Cairns Fishing Report July 4th

CTW Staffer Jai Irwin with an impressive 106cm barramundi caught this week on a soft plastic vibe.

Reef Fishing

Strong winds kept smaller boats on their trailers this week, but a few adventurous charter crews ventured out to sheltered reef systems between Daintree and Cairns. Their efforts were rewarded with a solid mix of reef species including coral trout, large and small mouth nannygai, cobia, sweetlip, golden trevally, and emperors. Spanish mackerel were on the chew again, hitting floating pilchards during bottom fishing sessions, with multiple fish caught in quick succession. Off Lizard Island, trolling Halco Laser Pros has also delivered hot mackerel action around the protected reefs.

Islands & Headlands

Early morning raids around the islands from Cairns to Tully brought in a good showing of Spanish, school, and spotty mackerel despite rough conditions. The usual mackerel hotspots produced solid numbers for anglers who timed the tides and weather windows. These fish remain active and will continue to be prime targets as calmer seas return. The Family Group and Dunk Island have been fishing well when weather has allowed access. The arrival of spotty mackerel schools from the south, particularly around Silver Sands off Kurrimine Beach, is imminent, with red-hot action fast approaching for patient local and visiting anglers.

Spanish mackerel have been schooled thick around the islands and reef edges.

Rivers & Estuaries

Estuary fishing has remained steady with a wide variety of species on offer. The Endeavour River produced well with barramundi, mangrove jack, fingermark, queenfish, and trevally all taking live herring. Lure anglers working the Daintree River had to put in the effort, but soft plastic prawns enticed barra and jacks, while surface lures triggered some exciting queenfish strikes.

In the Cairns Inlet, quality fingermark were found in the deeper holes during smaller tides, and the Barron River continued its impressive run of metre-plus barramundi. Night tides also saw grunter active across the flats. Mud crabs have been moving, and catches should increase with the building tides heading into the weekend.

Further south, the Mulgrave and Johnstone Rivers delivered barramundi and mangrove jacks for anglers casting soft plastic prawns like the Mintoss Skip Prawns and DOA Shrimps. Bait fishers had success near the river mouths with whiting, flathead, and bream taken on yabbies and fresh local prawns. River-run queenfish and trevally remained active for those working surface lures. Around Tully and Hinchinbrook, grunter dominated catches on the bigger night and early morning tides, alongside jack, fingermark, flathead, and bream. Mud crabs were caught in good numbers, and blue swimmers are beginning to show up too.

Weekend Outlook

Unfortunately, conditions for small boat owners will remain tough with strong winds continuing to limit inshore access. However, there may be early morning windows for quick mackerel sessions around the southern islands before the wind sets in. Larger boats should still be able to head out to the reef, where both bottom dwellers and pelagic species remain in play.

Following a mid-week cold snap, temperatures are forecast to rise over the weekend. This should help fire up the barra and jack bite in the rivers and estuaries. Anglers should try casting imitation prawns, soft plastic paddle tails, and small diving minnows. Queenfish and trevally are expected to be a prime target along the cleaner stretches of major riverbanks, particularly in the Russell and Daintree Rivers. Halco Roosta Poppers and Strada Pro Tempest 110 Stick Baits are excellent choices for chasing these high-energy sportfish.

Bait anglers can still expect plenty of action on whiting, bream, and flathead, while mud crabs should be on the move. Those setting pots overnight with fresh fish or chicken frames should be in for a good haul.