Airlie Beach Fishing Spots

Searching for notable Airlie beach fishing spots? Say no more!
The Whitsundays area is no doubt one of the most famous fishing destinations for anglers. You won’t go wrong with its reef drop-offs, tropical islands, estuaries, and the Peter Faust Dam.
There is, however, a place if you chase the reef species. With islands edged with boomies and flourish reef edges, the Airlie Beach is an angler’s heaven on earth.

Willfish: Your local fishing guide and Airlie Beach fishing charter!

Your best bet if you don’t know the area and want to catch fish. Hire Wilfish: your local Airlie Beach fishing charter. You don’t just hire a boat and experienced skipper; You get treated to a passion for fishing and someone who has the knowledge of the local fishing grounds. Using Willfish Whitsunday fishing charters gives you the flexibility to visit coves and bays you cannot get to without boat or wouldn’t find without local knowledge. Do you want to go on a fishing trip of a life time: Book your Whitsundays Fishing charter: click here

And if you want to try it on your own: Here are some Airlie beach fishing spots to visit if you’re in the area and want to surfcast.

The Best Airlie Beach Fishing Spot

Shute Harbour Jetty

This local gem claims the top spot, according to most anglers.
This area has its fair share of giant Trevally. Tuna schools can also be spotted at first light along the Shute Harbour and Long Island areas.
Also, a few anglers have reported catching Mack tuna and Northern bluefin. We suggest using live baits to catch quality Barramundi and Mangrove jack.

Airlie’s Rockwalls

The rockwalls are one of the best Airlie beach fishing spots even for land-based anglers.
Some anglers claim to catch a few Mangrove jack while someone caught a nice Coral trout along the sailing club rockwall. Grunter and Whiting can be caught along the Port of Airlie and Whisper Bay boat ramp rockwalls, too.

Another example is the VMR rockwall

to the left of the Cannonvale boat ramp when the tide is high. Notable catches include Fingermark, large golden Trevally, and even a few, big Permit.
You can also try fishing on the right side of the ramp. Bream, Mangrove jack, Trevally species, Fingermark, and Barramundi usually feed on the broken rocks along the shoreline.
The best time for this is during a rising tide late in the afternoon using squid, prawns, and strips of garfish. Strips of live baits will also increase your chance of catching Barramundi.
These seem to attract predatory fish and the areas come alive at night with lots of action.
Barramundis with sizes ranging from 60-70 cm has been caught, and other fish over a meter long. These only show that big fish lie even in these rocky areas.

The Proserpine River

A short drive from Airlie Beach, this is one of the best Airlie beach fishing spots to catch the King Salmon. It’s caught in the deep bends of the river using small mullets or live prawns.
Soft vibes as lures are recommended to catch a good number of Salmon. Also, anglers who use dead baits reported good-sized Grunters.
Moreover, Repulse Bay has its share of huge Grunters with a few anglers reporting them to be around 70 cm. Repulse Creek is also home to Mangrove jack and a few Barramundi and mud crabs in the smaller creeks.

Hydeaway Bay/Dingo Beach

This is where the fishing gods have shone their light upon us.
A lot of prawns, crabs, and some Mangrove jack can be caught up the creeks. A lot of Coral trout and Blackspot tuskfish can then be found when you move inshore to the reefs and islands.
Several species of Trevally and lots of Mackerel tuna are also on the prowl.
The run of light winds and the smaller tides helped clear the water up around its outer edges to overall improve pelagic fishing.

Summary:

Nothing beats local Airlie Beach fishing knowledge. so chat with the locals to hear the best fishing spots for the time of year. Hire a local fishing charter in Airlie Beach.

If you are going on your own, please be aware 

  • Please make sure you’re fishing in the correct fishing zones.
  • The mainland coast that surrounds Airlie Beach is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This world heritage area has some zones where fishing isn’t allowed.
  • Some of the areas are highly-protected and can cause you a huge fine or even some jail time when caught dropping a line in a prohibited zone.
Airlie Beach fishing spots

Airlie Beach fishing spots