Cairns and Trinity Inlet fishing spots

Cairns sits on Trinity Inlet, a net-free estuary of channels, creeks and flats known for barramundi, mangrove jack, fingermark and threadfin. The Barron River and the northern beaches add rock walls, creek mouths and the Palm Cove jetty, and the reef is a short run offshore. Jacks and barra peak in the warm months; trevally, queenfish and grunter in the cooler months.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

9 spots here: 7 fished from land and 2 reached only by boat or kayak, plus 6 public boat ramps. Seasons follow our Cairns & Far North species list for Queensland. 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

9 spots: Cairns and Trinity Inlet
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Trinity Inlet	Estuary	Boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–
2. Admiralty Island creeks	Estuary	Boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
3. Cairns Esplanade & hospital flats	Flats	Land-based and boat	Bay, estuary or river	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
4. Barron River mouth	River	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
5. Machans Beach rock wall	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
6. Holloways Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
7. Yorkeys Knob headland	Headland	Land-based and boat	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
8. Trinity Beach headland	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
9. Palm Cove jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park

1. Trinity Inlet

Type: Estuary · bay, estuary or river
Access: Boat and kayak. Ramps at Tingira and Fearnley streets, Portsmith.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, mangrove jack, golden snapper, king threadfin, javelin / grunter and mud crab. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: Run-in and the first of the run-out.
Best wind: Sheltered from most winds.
Note: Deep dredged channel, wrecks and mangrove creeks. Fish the channel edges for fingermark and salmon; cast at snags in the creeks for jacks.
Safety: Shipping and ferry traffic in the channel. Crocodiles: keep hands and legs inside the boat and never clean fish at the ramp.
Zone: No zone is mapped at this point (port or estuary waters); the nearest mapped zone, about 250 m away, is a state estuarine conservation zone: line fishing, crabbing and bait netting allowed. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.92640, 145.78310 · Open in Google Maps (position: Trinity Inlet, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Admiralty Island creeks

Type: Estuary · bay, estuary or river
Access: Boat and kayak. Boat from Tingira Street, a short run up the inlet.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, mangrove jack, golden snapper, estuary cod, javelin / grunter and mud crab. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: Run-out at drains; rock bars on the turn.
Best wind: Sheltered.
Note: Maze of creeks around Admiralty Island. Estuarine conservation zone: line fishing and crabbing are allowed. Small lures at snags for jacks and cod.
Safety: Crocodiles: keep hands and legs inside the boat and never clean fish at the ramp.
Zone: In a state estuarine conservation zone: line fishing, crabbing and bait netting allowed. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.96440, 145.77860 · Open in Google Maps (position: Admiralty Island, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Cairns Esplanade & hospital flats

Type: Flats · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based and boat. Esplanade rock walls near Cairns Hospital; boats over the flats at night.
What's good here: Peak in October: king threadfin, javelin / grunter, barramundi and queenfish. Also in season: blue threadfin. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January). Also: yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Last two hours of the run-in.
Best wind: SW to W; open to strong N.
Note: Mud flats along the Esplanade. Salmon, grunter and barra move up onto the flats with the tide; fish from the rock walls or drift the edges at night.
Safety: Never walk out on the mud flats. Crocodile country: stand well back from the edge, never wade, and clean fish away from the water.
Zone: In a general use (light blue) zone: normal fishing rules. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.90070, 145.78300 · Open in Google Maps (position: Cairns Harbour, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Barron River mouth

Type: River · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. Machans Beach (Barron River Esplanade) and Stratford ramps.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, king threadfin, trevally, queenfish and mangrove jack. Also in season: blue threadfin. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: Run-out at the mouth; the run-in on the delta flats.
Best wind: Light winds; the mouth is open to NE.
Note: Delta mouth just north of the airport. Big barra, salmon and GTs at the mouth; jacks under the mangrove banks. Estuarine conservation zone: line fishing allowed.
Safety: Shallow, shifting bar at the mouth. Crocodile country: stand well back from the edge, never wade, and clean fish away from the water.
Zone: In a state estuarine conservation zone: line fishing, crabbing and bait netting allowed. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.86330, 145.76110 · Open in Google Maps (position: Barron River, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Machans Beach rock wall

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Machans Beach esplanade; parking near the rock wall.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, king threadfin, whiting and dusky flathead. Also in season: blue threadfin. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: Run-out after rain; run-in for whiting.
Best wind: W to SW (offshore). Faces NE.
Note: Rock wall and beach beside the Barron mouth. After heavy rain, salmon and barra hunt bait flushed out of the river; cast live or fresh bait near the wall.
Safety: Crocodile country: stand well back from the edge, never wade, and clean fish away from the water. Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Oct/Nov to May; wear a stinger suit if you wade or swim.
Zone: The water off this spot is a general use (light blue) zone: normal fishing rules. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.85100, 145.75000 · Open in Google Maps (position: Machans Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Holloways Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Beachfront parking; Acacia Street ramp on Richters Creek.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, whiting, dusky flathead and javelin / grunter. Also in season: blue threadfin. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: Run-out at the creek mouth.
Best wind: W to SW (offshore). Faces ENE.
Note: Beach fed by Richters and Thomatis creeks. Salmon and barra at the creek mouths after rain; whiting on the sand.
Safety: Crocodile country: stand well back from the edge, never wade, and clean fish away from the water. Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Oct/Nov to May; wear a stinger suit if you wade or swim.
Zone: The water off this spot is a general use (light blue) zone: normal fishing rules. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.83610, 145.73940 · Open in Google Maps (position: Holloways Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

7. Yorkeys Knob headland

Type: Headland · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based and boat. Yorkeys Knob; Half Moon Bay marina and ramp nearby.
What's good here: Peak in October: trevally, queenfish and golden snapper. Also in season: school mackerel. Now and then: tiger squid.
Best tide: Tide changes off the point.
Best wind: S to SW; exposed to N. Faces NE.
Note: Rocky headland between Half Moon Bay and Yorkeys Knob beach. Cast metals and plastics for trevally and queenies; the Moon River mouth is close by.
Safety: Slippery rocks. Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Oct/Nov to May; wear a stinger suit if you wade or swim. Crocodile country: stand well back from the edge, never wade, and clean fish away from the water.
Zone: The water off this spot is a general use (light blue) zone: normal fishing rules. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.80030, 145.72050 · Open in Google Maps (position: Yorkeys Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

8. Trinity Beach headland

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Beachfront esplanade at Trinity Beach; walk to the southern headland.
What's good here: Peak in October: whiting, trevally, queenfish and dusky flathead. Also: yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Run-in into the gutter at the southern end.
Best wind: S to SW. Faces NE.
Note: The rocky headland at the southern end makes a deep gutter that holds whiting and bream; trevally hunt along the rocks early and late.
Safety: Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Oct/Nov to May; wear a stinger suit if you wade or swim. Crocodile country: stand well back from the edge, never wade, and clean fish away from the water.
Zone: In a general use (light blue) zone: normal fishing rules. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.78510, 145.70000 · Open in Google Maps (position: Trinity Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

9. Palm Cove jetty

Type: Jetty · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Cedar Road, Palm Cove; short walk from parking.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, mangrove jack, queenfish, trevally and whiting. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January). Now and then: tiger squid.
Best tide: Run-in and high tide around the pylons.
Best wind: W to SW (offshore); SE side-on. Faces ENE.
Note: Council jetty at the north end of Palm Cove. Predators use the pylons as cover; fish live bait or soft plastics close to the structure at dawn and dusk.
Safety: Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Oct/Nov to May; wear a stinger suit if you wade or swim. Crocodile country: stand well back from the edge, never wade, and clean fish away from the water.
Zone: In a habitat protection (dark blue) zone: normal fishing rules. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.73996, 145.67341 · Open in Google Maps (position: Jetty (unnamed in dataset), Built features - Queensland series (Marine infrastructure lines))
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

Boat ramps

6 public boat ramps are listed for Cairns and Trinity Inlet, with positions from Built features - Queensland series (Marine infrastructure lines). Lanes, parking and tide access are as the data says: check them on the day.

Boat ramps: Cairns and Trinity Inlet
Ramp	Notes	Position
Tingira Street boat ramp (Portsmith)	Two double-lane ramps with walkway and pontoon on Smiths Creek (TMR CN22), plus a fishing platform. Main city ramp.	-16.95272, 145.77361 Google Maps
Stratford boat ramp (Greenbank Road)	Double-lane ramp and floating walkway on the Barron River (TMR MG51).	-16.86969, 145.73628 Google Maps
Machans Beach boat ramp (Barron River Esplanade)	Single ramp close to the Barron mouth (TMR MG52). Shallow at low tide.	-16.86041, 145.74548 Google Maps
Holloways Beach boat ramp (Acacia Street)	Single ramp on Richters Creek (TMR MG81); tide dependent.	-16.83225, 145.73742 Google Maps
Yorkeys Knob boat ramp (Buckley Street)	Multi-lane ramp with walkway at Half Moon Bay marina (TMR MG91); the newer lanes opened in 2023.	-16.80134, 145.71511 Google Maps
Trinity Park boat ramp (Schooner Road)	Double-lane ramp and walkway at Bluewater marina on the Moon River (TMR MG80).	-16.80151, 145.70708 Google Maps

What's biting here in October?

In peak season at Cairns and Trinity Inlet in October: barramundi, queenfish, king threadfin, mangrove jack and 12 more. Of the 30 species our Cairns & Far North list has for this part of the coast, 16 peak in October 2026 and 4 more are in season.

Peak in October: barramundi, queenfish, king threadfin, mangrove jack, javelin / grunter, whiting, trevally, golden snapper, dusky flathead, mud crab, estuary cod, black jewfish, cobia, grey mackerel, grass sweetlip and marlin and sailfish.

Also in season: blue threadfin, school mackerel, spotted mackerel and longtail tuna.

In closed season now (no take): Spanish mackerel (8 October to 29 October 2026); coral trout (8 October to 12 October 2026); red emperor (8 October to 12 October 2026); nannygai (8 October to 12 October 2026); spangled emperor (8 October to 12 October 2026); redthroat emperor (8 October to 12 October 2026); tuskfish (8 October to 12 October 2026).

Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January); black jewfish (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).

Out of season in October: banana prawns (best Feb–May).

Seen now and then, so not rated: tiger squid, blue swimmer crab and redthroat emperor.

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: Queensland's own size and bag limits are on the official rules page.

Can you fish here? Rules and safety

No licence or fee for recreational fishing in Queensland tidal waters, including the Gulf and Torres Strait (as at 9 Oct 2026). Licence details. Size and bag limits and closed seasons apply: Queensland's limits (checked 9 Oct 2026).

Rules at Cairns and Trinity Inlet

Barramundi closed season on the east coast: no take from 1 Nov to 31 Jan (min 58 cm, max 120 cm otherwise).
Coral reef fin fish (trout, cods, emperors, tropical snappers, tuskfish, sweetlips) closed 8-12 Oct and 6-10 Nov 2026.
Spanish mackerel north of 22S: no take 8-29 Oct and 6-27 Nov 2026.
Black jewfish on the east coast: closed 1 Nov-31 Jan; otherwise min 75 cm, 2 per person.
Great Barrier Reef zoning applies to every saltwater spot here: green, pink and orange (scientific research) zones are no-fishing; yellow zones allow 1 rod or line with 1 hook per person.
Closed waters (no fishing): Centenary Lakes and the parts of Saltwater and Lily creeks joining them, between Greenslopes Street and Collins Avenue; the Barron River at Barron Waters (between its Stony Creek and Camp Oven Creek junctions); Mission Bay south of the Cape Grafton-False Cape line.
Trinity Inlet, the Barron and the Mulgrave-Russell have state estuarine conservation zones: line fishing, crabbing and bait netting are allowed.

Marine parks and no-take zones

The zone notes here name Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at Cairns and Trinity Inlet

Cairns is crocodile country: stay back from the water, never clean fish at ramps.
Stinger season roughly October/November to May.
The inlet and port are busy with ships, ferries and reef boats.
Crocodile country: saltwater crocodiles live in rivers, estuaries, beaches and around islands here. Stay well back from the water's edge, never clean fish at the water, and don't stand on logs or overhanging banks. More.
Marine stingers (box jellyfish and irukandji) can be in these waters, mostly in the warmer months: cover up if you wade or swim, and carry vinegar. More.

Queensland: official links

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

Boating: Queensland boating safety, crossing coastal bars and lifejacket rules. Lifejackets: Must wear: crossing a designated bar in an open boat or open area (any length); open boat <4.8m underway alone or at night; children 1-11 in open boat/area underway. AS 4758 only.

Heading out on the water? Log on and off with Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ). Until MRQ is fully operational, log on with your local marine rescue unit by boat radio or by phoning the unit. Channels and hours differ by unit.

Marine parks and closed areas: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Commonwealth) - GBRMPA zoning maps, GBRMPA - interpreting zones, Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park (State) and all Qld state marine parks, Moreton Bay Marine Park - app and maps, Great Sandy Marine Park - app and maps and Australian Marine Parks (Commonwealth waters, e.g. Coral Sea).

Help on the water (non-emergency): MRQ unit pages list 131 MRQ (131 677). More.

Queensland's 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

Port Douglas and Daintree (about 64 km north-west)
Mission Beach (about 114 km south)
Hinchinbrook Channel and Cardwell (about 157 km south)
Cooktown and the Endeavour River (about 171 km north)

Distances are between the middle of each area. Every area in Queensland · 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 Built features - Queensland series (Marine infrastructure lines) (State of Queensland), 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: tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au (Tourism Tropical North Queensland fishing guide: Trinity Inlet, Barron, Machans and Holloways, Palm Cove jetty, ramp list); publications.qld.gov.au (Cairns ramp names and facility IDs (CN/MG codes)); queensland.com (Esplanade flats: last two hours of the run-in, night salmon and barra); qld.gov.au (Size, bag and Gulf vs east coast limits (via the repo species file, checked 9 Oct 2026)); dpi.qld.gov.au (Barramundi, coral reef fin fish, Spanish mackerel and black jewfish closed seasons); dpi.qld.gov.au (Closed waters (no fishing / no spearfishing) by region); qld.gov.au (Crocodile habitat and safety); qld.gov.au (Marine stinger safety); gbrmpa.gov.au (Official GBR Marine Park zoning maps); gbrmpa.gov.au (What each GBR zone allows (line fishing, yellow-zone limits, crabbing, spearfishing)); legislation.qld.gov.au (Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park zoning plan: estuarine conservation zone allows line fishing, trapping and netting); maps.eatlas.org.au (GBRMPA zoning polygons (layer ea:GBR_GBRMPA_Zoning-2003) used to test every coordinate); spatial-gis.information.qld.gov.au (Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park zone polygons (QSpatial layer 63) used to test every coordinate); data.qld.gov.au (Marine infrastructure lines (boat ramps, jetties), CC BY 4.0, for ramp and jetty coordinates); publications.qld.gov.au (TMR boating infrastructure plans: official ramp names and facility IDs).
Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.