Yellowfin bream
Yellowfin bream in South East Queensland: minimum 25 cm; 30 per person, combined with pikey bream and tarwhine; no closed season. Rules checked 8 Oct 2026. Best months SEQ-wide: May, June, July and August.
Updated
Scientific name: Acanthopagrus australis. Also called bream.
| Scientific name | Acanthopagrus australis |
|---|---|
| Other names | bream |
| Minimum size | 25 cm |
| Bag (possession) limit | 30 per person, combined with pikey bream and tarwhine |
| Closed season in SEQ | None |
| Best months (SEQ-wide) | May–Aug |
| Also in season | Sep–Apr |
| Best tide | Late run-in to high tide, best on bigger (spring) tides |
| Best light | Night |
| Habitats | Estuaries and creeks; the open bay and passages; tidal rivers; rocks, walls and bar entrances; surf beaches |
Yellowfin bream size and bag limit in QLD
Min 25 cm. 30 in total of yellowfin bream, pikey bream and tarwhine combined. No closed season.
Checked 8 Oct 2026 against the Queensland Government pages: size and possession limits and closed seasons.
Limits are possession limits: they count everything you hold, including any at home in the freezer. In yellow (conservation park) zones: max 2 lines and 2 hooks in total per angler. Green zones: no fishing. All QLD fishing rules
When to catch yellowfin bream in South East Queensland
October 2026: Yellowfin bream is in season across South East Queensland, though not at its peak.
| Where | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEQ-wide | January: in season | February: in season | March: in season | April: in season | May: peak season | June: peak season | July: peak season | August: peak season | September: in season | October: in season | November: in season | December: in season |
- peak season
- in season
- off season
- closed season for at least part of the month
Tide: Big high tides and the top of the tide along foreshores and walls, especially at night; at bars and seaways the run-in.
Time of day: Night and the dawn/dusk changes for better fish; daytime on lures around structure in the canals.
Weather: calm or offshore wind and clear water suit them; rain makes little difference.
Seasons partly come from Coastwatch report mentions, not catch numbers.
| Area | How common | Best | Also in season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noosa | Main area | May–Aug | Sep–Apr |
| Sunshine Coast | Main area | May–Aug | Sep–Apr |
| Pumicestone Passage & Bribie | Main area | May–Aug | Sep–Apr |
| Northern Moreton Bay | Main area | May–Aug | Sep–Apr |
| Western Moreton Bay | Main area | May–Aug | Sep–Apr |
| Brisbane River | Also caught | May–Aug | Sep–Apr |
| Southern Moreton Bay | Main area | May–Aug | Sep–Apr |
| Moreton Island | Also caught | May–Aug | Sep–Apr |
| Straddie & Jumpinpin | Main area | May–Aug | Sep–Apr |
| Gold Coast | Main area | May–Aug | Sep–Apr |
Not in our guide for Offshore Sunshine Coast, Offshore Moreton and Offshore Gold Coast.
Where to catch yellowfin bream in SEQ
Everywhere in SEQ: rivers, creeks and canals Oct-Apr; from May they run down to the river mouths, rock walls, headlands and surf bars to spawn (Jumpinpin, Gold Coast Seaway walls, Mooloolah and Noosa river mouths, Caloundra bar, Bribie Passage beacons), then return from September. Also the surf gutters of Bribie, Moreton, Stradbroke and the Gold Coast, and inshore reefs with snapper.
Catch Signal forecast areas that rate yellowfin bream: Noosa River & Noosa Heads, Laguna Bay & Noosa offshore, Maroochy, Mooloolaba & Coolum, Caloundra & northern Pumicestone Passage, Bribie Island & southern Pumicestone Passage, Redcliffe Peninsula & Deception Bay, Bramble Bay, Pine River & Sandgate, Brisbane River, Central bay & Moreton Island west, Wynnum, Manly & Wellington Point, Cleveland, Peel & Straddie west, Victoria Point, Redland Bay & bay islands, Jumpinpin, Jacobs Well & Pimpama, Gold Coast Broadwater, Seaway & Nerang River, Burleigh to Point Danger, Ocean side of Straddie & Moreton.
| Spot | Area | Tide times |
|---|---|---|
| Noosa River mouth groyne | Noosa River and Noosa Heads | Noosa River mouth |
| Cotton Tree – Maroochy River mouth | Maroochy, Mooloolaba and Coolum | Mooloolaba |
| Bulcock Beach (Pumicestone Passage mouth) | Caloundra and northern Pumicestone Passage | Brisbane Bar |
| Bongaree Jetty | Bribie Island and southern Pumicestone Passage | Bongaree |
| Reef Point / North Reef | Redcliffe Peninsula and Deception Bay | Scarborough |
| Shorncliffe Pier | Bramble Bay, Pine River and Sandgate | Shorncliffe |
| Tangalooma Point | Central bay and Moreton Island west | Tangalooma |
| Wynnum Jetty (Pandanus Beach) | Wynnum, Manly and Wellington Point | Manly |
Picked because the water each spot reaches suits yellowfin bream (our habitat match), not from catch reports. Each spot links to its place on the area page; tide times are for the place our forecast reads for that spot.
How to catch yellowfin bream: best baits, lures and rig
Baits
- Fresh mullet strips
- Prawns
- Yabbies
- Worms (beach, blood, wriggler)
- Pilchard pieces on the walls
- Chicken soaked in tuna oil
Lures
- Small soft plastics and blades on light jig heads
- Small hard-bodies and surface lures around canal pontoons and walls
Yellowfin bream rig
Light line (4-8 kg), lightly weighted or unweighted bait on a size 1-1/0 hook; a small running ball sinker to the hook in the surf.
Good to know about yellowfin bream
Spawn in winter at or next to surf bars, peaking Jul-Aug; not every fish migrates, so some stay in the rivers all year. Poor condition ("razorbacks") in October.
Open in the forecast
See yellowfin bream in the Catch Signal app: seasons for the area you fish, closed-season warnings and the best days this week.
Sources
- Queensland Government: size and possession limits for tidal waters (last updated 25 Sep 2026; checked 8 Oct 2026)
- Moreton Daily, Ask Dr Dazza: Yellowfin bream, part 1
- Coastwatch weekly reports (seasons from report mentions, not catch numbers; we use the facts only)
- Catch Signal’s own Redcliffe Peninsula notes (from local fishing columns and reports)
Rules are short, dated summaries: always check the official pages before you keep a fish. Species notes are in our own words from the sources listed.