Northern Territory · Australia

Darwin Harbour fishing forecast

Name: Darwin Harbour
Address: Northern Territory, AU

59 Good of 100

Darwin Harbour is a saltwater fishing spot in Northern Territory, Australia. Anglers here target Barramundi, Giant Trevally, Indo-Pacific Sailfish, Wahoo. The most productive months are typically April, May, June, July, August, September, October.

Quick answer

Best monthsApril, May, June, July

Top speciesBarramundi, Giant Trevally, Indo-Pacific Sailfish

Score now59/100

Local rulesAustralia

Today’s verdict

Ranks #342 of 437 spots FishRadar scored worldwide today

In line with this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±4 points, from 8 live signals

The statistical model disagrees with the physics model here today — treat this score with extra caution.

Helping the score most

Water temperature+25.0Chlorophyll+18.0Waves+9.0

Pressure trend

Pressure stable — fish feeding on their usual rhythm

Next solunar peak

minor 06:56

Current conditions

Sea surface temp	28.1 °C
Wind	16 km/h from N, gusting 24 km/h
Wave height	0.0 m at 2 s
Current	0.04 m/s toward E
Pressure	1012 hPa
Cloud cover	11%
Chlorophyll	1.56 mg/m³
Salinity	33.3 PSU
Mixed-layer depth	7 m
UV index	9
Wind sea	0.0 m at 0 s
Ground swell	0.0 m at 2 s from N
Current shear (surface vs 50 m)	0.04 → 0.00 m/s

The water here is 2.7 °C warmer than the September average of 25.4 °C. Warmer-than-normal water pushes cool-water species deeper and brings warm-water species in earlier than the calendar suggests. The water is mixed to about 30.7 m, with the thermocline below that.

Updated 1 h ago.

What the score means at Darwin Harbour

Darwin Harbour currently scores 59 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 28.1 °C. 8 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +25.0: how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Chlorophyll +18.0: plankton density — the base of the food chain
Waves +9.0: swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +8.0: surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Current +4.8: moving water concentrates bait
Barometric pressure +3.3: falling pressure often triggers feeding

What’s biting now

The model expects today: barramundi, yellowfin-tuna, sailfish, wahoo, giant-trevally, king-threadfin, redthroat-emperor, grass-emperor

Bite windows

Moon

Waning Crescent · 15% lit

Solunar day rating

50 / 100

Best months for Darwin Harbour:

Score history at this spot

30 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-08-28, 61/100

+5 points vs the same day last week

About this spot

Water type

Sea

Open coastal saltwater — conditions and safety depend heavily on the live wind, wave, and tide forecast, so check them before you head out.

Access & shore

Fishable from shore · offshore-only

What you can catch

Barramundi

Lates calcarifer
Giant Trevally

Caranx ignobilis
Indo-Pacific Sailfish

Istiophorus platypterus
Wahoo

Acanthocybium solandri

Best months by species at Darwin Harbour

BarramundiLates calcarifer
Giant TrevallyCaranx ignobilis
Indo-Pacific SailfishIstiophorus platypterus
WahooAcanthocybium solandri

Typical months; local seasons and closures apply.

Local regulations

State fisheries authorities (NSW DPIRD, QLD DPI, VFA, DPIRD WA, PIRSA, NRE Tas, NT Fisheries); AFMA in Commonwealth waters

Australia

Species	Bag limit	Min size	Open season
BarramundiOfficial source	5/day	58–120 cm slot	Feb 1 – Oct 31; Feb 1 – Oct 6
Queensland: slot 58–120 cm, 5 per person or 10 per boat with 2 or more people aboard. CLOSED SEASONS — all Queensland waters except the Gulf of Carpentaria: 1 November to 31 January each year; Gulf of Carpentaria: 7 October to 31 January each year. The freshwater closure is a ban on TARGETING barramundi, and it does not apply in a named list of impoundments (Awoonga, Monduran, Tinaroo, Peter Faust and others) or the waterways above them, where catch-and-release continues. The Northern Territory and Western Australia run their own barramundi rules, including per-river bag limits, and were not verified in this round — check NT Fisheries or WA DPIRD before fishing there.

Licensing:

saltwater-recreational — residents Licensing is state-level, not federal. NSW: the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee covers salt and fresh water. VIC: Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence. QLD: no general recreational licence for most saltwater fishing. WA, SA, TAS, NT: state-specific licences and permits. Bag, size and possession limits always come from the state you are fishing in., non-residents The same state rules apply to visitors, and a short-term licence can normally be bought online from the state authority before you fish.
freshwater-recreational — residents Inland fishing usually needs a state recreational licence (NSW, VIC) or an angler permit (NT, parts of QLD). Freshwater closed seasons are separate from tidal ones — Queensland, for example, closes barramundi in fresh water and in tidal water on the same dates but publishes them on different pages., non-residents Visiting anglers must hold the relevant state licence or permit.

FishRadar regulations are summaries for informational purposes only. Australian fishing rules are set by each state and vary by zone, and this national pack shows the strictest figure we have verified rather than your state's own. Always verify with the relevant state authority (NSW DPIRD, QLD DPI, VFA, WA DPIRD, SA PIRSA, NRE Tasmania, NT Fisheries) before fishing.