Fishing in Port Douglas & Daintree

Before Port Douglas became a tourist mecca it was renowned as a sleepy fishing village where the catches were as plentiful as the stories shared about ‘the one that got away’. These days, the waters off Port Douglas and Daintree are regarded as a tropical paradise for recreational anglers, with the closest access to some of the best fishing playgrounds on the Great Barrier Reef and beyond.

From a catch and release fishing experience for beginners to estuary and creek fishing with barramundi, and reef and game fishing on sections of the Great Barrier Reef, there's plenty of opportunity to catch the biggest dinner you've ever seen!

Hook-A-Barra

Head north to Wonga Beach to Hook-A-Barra! This land based sustainable fishing experience with barramundi in tropical saltwater from the pristine Daintree River is waiting for you to try your luck. This is an exciting way to practice your angling, have fun flicking lures and ultimately bring home a delicious dinner. Hook-A-Barra is one of the top options that kids can get involved in.

It’s a fishing perk to have the reef within reach

Get set for an epic day with shared reef fishing charters. Common catches of the reef fishing fleet include mammoth gold spot cods, chinaman fish and red emperors just to name a few. Coral trout is another beautiful (and delicious!) fish you're likely to come across.

MV Norseman is a purpose designed and custom made vessel built for comfort, speed and includes a high-tech superior fit out. Norseman will ensure you spend more time fishing for some of the best eating and fighting fish on the planet.

Vessels Zulu, Minke and Levante offer luxury charters, day trips and live-aboard options for light tackle and sports fishing (a great style of fishing for the first time angler, right through to the pro), as well as bottom fishing on the reef. Bottom fishing for reef species is available most the year round where the targeted (and tastiest!) fish on the Great Barrier Reef include coral trout, red emperor and nannygai.

East Coast Angling specialises in topwater casting and saltwater fly fishing and have a strong ethos towards sustainable fishing techniques. You'll be coached on how to improve your fishing technique, how to handle and look after fish intended for release and ways to work together to ensure the longevity of our fishery. Not only catering for serious anglers, East Coast Angling also customise trips to suit families and other groups who just want to experience the Great Barrier Reef in a small and personal group. Their luxury live-aboard Mothership, MV Savannah, will allow you to charter and travel to new destinations each day, to remote reefs that very few have fished.

It’s not just offshore fishing...there’s plenty of inshore action

The fishing can be just as fierce on inshore reefs and up the estuaries, with the best part being that fish are up close without having to travel to the Outer Reef, giving you more fishing time. Perch, mackerel, coral trout, sweetlip can be found on the inshore reefs, with barra and mangrove jacks in the estuary.

Whether it's these inshore reefs, a quick trip to Low Isles or cruising the estuary system, the vessels at Out n About Sportsfishing - "Reel Therapy" and "Reel Escapes" - are designed for speed, comfort and stability at the forefront of boating technology and ready to get you to your desired destination FAST, ensuring maximum fishing time.

Those who would prefer a little less ocean-going and a lot more calm water relaxing combined with fierce fishing, can jump on board Hook Up Charters searching for the elusive barramundi or the mighty mud crab.

You can fish the reef and the rainforest

For a rainforest fishing experience, the mighty Daintree River 45 minutes north of Port Douglas is home to a myriad of fish species and plenty of adventure.

On The Daintree Charters will have you reaping the rewards of high rainfall and complex mangrove systems in the river; no two creeks are the same, and you’re close to Snapper Island and inshore reefs for variety. The Daintree River is famous for barra, but there’s also plenty of queenfish up to four-foot long, trevally, fingermark and javelin fish…you name it, On The Daintree Charters will have you tickling them on the nose either trolling, casting, lure and even fly fishing, particularly in the calmer weather.

Daintree River Fishing & Photography Tours calm water river fishing and nature tour targets barramundi, mangrove jack, fingermark, trevally and mudcrabs; whilst on the Daintree coast, you’ll use a mixture of live baiting, lure, fly and trolling in search of Spanish mackerel, tuna, coral trout, nannygai and reef sharks.

Are you game?

More than 80 per cent of 1000-pound-plus marlin are caught here in the waters off Far North Queensland. It’s the Formula 1 of fishing, with the ultimate in big game vessels, the best fishing gear and operators who know where to find the big boys. Marlin tend to be most active in the afternoon, in the mornings you’re better off rigging up light tackle to chase wahoo, dolphin fish, tuna and mackerel for some exciting sports fishing.

Zulu Luxury Charters offer extended live-aboard heavy tackle fishing charters between September and mid December annually targeting giant black marlin. Offering customised fully catered and equipped private day trips and multi day adventures, Zulu Luxury Charters will have you avoiding the crowds and creating your own unique memories on the Great Barrier Reef.

This blog has been written in collaboration with Greg McLean and Sharon Timms.