Port Douglas and Daintree fishing spots

Around Port Douglas the fishing ranges from rock and wharf spots at Dickson Inlet and Flagstaff Hill to the flats at Cooya Beach, the rock groyne at Rocky Point and long beaches up to Wonga. The Daintree and Mossman rivers hold barramundi, jacks and trevally, and the reef is close offshore. Much of the coast here is yellow zone, with green zones around Low Isles and parts of the Daintree.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

9 spots here: 8 fished from land and 1 reached only by boat or kayak, plus 5 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: Port Douglas and Daintree
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Flagstaff Hill & Rex Smeal Park	Headland	Land-based	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
2. Dickson Inlet & public wharf	Estuary	Land-based and boat	Bay, estuary or river	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
3. Four Mile Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
4. Mowbray River mouth	River	Land-based and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
5. Cooya Beach flats	Flats	Land-based and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
6. Newell Beach & Mossman River mouth	River	Land-based and boat	Bay, estuary or river	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
7. Rocky Point (Dayman Point)	Breakwall	Land-based and boat	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
8. Wonga Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
9. Daintree River (lower reaches)	River	Boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park

1. Flagstaff Hill & Rex Smeal Park

Type: Headland · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Rex Smeal Park at the north end of town; walk along the rocks from the park.
What's good here: Peak in October: dusky flathead, javelin / grunter, trevally and queenfish. Now and then: tiger squid. Also: yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Run-in and high tide along the rocks.
Best wind: W to SW; exposed to SE. Faces NE.
Note: Rocky headland between Four Mile Beach and Dickson Inlet. Bait for bream, flathead and grunter; lures at dawn for trevally. The water off the point is yellow zone.
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 conservation park (yellow) zone: 1 rod or line with 1 hook per person; green zone (Port Douglas) about 1,550 m away: no fishing there. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.47860, 145.46390 · Open in Google Maps (position: Island Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Dickson Inlet & public wharf

Type: Estuary · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based and boat. Public wharf at the inlet mouth; ramp at Ashford Avenue.
What's good here: Peak in October: mangrove jack, barramundi, golden snapper, javelin / grunter, trevally and mud crab. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: Run-out at the creek mouths; run-in at the wharf.
Best wind: Sheltered.
Note: Mangrove inlet beside the town. Live or fresh bait off the wharf; boats work the side creeks for jacks and barra. Commercial vessels use the wharf.
Safety: Crocodiles are seen on most river cruises here. 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 conservation park (yellow) zone: 1 rod or line with 1 hook per person; green zone (Port Douglas) about 2,050 m away: no fishing there. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.48250, 145.45940 · Open in Google Maps (position: Dickson Inlet, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Four Mile Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Many beach access paths along the town side of the beach.
What's good here: Peak in October: whiting, dusky flathead, trevally, queenfish and javelin / grunter. Also in season: blue threadfin.
Best tide: Run-in, and the Mowbray end on the run-out.
Best wind: W to SW (offshore); SE side-shore. Faces ENE.
Note: Long, flat beach in a yellow zone (one line, one hook). The southern end near the Mowbray River is the pick for salmon and grunter.
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 conservation park (yellow) zone: 1 rod or line with 1 hook per person; green zone (Port Douglas) about 2,200 m away: no fishing there. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.51930, 145.47330 · Open in Google Maps (position: Four Mile Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Mowbray River mouth

Type: River · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based and kayak. South end of Four Mile Beach; walk along the sand.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, mangrove jack, javelin / grunter and mud crab. Also in season: blue threadfin. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: Run-out to low, then the first of the run-in.
Best wind: W to SW.
Note: Small mangrove river at the south end of Four Mile Beach. Estuarine conservation zone: line fishing allowed. Fish the mouth and the first bends.
Safety: 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: -16.54610, 145.48140 · Open in Google Maps (position: Mowbray River, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Cooya Beach flats

Type: Flats · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based and kayak. Cooya Beach village; walk onto the flats.
What's good here: Peak in October: javelin / grunter, whiting, dusky flathead, queenfish and mud crab. Also in season: blue threadfin.
Best tide: Low tide edges, then the run-in.
Best wind: W to SW. Faces E.
Note: Mangrove-lined tidal flats south of the Mossman River mouth. Work the channel edges on the run-in for grunter, whiting and salmon.
Safety: The tide floods the flats quickly. 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 habitat protection (dark blue) zone: normal fishing rules. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.44880, 145.40860 · Open in Google Maps (position: Cooya Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Newell Beach & Mossman River mouth

Type: River · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based and boat. Newell Beach; jetty and ramp at Rankin Street.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, mangrove jack, javelin / grunter, dusky flathead and mud crab. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January). Also: yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Run-out at the mouth; run-in from the jetty.
Best wind: Sheltered in the river.
Note: Small estuary at Newell Beach with a jetty used by anglers. Bait for bream and grunter; lures at snags for jacks.
Safety: 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: -16.44080, 145.39750 · Open in Google Maps (position: Mossman River, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

7. Rocky Point (Dayman Point)

Type: Breakwall · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based and boat. Rocky Point off the Mossman-Daintree Road; ramp at the point.
What's good here: Peak in October: queenfish, trevally and barramundi. Also in season: school mackerel. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January). Now and then: tiger squid. Also: yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Run-in.
Best wind: W to SW; exposed to SE. Faces E.
Note: Rock groyne and point north of Newell. Best on the run-in: spin for queenfish and mackerel, bait for bream, squid at dusk.
Safety: Rocks and ramp traffic. 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: In a habitat protection (dark blue) zone: normal fishing rules. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.38700, 145.41890 · Open in Google Maps (position: Dayman Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

8. Wonga Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Wonga Beach village; several beach access points.
What's good here: Peak in October: queenfish, trevally, whiting and dusky flathead. Also in season: blue threadfin.
Best tide: Run-in near the rocky flats and fringing reef.
Best wind: W to SW (offshore). Faces ESE.
Note: About 10 km of beach. Queenfish and trevally hunt near the fringing reefs and rocky flats; whiting in the gutters.
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: The water off this spot is a habitat protection (dark blue) zone: normal fishing rules; a state green zone (no fishing) covers part of the Daintree delta about 2.7 km north of this point. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.33780, 145.41780 · Open in Google Maps (position: Wonga Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

9. Daintree River (lower reaches)

Type: River · bay, estuary or river
Access: Boat and kayak. Lower Daintree ramp at the ferry crossing; Daintree Village ramp upstream.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, mangrove jack, trevally, queenfish, golden snapper and javelin / grunter. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: Run-out at snags and creek mouths.
Best wind: Sheltered in the river; the mouth is open to NE.
Note: Famous barra river. The lower river is a yellow zone (one line, one hook) and part of the system near the mouth is green zone: check the map. Work snags and weed beds with lures or live bait.
Safety: Daintree River bar is shallow and dangerous in swell. Very high crocodile numbers: stay in the boat.
Zone: In a conservation park (yellow) zone: 1 rod or line with 1 hook per person; state green zone (Daintree River) in the delta about 1,800 m south-west: no fishing there. Guide only, not for navigation: check gbrmpa.gov.au.
Map: -16.28890, 145.45250 · Open in Google Maps (position: Daintree River, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

Boat ramps

5 public boat ramps are listed for Port Douglas and Daintree, 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: Port Douglas and Daintree
Ramp	Notes	Position
Port Douglas boat ramp (Ashford Avenue)	Double and single lane with floating walkway and pontoon on Dickson Inlet (TMR DS71).	-16.48182, 145.46031 Google Maps
Newell boat ramp (Rankin Street)	Ramp on the Mossman River at Newell (TMR DS12). Mouth access is tide dependent.	-16.43445, 145.40372 Google Maps
Rocky Point boat ramp (Dayman Point)	Single ramp on the open coast (TMR DS48). Exposed to SE wind and swell.	-16.38644, 145.41951 Google Maps
Lower Daintree boat ramp	Double-lane ramp, pontoon and walkway near the ferry crossing (TMR DS43). Walkway replacement works listed in Sep 2026: check before you go.	-16.26132, 145.39336 Google Maps
Daintree Village boat ramp (Stewart Street)	Single ramp and jetty in the upper river (TMR DS34).	-16.24913, 145.31689 Google Maps

What's biting here in October?

In peak season at Port Douglas and Daintree in October: javelin / grunter, queenfish, trevally, barramundi 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: javelin / grunter, queenfish, trevally, barramundi, dusky flathead, mangrove jack, mud crab, whiting, golden snapper, king threadfin, 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 Port Douglas and Daintree

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.
Low Isles and parts of the lower Daintree system are green zones (no fishing); much of the coast is yellow zone (one line, one hook).

Marine parks and no-take zones

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

Safety at Port Douglas and Daintree

Crocodiles are common in the Daintree, Mossman and Dickson Inlet and use the beaches.
Stinger season roughly October/November to May; swim only in netted areas in season.
The Daintree River bar is shallow and dangerous in swell.
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

Cairns and Trinity Inlet (about 64 km south-east)
Cooktown and the Endeavour River (about 111 km north)
Mission Beach (about 176 km south-east)
Hinchinbrook Channel and Cardwell (about 218 km south)

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: douglas.qld.gov.au (Douglas Shire Council fishing locations: Cooya, Flagstaff Hill, public wharf, Newell, Rocky Point, Wonga, Lower Daintree, Daintree Village); publications.qld.gov.au (Douglas ramp names and facility IDs (DS codes)); visitportdouglasdaintree.com (Daintree River species: barra, queenfish, trevally, fingermark, javelin); 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.