Yeppoon and Keppel Bay fishing spots

The Capricorn Coast mixes rocky headlands around Rosslyn Bay, crab-rich tidal lakes and creeks, the Keppel islands and the big Fitzroy River estuary. Expect mackerel, tuna and jewfish off the points, mud crabs, bream and flathead in Causeway Lake and Coorooman Creek, reef fish around the islands, and barra and threadfin in the Fitzroy and Corio Bay. It sits in the Capricorn net-free zone.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

7 spots here: 4 fished from land and 3 reached only by boat or kayak, plus 6 public boat ramps. Seasons follow our Gladstone & Capricorn Coast 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

7 spots: Yeppoon and Keppel Bay
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Double Head & Statue Bay (Rosslyn Bay)	Headland	Land-based and boat	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Marine Park / Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
2. Causeway Lake	Lake	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	–
3. Emu Park (Emu Point & Fishermans Beach)	Rocks	Land-based and boat	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Marine Park / Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
4. Keppel Sands & Coorooman Creek	Estuary	Land-based, boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	Great Barrier Reef Marine Park / Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
5. Corio Bay	Bay	Boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	Great Barrier Reef Marine Park / Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park
6. Great Keppel Island (Fishermans Beach)	Island	Boat	Ocean coast	Great Barrier Reef Marine Park / Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park; no-take zone nearby
7. Fitzroy River mouth	River	Boat	Bay, estuary or river	–

1. Double Head & Statue Bay (Rosslyn Bay)

Type: Headland · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based and boat. Capricorn Coast National Park and the Rosslyn Bay harbour car parks; short walks to the rocks.
What's good here: Peak in October: black jewfish, estuary cod, spotted mackerel, queenfish and trevally. Also in season: longtail tuna and school mackerel. Closing soon: black jewfish (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: Tide changes and the top of the tide off the rocks.
Best wind: Light winds and small swell; strong south-easterlies make the rocks dangerous. Faces NE.
Note: Headland beside Rosslyn Bay Boat Harbour. Locals fish Double Head and neighbouring Statue Bay for jewfish, tuna, cod and mackerel; floated pilchards or metal lures when bait is about.
Safety: Wave-washed rocks: watch the swell for a while first, wear grippy footwear and a lifejacket. Crocodile habitat: stand well back from the edge, don't wade, and clean fish away from the water. Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Nov-May (present all year); wear a stinger suit if you wade.
Zone: Waters off the head are a mix of conservation park (yellow) zone: 1 rod or handline with 1 hook per person and general use; no green zone within 5 km. Guide only, not for navigation: check elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -23.16360, 150.79420 · Open in Google Maps (position: Double Head, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Causeway Lake

Type: Lake · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. Roadside parking at the causeway between Yeppoon and Emu Park; one-lane ramp.
What's good here: Peak in October: mud crab, dusky flathead, whiting, mangrove jack, trevally and estuary cod. Also in season: yellowfin bream.
Best tide: Run-in through the causeway and the top of the tide.
Best wind: Fishable in most winds; sheltered from the open coast.
Note: Tidal lake behind Kinka Beach, well known for big mud crabs and a family bait-fishing spot for bream and flathead; jacks around the rock walls and bridge. Busy with paddlers and jet skis.
Safety: Crocodile habitat: stand well back from the edge, don't wade, and clean fish away from the water. Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Nov-May (present all year); wear a stinger suit if you wade. Shared water: watch for jet skis, paddlers and swimmers.
Zone: No marine park zone mapped at this point. Guide only, not for navigation: check elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -23.20000, 150.78560 · Open in Google Maps (position: Causeway Lake, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Emu Park (Emu Point & Fishermans Beach)

Type: Rocks · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based and boat. Fishermans Beach car park with a sealed ramp and a fishing wharf beside Emu Point.
What's good here: Peak in October: whiting, dusky flathead, queenfish and trevally. Also in season: yellowfin bream and school mackerel. Closed season now: tuskfish (8 October to 12 October 2026).
Best tide: High tide on the rocks and rock platforms.
Best wind: Light winds; easterlies blow straight in. Faces ENE.
Note: Mainly a boat-launching beach, but the rocks and platforms around the point fish well over high tide for bream, tuskfish and passing mackerel and queenfish.
Safety: Wave-washed rocks: watch the swell for a while first, wear grippy footwear and a lifejacket. Crocodile habitat: stand well back from the edge, don't wade, and clean fish away from the water. Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Nov-May (present all year); wear a stinger suit if you wade.
Zone: Nearby waters are habitat protection (dark blue) zone: normal fishing rules; no green zone within 5 km. Guide only, not for navigation: check elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -23.25530, 150.82890 · Open in Google Maps (position: Emu Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Keppel Sands & Coorooman Creek

Type: Estuary · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based, boat and kayak. Small township with ramps on Pumpkin Creek; the larger Coorooman Creek ramp is a few kilometres north-west. Pin is the township.
What's good here: Peak in October: whiting, dusky flathead, mangrove jack, mud crab, javelin / grunter and barramundi. Also in season: yellowfin bream and blue threadfin. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: High tide (the flats dry a long way at low); first of the run-out at the creek mouths.
Best wind: Light winds; south-easterlies blow across the flats.
Note: Estuary country: whiting and flathead on the flats at high tide, jacks and grunter in Coorooman and Pumpkin creeks, crab pots in the side channels.
Safety: Crocodile habitat: stand well back from the edge, don't wade, and clean fish away from the water. Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Nov-May (present all year); wear a stinger suit if you wade. Big tides here: the water comes in fast over the flats, so keep an exit route.
Zone: Waters off the township are habitat protection (dark blue) zone: normal fishing rules; no green zone within 5 km. Guide only, not for navigation: check elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -23.32973, 150.79332 · Open in Google Maps (position: Keppel Sands, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Corio Bay

Type: Bay · bay, estuary or river
Access: Boat and kayak. North of Yeppoon via Byfield; boat or kayak from local ramps.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, king threadfin, mangrove jack, javelin / grunter, dusky flathead, whiting and mud crab. Also in season: blue threadfin. Closing soon: barramundi (closes 1 Nov; closed 1 November to 31 January).
Best tide: Last of the run-out and early run-in around the creek mouths and channels.
Best wind: Light winds; sheltered in the inner bay.
Note: Mangrove estuary bay listed by locals as one of the coast's best. Salmon and barra along the channel edges, grunter and flathead on the flats, crabs in the creeks.
Safety: Crocodile habitat: stand well back from the edge, don't wade, and clean fish away from the water. Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Nov-May (present all year); wear a stinger suit if you wade.
Zone: Bay is a general use (light blue) zone: normal fishing rules; the coast from here south to Yeppoon is a conservation park (yellow) zone: 1 rod or handline with 1 hook per person. Guide only, not for navigation: check elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -22.93200, 150.76830 · Open in Google Maps (position: Corio Bay, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Great Keppel Island (Fishermans Beach)

Type: Island · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Boat. Boat from Rosslyn Bay (about 13 km); ferries carry walk-on visitors only.
What's good here: Peak in October: grass sweetlip, Spanish mackerel, trevally and queenfish. Also in season: school mackerel. Closed season now: coral trout (8 October to 12 October 2026); nannygai (8 October to 12 October 2026); tuskfish (8 October to 12 October 2026).
Best tide: Tide changes on the reef edges and bommies.
Best wind: Western side is sheltered in south-easterlies; wind against tide is rough in the passage from the mainland.
Note: Reef fishing around the Keppel group for trout, sweetlip and nannygai, plus mackerel on the troll. Fishermans Beach is the main landing on the western side.
Safety: Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Nov-May (present all year); wear a stinger suit if you wade. Crocodile habitat: stand well back from the edge, don't wade, and clean fish away from the water. Open-water run from the mainland: check the wind before crossing.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. Green zones (no fishing) lie about 0.8 km south (Monkey Point) and 1 km north-west of this beach, with more around the group: check Map 17. Guide only, not for navigation: check elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -23.18250, 150.93670 · Open in Google Maps (position: Fisherman Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

7. Fitzroy River mouth

Type: River · bay, estuary or river
Access: Boat. Long run from Thompson Point or Keppel Sands ramps; many sandbanks.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi, king threadfin, black jewfish, mangrove jack, javelin / grunter and mud crab. Also in season: blue threadfin. 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 now: banana prawns.
Best tide: Neap tides for cleaner water; last of the run-out and first of the run-in at drains and rock bars.
Best wind: Light winds; strong south-easterlies against the run-out make the mouth rough.
Note: Queensland's barra and king threadfin heavyweight. Sound around rock bars and creek junctions; prawns in the cooler months. A voluntary local code asks anglers to release big breeders.
Safety: Crocodile habitat: stand well back from the edge, don't wade, and clean fish away from the water. Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Nov-May (present all year); wear a stinger suit if you wade. Shifting sandbanks and big tidal streams: keep to the channels and watch the tide.
Zone: No marine park zone mapped at this point; check Map 17 downstream. Guide only, not for navigation: check elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -23.53560, 150.87640 · Open in Google Maps (position: Fitzroy River, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

Boat ramps

6 public boat ramps are listed for Yeppoon and Keppel Bay, 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: Yeppoon and Keppel Bay
Ramp	Notes	Position
Rosslyn Bay Boat Harbour ramps	Main launch for the Keppels: two multi-lane ramps (several adjoining lines in the dataset); shallow at the toe on very low tides.	-23.16383, 150.78808 Google Maps
Causeway Lake boat ramp	One-lane ramp into the lake; small craft and kayaks.	-23.20323, 150.78539 Google Maps
Emu Park boat ramp (Emu Point)	Sealed ramp at Fishermans Beach beside Emu Point.	-23.25490, 150.82854 Google Maps
Coorooman Creek boat ramp	Two-lane creek ramp (two adjoining lines) north-west of Keppel Sands.	-23.29976, 150.76890 Google Maps
Keppel Sands boat ramp (Pumpkin Creek)	One-lane ramp on Pumpkin Creek at Keppel Sands; tide-dependent.	-23.33541, 150.79330 Google Maps
Thompson Point boat ramp (Fitzroy River)	One-lane ramp on the lower Fitzroy River.	-23.48812, 150.73550 Google Maps

What's biting here in October?

In peak season at Yeppoon and Keppel Bay in October: mangrove jack, whiting, dusky flathead, mud crab and 13 more. Of the 34 species our Gladstone & Capricorn Coast list has for this part of the coast, 17 peak in October 2026 and 6 more are in season.

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

Also in season: blue threadfin, yellowfin bream, school mackerel, longtail tuna, blue swimmer crab and snapper.

In closed season now (no take): tuskfish (8 October to 12 October 2026); coral trout (8 October to 12 October 2026); nannygai (8 October to 12 October 2026); red emperor (8 October to 12 October 2026); spangled emperor (8 October to 12 October 2026); redthroat emperor (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); tiger squid (best May–Aug).

Seen now and then, so not rated: golden snapper, winter whiting and tailor.

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 Yeppoon and Keppel Bay

Great Barrier Reef zoning: green zones around parts of the Keppel islands are no fishing; the coast from Yeppoon north to Corio Bay is a yellow zone (1 line, 1 hook). See GBRMPA Map 17.
Capricorn Coast net-free zone: commercial nets only; recreational limits unchanged.
Spanish mackerel (south of 22°S) closed 1-21 Feb and 1-21 Mar each year; coral reef fin fish closed 8-12 Oct and 6-10 Nov 2026.
Barramundi closed on the east coast from 1 Nov to 31 Jan; Fitzroy River voluntary code asks anglers to keep only 2 barra of 58-100 cm and 2 king threadfin of 65-100 cm.
Closed waters: no fishing 400 m either side of the Fitzroy River barrage or within 150 m of the Middle Island observatory; no spearfishing off western Great Keppel; no netting in Water Park Creek above Kelly's Landing.

Marine parks and no-take zones

The zone notes here name Great Barrier Reef Marine Park / Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park. A no-take zone starts close to Great Keppel Island (Fishermans Beach): its zone note says where. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at Yeppoon and Keppel Bay

Crocodile habitat: estuaries, beaches and islands from near Gladstone north, including the Fitzroy and Corio Bay.
Box jellyfish and Irukandji: highest risk Nov-May.
Wide sand and mud flats: tides run in fast.
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

Gladstone, Boyne Island and Tannum Sands (about 87 km south-east)
Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy (about 159 km south-east)
Bundaberg and Burnett Heads (about 241 km south-east)
Mackay, Seaforth and Cape Hillsborough (about 299 km north-west)

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: nrmaparksandresorts.com.au (Causeway Lake mud crabs; beaches around Rosslyn Bay; Kinka Beach crabbing); discoveryholidayparks.com.au (Causeway Lake as a busy fishing and paddling spot; Statue Bay and Double Head for jewfish, tuna, cod and mackerel); racq.com.au (Fishermans Beach, Emu Park (rocks at high tide, ramp, wharf); Keppel Sands best at high tide; Kinka Beach); realsreels.com (Local angler: Corio Bay and Coorooman Creek estuaries; Rosslyn Bay ramps; check zoning); australiatravelquestions.com (Keppel Islands reef species (coral trout, nannygai, sweetlip) from charters); queensland.com (Fitzroy River barramundi and threadfin salmon; Capricorn net-free zone); explorerockhampton.com.au (Fitzroy River voluntary code); gbrmpa.gov.au (GBRMPA Map 17 (Capricorn); zones checked against eAtlas GBRMP and Qld GBR Coast Marine Park layers); dpi.qld.gov.au (Spanish mackerel (south of 22°S) and coral reef fin fish closures); dpi.qld.gov.au (Fitzroy barrage, Middle Island observatory, Great Keppel spearfishing, Water Park Creek netting closures); qld.gov.au (Crocodile habitat); qld.gov.au (Marine stingers); data.qld.gov.au (Boat ramp positions (Marine infrastructure lines, CC BY 4.0)).
Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.