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Fishing spots in the Northern Territory

Where to fish in the Northern Territory, area by area from Darwin Harbour to Gove: 6 area guides with 43 spots and 15 boat ramps. Each guide lists its spots with access, best tide and wind, safety and zone notes, its boat ramps, what is biting in October and the local rules.

Updated

Every area guide lists each spot with the same details, so you can compare them: what it is and how you get there, what's good there this month, the best tide and wind we could confirm, safety and marine park notes, and a link to the forecast for that spot.

Top End (Darwin-Kakadu)

  • Darwin Harbour and the city fishing spots

    10 spots, 6 boat ramps: Stokes Hill Wharf, East Point and Nightcliff jetty and more. Peak in October: golden snapper, barramundi and mangrove jack.

  • Shoal Bay and Buffalo Creek fishing spots

    8 spots, 4 boat ramps: Casuarina Beach, Lee Point and Buffalo Creek and more. Peak in October: barramundi, mangrove jack and golden snapper.

  • Bynoe Harbour and Dundee fishing spots

    8 spots, 3 boat ramps: Crab Claw Island, Bynoe Harbour main channel and Milne Inlet and more. Peak in October: golden snapper, barramundi and black jewfish.

  • Mary River and Shady Camp fishing spots

    6 spots, 1 boat ramp: Shady Camp (barrage and billabong), Sampan Creek and Tommycut Creek and more. Peak in October: barramundi, black jewfish and mangrove jack.

  • Daly River fishing spots

    5 spots, 1 boat ramp: Daly River below the crossing, Browns Creek and Lower Daly (Moon Billabong outlet to the mouth) and more. Peak in October: barramundi, golden snapper and black jewfish.

Arnhem Land & NT Gulf

  • Gove (Nhulunbuy) fishing spots

    6 spots: Town Beach (Gadalathami), Rainbow Cliffs (Banambarrnga) and Melville Bay and more. Peak in October: golden snapper, Spanish mackerel and coral trout.

Rules, licence and safety in the Northern Territory

No recreational fishing licence or fee for anyone in NT waters (checked 9 Oct 2026). Separate permits may be needed to enter Aboriginal land or intertidal waters over it. Licence details.

Rules for particular waters

Northern Territory: official links

Read the official forecast and warnings in the Bureau of Meteorology's own words: NT coastal and local waters forecast map and current warnings.

Boating: Northern Territory boating safety and lifejacket rules. Lifejackets: Carry one approved PFD for each person on board in all waters. The NT minimum safety equipment table sets no general wear rule; wearing one is strongly advised.

Heading out on the water? Log on and off with Coast Radio Darwin (VKD 999).

Marine parks and closed areas: NT fishing rules for specific areas (aquatic life reserves, Kakadu), Reef fish protection areas, Fishing on Aboriginal land (intertidal waters, permits), Garig Gunak Barlu National Park / Cobourg Marine Park, Kakadu National Park (Parks Australia) and Australian Marine Parks (North network).

  • Crocodiles: Saltwater crocodiles live in NT rivers, estuaries and the sea. Be Crocwise. More.
  • Box jellyfish: Stinger season is 1 Oct to 1 Jun, but stings have been recorded in every month. More.

Northern Territory's official rules: size and bag limits, closed seasons and areas and freshwater rules (checked 9 Oct 2026).

Emergency: 000 (112 from mobiles) · VHF channel 16 for distress.

More fishing spot guides

All fishing spot guides, including South East Queensland's areas. Other states: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.

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 and ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 (2021) (Australian Bureau of Statistics), CC BY 4.0. Spot research checked 9 Oct 2026 and fact-checked 9 Oct 2026; rules checked 9 Oct 2026; safety links checked 9 Oct 2026. Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.