Swallowtail dart
Swallowtail dart in South East Queensland: minimum 30 cm, 30 per person, no closed season. Rules checked 8 Oct 2026. Best months SEQ-wide: November to June.
Updated
Scientific name: Trachinotus coppingeri. Names this guide covers: dart, surf trevally, southern swallowtail and snubnose dart.
| Scientific name | Trachinotus coppingeri |
|---|---|
| Names covered | dart, surf trevally, southern swallowtail, snubnose dart |
| Minimum size | 30 cm |
| Bag (possession) limit | 30 per person |
| Closed season in SEQ | None |
| Best months (SEQ-wide) | Nov–Jun |
| Also in season | Jul–Oct |
| Best tide | Early run-in (rising tide) |
| Best light | Daytime |
| Habitats | Surf beaches |
Swallowtail dart size and bag limit in QLD
Swallowtail dart: min 30 cm, 30 per person. Other darts (small-spotted, snubnose/permit): no size limit, inside the 20 combined trevally limit.
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 swallowtail dart in South East Queensland
October 2026: Swallowtail dart 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: peak season | February: peak season | March: peak season | April: peak season | May: peak season | June: peak season | July: in season | August: in season | September: in season | October: in season | November: peak season | December: peak season |
- peak season
- in season
- off season
- closed season for at least part of the month
Tide: Last of the run-out into the early run-in on the gutters and outer banks; at Moreton’s northern banks they push up with the incoming tide to feed on small pipis.
Time of day: Daytime in white-water gutters; at night they come into the corners of shallow gutters.
Weather: not fussy about wind; rain makes little difference.
Seasons partly come from Coastwatch report mentions, not catch numbers.
| Area | How common | Best | Also in season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noosa | Also caught | Nov–Jun | Jul–Oct |
| Sunshine Coast | Also caught | Nov–Jun | Jul–Oct |
| Pumicestone Passage & Bribie | Main area | Nov–Jun | Jul–Oct |
| Northern Moreton Bay | Occasional | No season given | – |
| Moreton Island | Main area | Nov–Jun | Jul–Oct |
| Straddie & Jumpinpin | Main area | Nov–Jun | Jul–Oct |
| Gold Coast | Main area | Nov–Jun | Jul–Oct |
Not in our guide for Western Moreton Bay, Brisbane River, Southern Moreton Bay, Offshore Sunshine Coast, Offshore Moreton and Offshore Gold Coast.
Where to catch swallowtail dart in SEQ
The SEQ surf beaches: Moreton Island (ocean beach and the northern beach from Comboyuro Point to North Point, e.g. Yellow Patch), North and South Stradbroke, Bribie (Woorim, Skirmish Point), Caloundra (Kings Beach, Currimundi), Coolum and the Sunshine Coast beaches, Noosa North Shore, and the Gold Coast beaches to Snapper Rocks.
Catch Signal forecast areas that rate swallowtail dart: Noosa River & Noosa Heads, Laguna Bay & Noosa offshore, Maroochy, Mooloolaba & Coolum, Caloundra & northern Pumicestone Passage, Bribie Island & southern Pumicestone Passage, Jumpinpin, Jacobs Well & Pimpama, Gold Coast Broadwater, Seaway & Nerang River, Burleigh to Point Danger, Ocean side of Straddie & Moreton.
| Spot | Area | Tide times |
|---|---|---|
| Bulcock Beach (Pumicestone Passage mouth) | Caloundra and northern Pumicestone Passage | Brisbane Bar |
| Woorim ocean beach (Bribie Island) | Bribie Island and southern Pumicestone Passage | Woorim |
| Main Beach | Burleigh to Point Danger | Gold Coast Seaway |
| Cylinder Beach | Ocean side of Straddie and Moreton | Brisbane Bar |
| Sunshine Beach | Noosa River and Noosa Heads | Noosa Head |
| Kings Beach | Caloundra and northern Pumicestone Passage | Mooloolaba |
| Currumbin Creek mouth (Currumbin Rock) | Burleigh to Point Danger | Gold Coast Seaway |
| Flinders Beach (North Stradbroke) | Ocean side of Straddie and Moreton | Brisbane Bar |
Picked because the water each spot reaches suits swallowtail dart (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 swallowtail dart: best bait and rig
- Live yabbies (the number one bait)
- Pipis
- Beach worms
- Bloodworms
- Peeled prawn
Swallowtail dart rig
Light surf rod or Alvey, 6-10 lb line, ball sinker running to a size 1-1/0 hook; a small soft green bead above the hook helps at night (McPhee). Adjust sinker size until fish bite.
Good to know about swallowtail dart
No migration and no true season in SEQ; bigger, mature fish use the semi-surf beaches more in the warmer months and spawn Oct-Apr. Prefer a gutter where you can reach the outer bank. Pipis: limit 30 and only pipis may be taken in Moreton Bay; yabbies and worms cannot leave the white spot area uncooked.
Open in the forecast
See swallowtail dart 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)
- Queensland Government fish species guide (entries updated Mar-May 2026)
- Moreton Daily, Ask Dr Dazza: Swallowtail dart
- Coastwatch weekly reports (seasons from report mentions, not catch numbers; we use the facts only)
- Business Queensland: white spot disease movement restrictions (last updated 11 Jun 2026)
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.