North Queensland · Australia

Townsville Reef Access fishing forecast

Name: Townsville Reef Access
Address: North Queensland, AU

58 Good of 100

Townsville Reef Access is a saltwater fishing spot in North Queensland, Australia. Anglers here target Black Marlin, Indo-Pacific Sailfish, Mahi-Mahi, Wahoo. The most productive months are typically September, October, November, December, January.

Quick answer

Best monthsSeptember, October, November, December

Top speciesBlack Marlin, Indo-Pacific Sailfish, Mahi-Mahi

Score now58/100

Local rulesAustralia

Today’s verdict

Ranks #349 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 05:42

Current conditions

Sea surface temp	23.9 °C
Wind	19 km/h from NE, gusting 33 km/h
Wave height	0.4 m at 5 s
Current	0.03 m/s toward ENE
Pressure	1016 hPa
Cloud cover	7%
Chlorophyll	1.68 mg/m³
Salinity	36.1 PSU
Mixed-layer depth	7 m
UV index	7
Wind sea	0.3 m at 2 s
Ground swell	0.2 m at 5 s from ENE
Current shear (surface vs 50 m)	0.03 → 0.00 m/s

The water here is 0.4 °C warmer than the September average of 23.5 °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 32.7 m, with the thermocline below that.

Updated 1 h ago.

What the score means at Townsville Reef Access

Townsville Reef Access currently scores 58 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 23.9 °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 +3.5: moving water concentrates bait
Barometric pressure +3.3: falling pressure often triggers feeding

What’s biting now

The model expects today: black-marlin, sailfish, wahoo, spotted-mackerel, redthroat-emperor, grass-emperor, school-mackerel, king-threadfin

Bite windows

Moon

Waning Crescent · 15% lit

Solunar day rating

50 / 100

Best months for Townsville Reef Access:

Score history at this spot

30 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-08-16, 72/100

1 day(s) at 70+ in the tracked period

5 points below 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

Black Marlin

Istiompax indica
Indo-Pacific Sailfish

Istiophorus platypterus
Mahi-Mahi

Coryphaena hippurus
Wahoo

Acanthocybium solandri

Best months by species at Townsville Reef Access

Black MarlinIstiompax indica
Indo-Pacific SailfishIstiophorus platypterus
Mahi-MahiCoryphaena hippurus
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
Black MarlinOfficial source	1/day	—	—
CORRECTED 2026-08-06. NSW allows one black marlin per angler per day (the limit is one of EACH of striped, black and blue marlin) with no minimum length; for marlin the NSW possession limit equals the bag limit. Queensland publishes no marlin-specific size or possession limit in its tidal limits table. Tag-and-release is the overwhelming norm in Australian game fishing and most tournaments require it, but it is a convention, not the law in NSW. Other states were not verified in this round.

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.