Brunswick Heads and Byron Bay fishing spots
Most of this coast is Cape Byron Marine Park, so the zoning map decides where you can fish. The Brunswick River is the angling hub: its walls give mulloway, bream and tailor, the estuary flathead, trevally and jacks, with bass upstream. Byron's open beaches hold big tailor plus summer whiting and bream, and the reefs off Brunswick hold snapper and late-summer mackerel.
Updated
3 spots here: 2 fished from land and 1 reached only by boat, plus 3 public boat ramps. Seasons follow our NSW North Coast species list for New South Wales. Positions are a guide only, not for navigation.
Under each spot, "Forecast for this spot" opens the app's forecast worked out for that spot: Go, Marginal or No-go for each day of the week ahead, with the best times, wind, waves and tide. Open the forecast.
Spots at a glance
| Spot | Type | Fished from | Water | Marine park |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Crabbes Creek Beach | Beach | Land-based | Ocean coast | – |
| 2. Tallow Beach | Beach | Land-based | Ocean coast | Cape Byron Marine Park; no-take zone nearby |
| 3. Windarra Bank | Rocks | Boat | Offshore | – |
1. Crabbes Creek Beach
- Type
- Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
- Access
- Land-based. Walk-in beach reached from Crabbes Creek; quiet and unpatrolled.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: sand whiting, mulloway and dusky flathead. Also in season: yellowfin bream and tailor.
- Best tide
- Rising tide into high; dawn and dusk.
- Best wind
- Light westerlies. Faces E.
- Note
- Long, quiet surf beach north of the Brunswick: look for gutters near the creek mouth for whiting and bream; tailor run along it in the cooler months.
- Safety
- Unpatrolled with rips; mobile coverage can be patchy.
- Zone
- North of Cape Byron Marine Park, whose northern edge is at the Brunswick River Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au map (PDF).
- Map
- -28.48170, 153.55110 · Open in Google Maps (position: Crabbes Creek Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
2. Tallow Beach
- Type
- Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
- Access
- Land-based. Walk in from Cosy Corner at the north end or from Suffolk Park.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: sand whiting, mulloway and dusky flathead. Also in season: tailor and yellowfin bream.
- Best tide
- Rising tide for whiting and bream; tailor at first and last light.
- Best wind
- Light westerlies; it takes south-easterly swell head-on. Faces E.
- Note
- Long exposed beach in a habitat protection zone: line fishing is allowed, but release all sharks and rays. Tallow Creek is a special purpose zone with no fishing.
- Safety
- Unpatrolled with strong rips. Exposed to south-east swell.
- Zone
- No-take zone nearby. Beach is a habitat protection zone; Tallow Creek (special purpose) is closed to fishing; Broken Head sanctuary zone lies at the far south end and Cape Byron sanctuary waters at the north end Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au map (PDF).
- Map
- -28.68170, 153.61770 · Open in Google Maps (position: Tallow Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
3. Windarra Bank
- Type
- Rocks · offshore (boat)
- Access
- Boat. Boat from Brunswick Heads (bar crossing) or the Tweed.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: snapper. Also in season: yellowtail kingfish and mackerel tuna. Out of season now: Spanish mackerel and cobia.
- Best tide
- Around the tide changes for snapper.
- Best wind
- Calm seas and light winds only: it is well offshore.
- Note
- Offshore reef about 13 km out from the coast north of Brunswick: drift or anchor with berley for snapper, troll for mackerel and cobia in late summer and autumn.
- Safety
- Brunswick bar crossing on the way out. Well offshore: log on with Marine Rescue NSW.
- Zone
- Not in a marine park: north of Cape Byron Marine Park and about 7 nautical miles out, in Commonwealth waters with no Australian Marine Park Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au map (PDF).
- Map
- -28.45720, 153.69240 · Open in Google Maps (position: Windarra Bank, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
Boat ramps
3 public boat ramps are listed for Brunswick Heads and Byron Bay, with positions from Maritime NSW Boat Ramps. Lanes, parking and tide access are as the data says: check them on the day.
| Ramp | Notes | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Brunswick Heads boat ramp | Brunswick River. 2 lanes with pontoon; about 11-20 trailer parks; usable at all tides; fish-cleaning table; condition good (TfNSW). Marshalls Creek nearby is a sanctuary zone: no fishing in it. | -28.53397, 153.54414 Google Maps |
| Ferry Reserve ramp, Brunswick Heads | Brunswick River. 1 lane; about 21-50 trailer parks; usable at all tides; toilets, fish-cleaning table; fee payable; condition poor (TfNSW). | -28.53199, 153.53781 Google Maps |
| Heritage Park ramp, Mullumbimby | Brunswick River. 1 lane; about 3 trailer parks; shallow at low tide; condition poor (TfNSW). | -28.54744, 153.50186 Google Maps |
What's biting here in October?
In peak season at Brunswick Heads and Byron Bay in October: dusky flathead, sand whiting, mulloway, snapper and 2 more. Of the 29 species our NSW North Coast list has for this part of the coast, 6 peak in October 2026 and 18 more are in season.
Peak in October: dusky flathead, sand whiting, mulloway, snapper, sand and tiger flathead and Australian bass.
Also in season: yellowfin bream, tailor, yellowtail kingfish, mackerel tuna, tarwhine, luderick, rock blackfish, silver trevally, leatherjacket, eastern sea garfish, mud crab, blue swimmer crab, southern calamari, mangrove jack, Australian bonito, marlin, yellowfin tuna and school and eastern king prawns.
Out of season in October: Spanish mackerel (best Feb–May); cobia (best Feb–May); mahi mahi (best Dec–Apr).
Seen now and then, so not rated: Australian salmon and estuary perch.
Seasons are closure-aware: a species is never listed as in season, for the area or at a spot, while it is closed there; a closure for part of the area says where. Species links go to our South East Queensland species guides, with Queensland's limits: New South Wales' own size and bag limits are on the official rules page.
Can you fish here? Rules and safety
NSW Recreational Fishing Fee needed to fish NSW saltwater (incl. spearfishing, hand gathering, bait collecting, prawning): $7 3 days, $14 1 month, $35 1 year, $85 3 years (Oct 2026). Exempt: under 18, Aboriginal people, Pensioner Concession Card and DVA TPI/EDA Gold Card holders (other cases, e.g. some DVA payments or a charter or guide with an exemption certificate, are on the exemptions page). Interstate licences are not an exemption. Licence details. Size and bag limits and closed seasons apply: New South Wales' limits (checked 9 Oct 2026).
Rules at Brunswick Heads and Byron Bay
- Cape Byron Marine Park: no fishing or collecting in sanctuary zones, which include Julian Rocks, much of Byron Bay and Cape Byron, Broken Head, Lennox Point, and Marshalls and Simpsons creeks.
- In habitat protection zones only listed species may be taken (finfish and some invertebrates); all sharks and rays are protected.
- Belongil and Tallow creeks are special purpose zones closed to fishing without a Marine Parks permit; the Brunswick River boat harbour zone allows fishing.
- No crabbing in Marshalls or Simpsons creeks; no spearfishing in the Brunswick estuary or within 1 km either side of the mouth out to 400 m.
- Waters around Mackerel Boulder are closed to all fishing from 1 May to 31 December.
- Setlines, droplines and longlines are banned throughout the park.
Marine parks and no-take zones
The zone notes here name Cape Byron Marine Park. A no-take zone starts close to Tallow Beach: its zone note says where. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.
Safety at Brunswick Heads and Byron Bay
- The Brunswick River entrance is a designated coastal bar; marine park staff advise caution heading offshore from it.
- Byron beaches are exposed and mostly unpatrolled away from town; rips are strong.
New South Wales: official links
Read the official forecast and warnings in the Bureau of Meteorology's own words: NSW coastal and local waters forecast map and current warnings.
Boating: New South Wales boating safety, crossing coastal bars and lifejacket rules. Lifejackets: Boats <=4.8m: always on open waters and bars (L100+); enclosed waters when alone or at night. >4.8m: all wear L100+ crossing bars. Under-12s: always on <=4.8m; open areas <=8m underway.
Heading out on the water? Log on and off with Marine Rescue NSW. Log On when you head out and Log Off when you return. Call your Marine Rescue NSW base on VHF Channel 16 or use the free Marine Rescue NSW app. If you don't Log Off, volunteers start searching.
Marine parks and closed areas: NSW marine parks (Cape Byron, Solitary Islands, Port Stephens-Great Lakes, Jervis Bay, Batemans, Lord Howe Island), NSW aquatic reserves, Intertidal protected areas (Sydney) and Australian Marine Parks (Temperate East network, Lord Howe).
- Rock fishing lifejacket law: Lifejacket required by law when rock fishing in declared areas (Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016): Ballina, Central Coast, Kiama, Lake Macquarie, Northern Beaches, Port Stephens, Randwick, Richmond Valley, Sutherland, Wollongong. $100 fine. More.
New South Wales' official rules: size and bag limits and closed seasons and areas (checked 9 Oct 2026).
Emergency: 000 (112 from mobiles) · VHF channel 16 for distress.
Nearby fishing areas
- Tweed Heads and Kingscliff (about 32 km north)
- Ballina and the Richmond River (about 37 km south)
- Evans Head (about 67 km south)
- Yamba, Iluka and the Clarence River (about 100 km south)
Distances are between the middle of each area. Every area in New South Wales · all fishing spot guides.
Sources and checked dates
- Spot and ramp positions: Composite Gazetteer of Australia (Geoscience Australia and the state and territory naming authorities), CC BY 4.0, ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 (2021) (Australian Bureau of Statistics), CC BY 4.0 and Maritime NSW Boat Ramps (Transport for NSW), CC BY 4.0; gazetteer and ABS positions through our place index. Guide only, not for navigation.
- Spot research checked 9 Oct 2026 and fact-checked 9 Oct 2026; species seasons and rules checked 9 Oct 2026; safety links checked 9 Oct 2026. Text in our own words.
- Research sources: dpird.nsw.gov.au (DPIRD Cape Byron Marine Park recreational fishing page: Brunswick walls and estuary species, bar caution, spearfishing and crabbing closures, Mackerel Boulder closure, beach tailor); dpird.nsw.gov.au (Cape Byron Marine Park user guide (June 2018): zone types, species allowed in habitat protection zones, sharks and rays protected, special purpose zones); dpird.nsw.gov.au (Cape Byron Marine Park zoning map (Aug 2024)); dpird.nsw.gov.au (DPIRD zones page: species that may be taken in habitat protection zones); dpird.nsw.gov.au (DPIRD Tweed guide: Brunswick River spearfishing closure); nsw.gov.au (Designated NSW coastal bars on the north coast (Transport for NSW)); placenames.gov.au (Spot coordinates: the site place index (public/data/places), built from the Composite Gazetteer of Australia (Geoscience Australia and state naming authorities) and ABS ASGS 2021, CC BY 4.0); opendata.transport.nsw.gov.au (Boat ramp coordinates, lanes, parking, tide access and facilities: Maritime NSW Boat Ramps dataset (Transport for NSW, Creative Commons Attribution), metadata updated 3 Oct 2026); spatial.industry.nsw.gov.au (Zone check of every spot and ramp: NSW Marine Protected Areas zone polygons (DPIRD spatial service), distances computed 9 Oct 2026); gis.environment.gov.au (Australian Marine Parks zones (DCCEEW): offshore spots checked against every Commonwealth park zone, 9 Oct 2026).
- Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.