Marlin Fishing Australia

This is a general guide to marlin fishing Australia and the various marlin fishing seasons on offer across this wonderful country.

If your locale or destination is not featured on this page, or, there is a particular destination that you’d like to see here, please email me with details.

Australia offers some of the best marlin fishing destinations in the world.

Read on to find out more!

Cairns Heavy Tackle Giant Black Marlin

Every year in September (through December), giant black marlin return to the warm waters of the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef, from Cairns to Lizard Island. They come from all over the Pacific to spawn, giant females to sizes in excess of 1,000lb that attract smaller male fish and a posse of international anglers.

Seeking the fish of your dreams? This is the place to be! If you are interested in learning a little bit more about the Cairns marlin fishing season please take a look at this story I wrote for Qantas AIR magazine (March 2010 issue) about the 2009 Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic.

Port Stephens – Striped, Blue and Black Marlin

Home to Australia’s largest gamefishing competition, the NSW Interclub in February/March every year. Blue, black and striped marlin are prolific in these waters and a marlin grand slam – all three species in a single day – is not uncommon.

Typically the Port Stephens marlin season starts over the summer months (as early as Christmas) and runs through until April/May.

A beautiful part of the country, Port Stephens is a 2 hour drive north of Sydney.

Gold & Sunshine Coast – Blacks, Sails and Blues

The light tackle fishing for black marlin and sailfish in the summer months off South East Queensland offers fun for the novice through to the experienced angler.  You are often fishing just a few miles from the beach.

Some of the best congregations of these juvenile fish are found at:

• Breaksea Spit at the northern end of Fraser Island
• Cape Moreton off Brisbane
• Point Lookout off North Stradbroke Island
• Jumpin’ Pin off the Gold Coast.

The region also offers opportunities for mid to heavy tackle fishing for blue marlin year round (though it is best during the cooler months).

Townsville – Juvenile Black Marlin and Sailfish

Off Townsville’s Cape Bowling Green huge bait schools attract sailfish and juvenile black marlin at the end of winter, July through early September.

The fish generally congregate in 30 metres of water, between the inshore coral reefs and the mainland, not only off Townsville, but north through to Cairns, and south as well.

These are first year marlin, the “product” of the Giant Black Marlin that aggregate in Cairns each year in September to December.