the law since 1 Dec 2024, enforced from 1 Jul 2025; MSQ, checked 9 Oct 2026). We never call a crossing safe: check the conditions yourself.
Marine rescue
Log on and off with QF5 Noosa (Coast Guard) (ask the unit for log-on details). Emergency: 000 (112 from mobiles) · VHF 16 for distress (checked 8 Oct 2026).
Weather
Read the official forecast and warnings in the Bureau of Meteorology's own words: Sunshine Coast Waters forecast and Current warnings.
Other rules in parts of South East Queensland
Each rule's text says where it applies.
- White spot disease movement area (Caloundra to the NSW border, 100 m off Bribie, Moreton and Stradbroke, inland to Ipswich): prawns, saltwater yabbies, marine worms and other crustaceans must not leave it unless cooked; decontaminate gear and boats when leaving. Exempt: spanner, three-spotted, blue swimmer and mud crabs, bugs, lobsters, red claw. Never use raw supermarket prawns as bait. Official page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
- Prawn-farm channels: Biosecurity Area 2 near Logan-area prawn farms (e.g. Jacobs Well, Pimpama, Steiglitz, Woongoolba, Southern Moreton Bay Islands): no line fishing in farm intake/drainage channels or within 100 m of them; crab pots, cast nets and yabby pumps are allowed. Follow the signs. Official page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
- Bivalves: pipis only: Bivalves and gastropods are no take in Moreton Bay and all tidal waters flowing into it, except pipis (30). Official page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
- Coombabah Lake and Creek: Coombabah Lake and the tidal waters of Coombabah Creek upstream of the lake (Gold Coast): all fishing prohibited. Official page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
- Spearfishing: No spearfishing within 100 m of any public jetty from the Noosa River south; also banned in Lake Weyba/lower Noosa River, the lower Maroochy (incl. the Cod Hole), the Mooloolah below Nicklin Way, parts of Pumicestone Passage, Jumpinpin and the Southport Broadwater/Seaway (south of 27°42′S), Tallebudgera Creek and the artificial reef off Cowan Cowan. Official page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
- Lota–Wynnum worm digging: No worm digging on the Wynnum foreshore (Lota Creek to the Wynnum North Esplanade groyne); hand pumps only in Fish Habitat Areas. Official page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
- NSW waters: South of Point Danger (Tweed, Kingscliff, Cook Island) is NSW: NSW rules apply and a NSW recreational fishing licence is required (not covered here). Official page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
Nearby fishing areas
- Noosa River and Noosa Heads (about 12 km south-west)
- Mooloolaba, Maroochydore and Coolum (about 36 km south)
- Mooloolaba and Caloundra offshore (about 36 km south)
- Caloundra and Pumicestone Passage (about 53 km south)
Distances are between the middle of each area's spots.
Sources and checked dates
- Place names and positions: Queensland place names gazetteer, © State of Queensland (Department of Resources), CC BY 4.0
- FAD positions: qld.gov.au FAD list, © State of Queensland, CC BY 4.0
- Marine park zones: Moreton Bay Marine Park zoning, © State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Science) 2021, CC BY 4.0, simplified; guide only, not for navigation (zones checked 8 Oct 2026).
- Spot data checked 8 Oct 2026; area details checked 8 Oct 2026; bars checked 8 Oct 2026; marine rescue units checked 8 Oct 2026.
- Species seasons: our South East Queensland guide (Noosa), rules checked 8 Oct 2026. Tide places name the Maritime Safety Queensland predictions each spot uses (CC BY 4.0).
- Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.