Snapper (squire)
Snapper in South East Queensland: minimum 35 cm, 4 per person (max 1 over 70 cm), closed 15 July to 15 August each year. Rules checked 8 Oct 2026. Best months SEQ-wide: May, June, September and October.
Updated
Scientific name: Chrysophrys auratus. Also called squire, pinky and knobby.
| Scientific name | Chrysophrys auratus |
|---|---|
| Other names | squire, pinky, knobby |
| Minimum size | 35 cm |
| Bag (possession) limit | 4 per person (max 1 over 70 cm) |
| Closed season in SEQ | 15 July to 15 August every year |
| Best months (SEQ-wide) | May–Jun and Sep–Oct (outside the closed season) |
| Also in season | Nov–Apr |
| Best tide | Around the change of tide |
| Best light | Dawn and dusk |
| Habitats | The open bay and passages; offshore reefs; rocks, walls and bar entrances; estuaries and creeks |
Snapper size and bag limit in QLD
Min 35 cm. 4 per person (max 1 over 70 cm), or 8 per boat with 2 or more aboard (max 2 over 70 cm). Closed 15 July-15 August each year in east coast tidal waters.
Closed season in South East Queensland: 15 July to 15 August every year. Snapper caught on a closed day must be released.
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 snapper in South East Queensland
October 2026: Snapper is in its peak season across South East Queensland.
| 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: closed season 17 days, otherwise peak season | August: closed season 15 days, otherwise peak season | September: peak season | October: peak season | November: in season | December: in season |
- peak season
- in season
- off season
- closed season for at least part of the month
The closed season (15 July to 15 August) cuts into July and August: those months show as closed in the table, and snapper cannot be kept on any closed day.
Tide: Many anglers fish the change around low light. Local reports are inconsistent about the tide, and at the Brisbane River mouth they favour the run-in.
Time of day: Dawn, dusk and night inshore; daytime is fine offshore in deeper water.
Weather: calm or offshore wind and clear water suit them; rain and runoff help.
Seasons partly come from Coastwatch report mentions, not catch numbers.
| Area | How common | Best | Also in season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumicestone Passage & Bribie | Also caught | May–Jun and Sep–Oct | Nov–Apr |
| Northern Moreton Bay | Main area | May–Jun and Sep–Oct | Nov–Apr |
| Western Moreton Bay | Main area | May–Jun and Sep–Oct (local season) | Nov–Apr |
| Brisbane River | Also caught | May–Jun and Sep–Oct | Nov–Apr |
| Southern Moreton Bay | Main area | May–Jun and Sep–Oct | Nov–Apr |
| Straddie & Jumpinpin | Also caught | May–Jun and Sep–Oct | Nov–Apr |
| Gold Coast | Also caught | May–Jun and Sep–Oct | Nov–Apr |
| Offshore Sunshine Coast | Main area | May–Jun and Sep–Oct | Nov–Apr |
| Offshore Moreton | Main area | May–Jun and Sep–Oct | Nov–Apr |
| Offshore Gold Coast | Main area | May–Jun and Sep–Oct | Nov–Apr |
Not in our guide for Noosa, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Island.
Around Scarborough and the Redcliffe Peninsula
Our local Redcliffe Peninsula notes come from local fishing columns and reports, and for snapper they differ from the South East Queensland picture. For tide, our local notes give no clear preference; across South East Queensland the best tide is the change of tide.
Scarborough Reef / North Reef (big fish in winter), Turner Artificial Reef (boat), the edges of rocky outcrops and points from Scarborough to Woody Point, and the Redcliffe and Woody Point jetties at night. Never in the MNP12 Scotts Point green zone.
When: Dawn, dusk and night. Daytime in clear water with boat traffic is hard.
Spots in our local notes: Reef Point / North Reef, Turner Artificial Reef, Redcliffe Jetty, Woody Point Jetty.
Where to catch snapper in SEQ
Bay: Redcliffe and Scarborough reefs, Peel, Mud and Green islands, the bay artificial reefs (Curtin, Harry Atkinson, West Peel, Turner), the Brisbane River mouth and the Gold Coast Seaway. Offshore (bigger fish): Caloundra reefs and Murphys, Noosa North and Sunshine reefs, the Hards and Barwon Banks, Hutchinson Shoal and the Moreton 35-80 m grounds, Gold Coast 18s-50s. Never in green zones.
Catch Signal forecast areas that rate snapper: 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, Offshore: Mooloolaba to Caloundra, Offshore: Cape Moreton & Point Lookout, Offshore: Gold Coast.
| Spot | Area | Tide times |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Cleveland Point | Cleveland, Peel and Straddie west | Cleveland Point |
| Victoria Point jetty | Victoria Point, Redland Bay and bay islands | Victoria Point |
| Mudjimba (Old Woman) Island | Offshore: Mooloolaba to Caloundra | Mooloolaba |
| Hutchison Shoal | Offshore: Cape Moreton and Point Lookout | Brisbane Bar |
Picked because the water each spot reaches suits snapper (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 snapper: best baits, lures and rig
Baits
- Lightly weighted pilchards and floated pilchard fillets
- Live yakka, slimy mackerel or herring
- Squid and fish strips
- Prawns inshore
Lures
- 3-7 inch soft plastics on the lightest jig head that reaches bottom
- Micro and slow-pitch jigs offshore
- Soft and metal vibes over rubble
Snapper rig
Inshore: 8-12 lb braid to a 12-20 lb leader, unweighted or a small ball sinker to the hook. Offshore: paternoster or running sinker with 4/0-6/0 snelled hooks; float pilchards down a burley trail in current.
Good to know about snapper
Fisheries Queensland: offshore grounds peak in winter but snapper are caught all year; juveniles live in Moreton Bay. Mostly resident fish. Pearl perch share the closure.
Open in the forecast
See snapper 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)
- Fisheries Queensland: closed seasons in tidal waters (last updated 25 Sep 2026; checked 8 Oct 2026)
- Fisheries Queensland snapper stock status page
- Moreton Daily, Ask Dr Dazza: Snapper
- 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.