Spanner crab
Spanner crab in South East Queensland: minimum 10 cm, 20 per person, no egg-bearing crabs, closed 1 November to 15 December each year. Rules checked 8 Oct 2026. Best months SEQ-wide: June, July, August and September.
Updated
Scientific name: Ranina ranina. Also called spanners and frog crab.
| Scientific name | Ranina ranina |
|---|---|
| Other names | spanners, frog crab |
| Who can be kept | No egg-bearing crabs |
| Minimum size | 10 cm |
| Bag (possession) limit | 20 per person |
| Closed season in SEQ | 1 November to 15 December every year |
| Best months (SEQ-wide) | Jun–Sep |
| Also in season | Apr–May and Oct |
| Best tide | No clear tide preference |
| Best light | Daytime |
| Habitats | Offshore reefs; the open bay and passages |
| Access | Mostly a boat fishery |
Spanner crab size and bag limit in QLD
Min 10 cm (tip of the front centre spike to the middle of the rear edge; if the shell is damaged, front breastplate at least 3.7 cm). 20 per person. Egg-bearing crabs no take; no claws without the crab. Closed 1 November-15 December (managed areas A and B, all SEQ).
Closed season in South East Queensland: 1 November to 15 December every year. Spanner crab 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 spanner crab in South East Queensland
October 2026: Spanner crab 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: off season | February: off season | March: off season | April: in season | May: in season | June: peak season | July: peak season | August: peak season | September: peak season | October: in season | November: closed season all month | December: closed season 15 days |
- peak season
- in season
- off season
- closed season for at least part of the month
Weather: not fussy about wind; rain makes little difference.
| Area | How common | Best | Also in season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moreton Island | Occasional | No season given | – |
| Offshore Sunshine Coast | Also caught | Jun–Sep | Apr–May and Oct |
| Offshore Moreton | Also caught | Jun–Sep | Apr–May and Oct |
| Offshore Gold Coast | Also caught | Jun–Sep | Apr–May and Oct |
Not in our guide for Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Pumicestone Passage & Bribie, Northern Moreton Bay, Western Moreton Bay, Brisbane River, Southern Moreton Bay, Straddie & Jumpinpin and Gold Coast.
Where to catch spanner crab in SEQ
Bare sand offshore, roughly 10-80 m: off the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast (Caloundra to Noosa) and outside Moreton and Stradbroke; dense patches are reported on Moreton Bay sandbanks. The commercial fishery works Yeppoon to the NSW border, mostly Sunshine Coast-Fraser and Moreton.
Spanner crab is mostly a boat fishery in South East Queensland.
Catch Signal forecast areas that rate spanner crab: Offshore: Mooloolaba to Caloundra, Offshore: Cape Moreton & Point Lookout, Offshore: Gold Coast.
| Spot | Area | Tide times |
|---|---|---|
| Mudjimba (Old Woman) Island | Offshore: Mooloolaba to Caloundra | Mooloolaba |
| Hutchison Shoal | Offshore: Cape Moreton and Point Lookout | Brisbane Bar |
| Narrowneck Reef | Offshore: Gold Coast | Gold Coast Seaway |
| Gneering Shoals | Offshore: Mooloolaba to Caloundra | Mooloolaba |
| Smith Rock | Offshore: Cape Moreton and Point Lookout | Brisbane Bar |
| South Stradbroke Artificial Reef | Offshore: Gold Coast | Gold Coast Seaway |
| Arkwright Shoal | Offshore: Mooloolaba to Caloundra | Mooloolaba |
| Brennan Shoal | Offshore: Cape Moreton and Point Lookout | Brisbane Bar |
Picked because the water each spot reaches suits spanner crab (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 spanner crab: best bait and gear
- Fish frames or pilchards tied to the centre of the net (common practice; local reports don’t name a bait)
Spanner crab gear
Flat spanner-crab nets ("dillies": a frame with net hanging below it). Max 4 pots/dillies per person, tagged, with a light-coloured float at least 15 cm marked with your surname.
Good to know about spanner crab
Older Queensland data put the peak catch in Aug-Sep, dropping in Nov-Dec when many females carry eggs; cooler upwelled bottom water in spring raises catch rates. Stock rated depleting in 2018. Exempt from the white spot movement rules. Almost absent from weekly fishing reports, so treat the season as indicative.
Open in the forecast
See spanner crab 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)
- Queensland Government: how to measure your catch
- Queensland Government: recreational fishing equipment rules (last updated 26 Mar 2026)
- Queensland spanner crab fishery reports (older)
- 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.