The Best Places To Take Your Brisbane Kids Fishing

Here are some local Brisbane places to introduce your Brisbane Kids to fishing, where it’s not too hard to catch something – hopefully more than a cold!

Hornibrook Bridge, Pine River

The beautiful bridge may be gone but council have left a lovely area for families to drop a line out into the water. You can expect to catch tailor, bream and whiting if you are lucky. This is such a lovely part of Brisbane with surrounding playgrounds and parks a plenty. You could easily make a day of it and finish up at one of the many local fish and chip shops (if you aren’t lucky enough to catch your own)

Cabbage Tree Creek Shorncliffe

Head to the inlet on Sinbad St Shorncliffe – On Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings you might be lucky enough to be there when the trawlers turn up and sell their fresh seafood direct from the catch. It doesn’t get much better than this- and yes, I guess it is cheating, but we won’t tell if you don’t!

Nundah Creek and Nudgee Beach

Access to Nundah Creek mouth is via the Boondall Wetlands Park, Stanworth Rd Boondall. This is a popular spot for crabbing too – so bring your crab pots and your patience! 

If you head along fortitude St Nudgee Beach you can take a walk down the board-walk for fishing in the creek or alternatively, fish near the dog park on O’Quinn street. Watch out for bull sharks!

Mooloolah River, Buddina

La Balsa Park is a favourite for families and a great day trip if you want to do some fishing and then head to the beach. Located at Parcana Crescent Mooloolah (you can’t miss the park or the river). With toilets, picnic spots and close to suburbia this is a relaxed spot and perfect for catching bream, whiting, flathead and tailor.

Scarborough Spit, Scarborough

The Scarborough spit at low tide is a nice gentle place to take the kids fishing with the added bonus of being near the drop point of a popular sky-diving company. There are reports of some flathead being caught with local worms. Worming with kids is a huge amount of fun and a great way to wear them out.

Kookaburra Park, Karana Downs

Kookaburra Park at Karana Downs is great for kids as there is a great playground to keep them occupied if they get bored with trying to catch a fish. Features include access & car parking, boat ramp, a dog off-leash area, a fishing platform, kayak facility (Karana District), playground and public toilet. Interestingly, this is the area where a crocodile was allegedly spotted in 2017, which might explain why fisher-people are mainly reporting catches of bullsharks and not much else except the odd catfish. Find Kookaburra Park at Nayla Cr, Karana.

Golden Beach, Caloundra

The shores of Golden Beach are the opportune place to grab some whiting for dinner. Close to Bulcock and Kings Beach, this is another great spot when you are up the coast holidaying or as a fun extended day trip.

Maroochy River Maroochydore

If you drive to the mouth of the river you will find lots of fishing spots right off the banks of the Maroochy River. Lots of fish including flathead, cod and whiting.

Coomera River Gold Coast

You will find the fishing platform underneath the M1 Motorway crossing of the Coomera River. This boardwalk connects Koala Town in Upper Coomera on the western side of the M1 with the Coomera Esplanade and township on the eastern side.The Esplanade, Coomera. Fish caught include bream, flathead, trevally, sharks and mangrove jack.  It is a tricky spot to find so check out the Gold Coast Council Fishing Map first https://www.goldcoastfishingspots.com.au/gold-coast-fishing-locations-map/

Tinchi Tamba Wetlands/Pine River Bald Hills/Bracken Ridge

Access via Wyampa Road. This is a very popular spot for little kids as the Deep Water Bend area boasts safe, easy fishing, barbecues, a playground and boardwalk. If little minds wander, there’s plenty of other stuff to do while dad keeps on fishing!

The reality of fishing with kids

• Kids tend to have short attention spans, so it might be best to plan a short excursion rather than a week long fishing immersion as their first experience.
• Use tackle, techniques and bait that is uncomplicated and simple.
• Expect to do a lot of untangling
• Teach the importance of conservation by catching and releasing, and if you do keep some fish, only keep what you can eat.
• Check the tides and the weather and be aware that fish do come in at different seasons, so a bad fishing spot today can be a good one tomorrow.
• Take plenty of sunscreen and protective clothes as well as plenty of snacks and drinks to keep them happy.
• For up to date information about catch sizes and bag limits check out the website for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry at https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/recreational/recreational-fishing-rules

Where to fish resources

Let’s face it, fishing is not like it was when we were young and what was a good spot then, may not be now. The best people to know where to go are the people who fish all the time so we have collated a list of resources you can head to if you want to find more information about any of these spots.

https://www.scfaustralia.com/blog/flattopfishn lists a heap of different Sunshine Coast locations to fish, both salt and freshwater

Tackleland not only has Brisbane fishing spots marked out but also all the information you need to know about tides and weather.

Brisbane City Council has a list of land based fishing platforms which is the best place to fish with kids

gcfishing.com maps out the Gold Coast and the best fishing spots