King threadfin (threadfin salmon)
King threadfin in South East Queensland: minimum 65 cm, 5 per person, no closed season. Rules checked 8 Oct 2026. Best months SEQ-wide: January to July.
Updated
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Scientific name: Polydactylus macrochir. Names this guide covers: threadfin, threadie, king salmon and blue threadfin.
| Scientific name | Polydactylus macrochir |
|---|---|
| Names covered | threadfin, threadie, king salmon, blue threadfin |
| Limits shown for | King threadfin (east coast) |
| Minimum size | 65 cm |
| Bag (possession) limit | 5 per person |
| Closed season in SEQ | None |
| Best months (SEQ-wide) | Jan–Jul |
| Also in season | Aug–Dec |
| Best tide | Around the change of tide |
| Best light | Night |
| Habitats | Tidal rivers; estuaries and creeks; the open bay and passages |
King threadfin size and bag limit in South East Queensland
King threadfin (east coast): min 65 cm, 5 per person. Blue threadfin: min 40 cm, 10 (east coast). Australian threadfin: not listed, general limit 20. 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 king threadfin in South East Queensland
October 2026: King threadfin 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: peak season | August: in 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: Slack water and the tide changes in the lower Brisbane River; the southern bay fish bite best around the changes.
Time of day: Night around lit wharves and channel edges; also day when following prawns and birds.
Weather: not fussy about wind; rain and runoff help.
Seasons partly come from Coastwatch report mentions, not catch numbers.
| Area | How common | Best | Also in season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Moreton Bay | Main area | Jan–Jul | Aug–Dec |
| Western Moreton Bay | Also caught | Jan–Jul | Aug–Dec |
| Brisbane River | Main area | Jan–Jul | Aug–Dec |
| Southern Moreton Bay | Also caught | Jan–Jul | Aug–Dec |
| Straddie & Jumpinpin | Main area | Feb–Jul (local season) | Aug–Jan |
| Gold Coast | Occasional | No season given | – |
Not in our guide for Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Pumicestone Passage & Bribie, Moreton Island, Offshore Sunshine Coast, Offshore Moreton and Offshore Gold Coast.
Where to catch king threadfin in SEQ
Brisbane River (city reaches to the mouth and the Port of Brisbane; the SEQ stronghold), the Caboolture and Pine rivers, the Logan and southern Moreton Bay (Jacobs Well, Southern Moreton Bay Islands, Five Ways and Tiger Mullet channels) following the prawns, and the northern Gold Coast rivers.
Catch Signal forecast areas that rate king threadfin: 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, Ocean side of Straddie & Moreton.
| Spot | Area | Tide times |
|---|---|---|
| Boat Passage (river mouth) | Brisbane River | Brisbane Bar |
| Tangalooma Point | Central bay and Moreton Island west | Tangalooma |
| Kalinga Bank | Jumpinpin, Jacobs Well and Pimpama | Brisbane Bar |
| Shorncliffe Pier | Bramble Bay, Pine River and Sandgate | Shorncliffe |
| Wynnum Jetty (Pandanus Beach) | Wynnum, Manly and Wellington Point | Manly |
| Cleveland Point | Cleveland, Peel and Straddie west | Cleveland Point |
| Victoria Point jetty | Victoria Point, Redland Bay and bay islands | Victoria Point |
| Colmslie Beach Reserve | Brisbane River | Brisbane Bar |
Picked because the water each spot reaches suits king threadfin (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 king threadfin: best baits, lures and rig
Baits
- Live banana prawns
- Live herring or mullet
Lures
- Soft vibes (70-100 mm) worked slowly on or near the bottom
- Paddle-tail soft plastics
- Blades and jigs
King threadfin rig
Medium spin gear with 20-30 lb braid and 30-50 lb leader; no wire needed (soft mouths, keep the line tight).
Good to know about king threadfin
Rain flushes prawns downstream and the threadfin follow. Reported all year in the Brisbane River; the southern bay run tracks the prawn season (Feb-Jul). The official guide gives king threadfin’s range as the Brisbane River and north, and notes the smaller Australian threadfin in the Brisbane and Logan systems, so identify fish from the southern bay carefully (five long pectoral filaments = king).
Open in the forecast
See king threadfin 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)
- Coastwatch weekly reports (seasons from report mentions, not catch numbers; we use the facts only)
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.