Size and possession limits in tidal waters

'Tidal waters' are waters subject to tidal influence, such as those with:

• marine plants (mangroves, seagrasses, marine algae, or salt marsh)
• marina fauna
• salt or brackish water, or
• tidal ebb and flow (regardless of salinity).

General possession limit

If a tidal species is not listed on this page, a general possession limit of 20 applies.

How size and possession limits work

In Queensland, size and possession limits are in place to protect the long-term sustainability of our fisheries. Find out more about responsible fishing.

• There are minimum size limits and some maximum size limits for certain freshwater species.
• Make sure you know how to measure your catch correctly.

A possession limit is the total number of fish you can legally take and keep at any single time:

• It is not a daily limit.
• It includes fish you have at home, including those in your freezer.

Queensland also has closed seasons and waters in place.

Catch and release

Return undersized, oversized, no-take, or closed-season species to the water immediately to give them the best chance of survival. Watch our top tips for catch-and-release.

Fishing gear

To prevent overfishing, restrictions apply to the gear you can use. Make sure you’re using the correct fishing gear.

Identify your catch

Not sure what species you’ve caught?

• Download the Qld Fishing 2.0 app
• Use our fish species identification guide

Coral reef fin fish

There is a combined possession limit of 20 in total for all coral reef fin fish.

See the complete list of all coral reef fin fish species.

Skin removal and filleting rules:

• You can have whole (dead), gilled, gutted, or filleted fish on board a boat. Fillets must be at least 40cm long with skin and scales left on.
• You can only have a live fish on board a boat if it's going to be displayed in an aquarium (except coral trout and redthroat emperor).
• You cannot have fillets of blue spotted coral trout (Chinese footballer) on board a boat.

There are 2 five-day closed seasons in October and November each year.

Cods and groupers

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Cods and groupers	Min: 38cm	Combined limit: 5 in total of all cod and grouper species
Exceptions
Barramundi cod	No take	No take
Camouflage grouper	Min: 50cm Max: 70cm	Combined limit: 5 in total of all cod and grouper species
Flowery rockcod	Min: 50cm Max: 70cm	Combined limit: 5 in total of all cod and grouper species
Greasy rockcod	Min: 38cm Max: 100cm	Combined limit: 5 in total of all cod and grouper species
Maori rockcod	Min: 45cm	Combined limit: 5 in total of all cod and grouper species
Potato rockcod	No take	No take
Queensland grouper	No take	No take

Coral trout

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Coral trout	Min: 38cm	Combined limit: 7 in total of all trout species
Exception
Blue spotted coral trout (Chinese footballer)	Min: 50cm Max: 80cm	Combined limit: 7 in total of all trout species

Emperors

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Emperors	Min: 25cm	Limit: 5 per species
Exceptions
Longnose emperor	Min: 38cm	Limit: 5
Redthroat emperor (sweetlip emperor)	Min: 38cm	Limit: 8
Spangled emperor	Min: 45cm	Limit: 5

Fusiliers

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Fusiliers	No size limit	Limit: 20

Parrotfish

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Parrotfish	Min: 25cm	Limit: 5 per species

Surgeonfish

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Surgeonfish	Min: 25cm	Limit: 5 per species

Sweetlips

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Sweetlips	Min: 25cm	Limit: 5 per species

Tropical snappers and sea perch

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Tropical snappers and sea perch	Min: 25cm	Limit: 5 per species
Exceptions
Chinaman fish	No take	No take
Crimson snapper (small-mouth nannygai)	Min: 40cm	Combined limit: 9 in total of crimson and saddletail snapper
Flame snapper	Min: 38cm	Limit: 5
Goldband snapper	Min: 38cm	Combined limit: 5 in total of goldband and sharptooth snapper
Green jobfish	Min: 38cm	Limit: 5
Hussar	Min: 25cm	Limit: 10
Lavender snapper (lavender jobfish)	Min: 38cm	Combined limit: 8 in total of rosy and lavender snapper
Paddletail	No take	No take
Red bass	No take	No take
Red emperor	Min: 55cm	Limit: 5
Rosy snapper (Rosy jobfish)	Min: 38cm	Combined limit: 8 in total of rosy and lavender snapper
Ruby snapper	Min: 38cm	Limit: 5
Saddletail snapper (large-mouth nannygai)	Min: 40cm	Combined limit: 9 in total of crimson and saddletail snapper
Sharptooth snapper	Min: 38cm	Combined limit: 5 in total of goldband and sharptooth snapper
Smalltooth jobfish	Min: 38cm	Limit: 5

Wrasse

Species		Size limit	Possession limit
Wrasse		Min: 30cm	Limit: 5 per species
Exceptions
Blackfin pigfish		Min: 25cm	Limit: 5
Diana's pigfish		Min: 25cm	Limit: 5
Eclipse pigfish		Min: 25cm	Limit: 5
Goldspot pigfish		Min: 25cm	Limit: 5
Humphead Maori wrasse		No take	No take
Redbreast Maori wrasse		Min: 25cm	Limit: 5
Triple tail Maori wrasse		Min: 25cm	Limit: 5
Tuskfish (all species)		Min: 30cm	Combined limit: 6 in total of all tuskfish species

Other tidal fish

Skin removal and filleting rules:

• You cannot have fillets on board a boat with the skin removed. Some exceptions apply (see details in relevant species information below).
• You can only divide fish into portions if an inspector can easily count the number of fish in your possession.

Australian bass

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Australian bass	Min: 30cm	Limit: 2	Closed season applies

Barramundi

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Barramundi	Min: 58cm Max: 120cm	Limit: 5 per person, or 10 per boat (with 2 or more people on board)	Closed seasons apply

Bream

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Pikey bream	Min: 25cm	Combined limit: 30 in total of pikey bream, tarwhine and yellowfin bream
Tarwhine	Min: 25cm	Combined limit: 30 in total of pikey bream, tarwhine and yellowfin bream
Yellowfin bream	Min: 25cm	Combined limit: 30 in total of pikey bream, tarwhine and yellowfin bream

Cobia

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Cobia (black kingfish)	Min: 75cm	Limit: 2

Dorab wolf herring

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Dorab wolf herring	No size limit	Limit: 10

Eels

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Longfin eel	Min: 30cm	Combined limit: 10 in total of all eel species
Pacific shortfin (South Pacific) eel	Min: 30cm	Combined limit: 10 in total of all eel species
Southern shortfin eel	Min: 30cm	Combined limit: 10 in total of all eel species

Estuary cod

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Blackspotted rockcod	Min: 38cm Max: 120cm	Combined limit: 5 in total of all cod and grouper species
Goldspotted rockcod	Min: 38cm Max: 120cm	Combined limit: 5 in total of all cod and grouper species

Flathead

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Flathead	Min: 30cm	Combined limit: 5 in total of all flathead species (except dusky flathead)
Exception
Dusky (mud) flathead	Min: 40cm Max: 75cm	Limit: 5

Garfish

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Garfish	None	Combined limit: 50 in total of all garfish species

Golden snapper

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Golden snapper (fingermark)	Min: 35cm	Limit: 5

Grass emperor

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Grass emperor (sweetlip)	Min: 30cm	Limit: 10

Javelin

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Barred javelin (spotted grunter) - Queensland east coast	Min: 40cm (whole or head/tail removed), or Min fillet length: 26cm (skin left on while on board a boat)	Limit: 10
Barred javelin (spotted grunter) - Gulf of Carpentaria	Min: 40cm (whole or head/tail removed), or Min fillet length: 26cm (skin left on while on board a boat)	Limit: 10 whole fish, or 20 fillets
Silver javelin (small spotted grunter)	Min: 30cm	Limit: 10

Jewfish

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Black jewfish - Queensland east coast	Min: 75cm	Limit: 1 per person, or 2 per boat (with 2 or more people on board)	Must be kept whole while on a boat. Closed waters apply.
Black jewfish - Gulf of Carpentaria	Min: 60cm	Limit: 1 per person, or 2 per boat (with 2 or more people on board)	Must be kept whole while on a boat. Becomes a no-take species if the annual total allowable commercial catch is reached—fishery currently open.
Scaly jewfish (jewel fish)	Min: 45cm	Limit: 20	Must be kept whole while on a boat.

Luderick

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Luderick	Min: 30cm	Limit: 10

Mackerel

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Grey mackerel	Min: 60cm	Limit: 5	-
School mackerel	Min: 50cm	Limit: 10	-
Shark mackerel	Min: 50cm	Limit: 10	-
Spanish mackerel - Queensland east coast	Min: 75cm	Limit: 1 per person, or 4 per boat (with 4 or more people on board)	Closed seasons apply
Spanish mackerel - Gulf of Carpentaria	Min: 75cm	Limit: 3 per person, or 6 per boat (with 2 or more people on board)	Limit of 6 per person on a licensed charter fishing trip entirely in Gulf of Carpentaria waters for a continuous period of at least 48 hours.
Spotted mackerel	Min: 60cm	Limit: 5	-

Mahi mahi

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Mahi mahi (dolphin fish)	Min: 50cm	Limit: 5

Mangrove jack

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Mangrove jack	Min: 35cm	Limit: 5

Mullet

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Mullet	None	Limit: 50
Exceptions
Diamondscale mullet	Min: 30cm	Limit: 20
Freshwater mullet	Min: 30cm	Limit: 20
Sea mullet	Min: 30cm	Limit: 20

Mulloway

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Mulloway	Min: 75cm	Limit: 2	Must be kept whole while on a boat.

Pearl perch

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Pearl perch	Min: 38cm	Limit: 4	Closed season applies

Snapper

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Snapper	Min: 35cm	Limit: 4 per person with no more than 1 fish over 70cm, or 8 per boat (with 2 or more people on board) with no more than 2 fish over 70cm	Closed season applies

Tailor

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Tailor	Min: 35cm	Limit: 20

Teraglin

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Teraglin	Min: 38cm	Limit: 5

Threadfin (salmon)

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Blue threadfin - Queensland east coast	Min: 40cm	Limit: 10
Blue threadfin - Gulf of Carpentaria	Min: 40cm	Limit: 20
King threadfin - Queensland east coast	Min: 65cm	Limit: 5
King threadfin - Gulf of Carpentaria	Min: 60cm	Limit: 5

Trevally

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Trevally	None	Combined limit: 20 in total of all trevally species
Exceptions
Amberjack	Min: 50cm	Combined limit: 2 in total of amberjack and samsonfish
Giant queenfish	Min: 50cm	Limit: 5
Samsonfish	Min: 50cm	Combined limit: 2 in total of amberjack and samsonfish
Swallowtail dart	Min: 30cm	Limit: 30
Yellowtail kingfish	Min: 60cm	Limit: 2

Wahoo

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Wahoo	Min: 75cm	Limit: 2

Whiting

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Goldenline whiting	Min: 23cm	Combined limit: 30 in total of sand, goldenline and northern whiting
Northern whiting	Min: 23cm	Combined limit: 30 in total of sand, goldenline and northern whiting
Sand (summer) whiting	Min: 23cm	Combined limit: 30 in total of sand, goldenline and northern whiting
Trumpeter (winter) whiting	None	Limit: 50

Crabs

Follow the rules for responsible crabbing.

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Blue swimmer crab	Min: 11.5cm	Limit: 20	No take: Female blue swimmer crabs. You cannot possess blue swimmer crabs with the shell missing, or claws without the rest of the crab.
Mud crab	Min: 15cm	Limit: 7 per person, or 14 per boat (with 2 or more people on board)	No take: Female mud crabs. You cannot possess mud crabs with the shell missing, or claws without the rest of the crab. Closed waters apply.
Spanner crab	Min: 10cm	Limit: 20	No take: Egg-bearing spanner crabs. You cannot possess spanner crab claws without the rest of the crab. Closed season applies.
Three-spotted crab	Min: 10cm	Limit: 20	No take: Egg-bearing three-spotted crabs. You cannot possess three-spotted crab claws without the rest of the crab.

Prawns, bugs and lobsters

Prawns

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Prawns	None	Limit: 10 litres per person, or 20 litres per boat (with 2 or more people on board)	You cannot have prawns with the heads (or any other part) removed in your possession, unless you intend to eat them immediately.

Bugs

• You cannot have bug meat in your possession on a boat unless you intend to eat it immediately (otherwise bugs must remain whole).
• You cannot have a bug with a damaged shell or with a shell separated from the body in your possession.

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Moreton Bay bug (bay lobster)	Min: 7.5cm (across widest part of shell)	Limit: 20	-
Balmain (smooth) bug	Min: 10.5cm (across widest part of shell)	Limit: 20	No take: Egg-bearing Balmain bugs.

Slipper lobster

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Slipper lobster	None	Limit: 20	No take: Egg-bearing slipper lobsters.

Tropical rocklobster

• You cannot have a live tropical rocklobster in your possession.
• No take: Egg-bearing tropical rocklobsters.
• No take: Tropical rocklobsters with tar spots (sperm packets) attached.
• Closed season applies.

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Tropical rocklobster	None	Combined limit: 5 per person, or 10 per boat (with 2 or more people on board) in total of all tropical rocklobster species
Exceptions
Ornate crayfish (Panulirus ornatus)	Min tail: 11.5cm Min shell: 9cm	Combined limit: 5 per person, or 10 per boat (with 2 or more people on board) in total of all tropical rocklobster species
Red champagne lobster	Min: 7.5cm	Combined limit: 5 per person, or 10 per boat (with 2 or more people on board) in total of all tropical rocklobster species

Molluscs and oysters

Bivalve molluscs and gastropods

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Bivalve molluscs and gastropods (including pipis, clams, mud arks and whelks, and cockles—excluding all oysters)	None	Limit: 30	No take: Bivalve molluscs and gastropods (excluding pipis) in Moreton Bay.

Clams

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Clams (family Tridacnidae)	No take	No take
Helmet shells	No take	No take
Trumpet shells	No take	No take

Green snail

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Green snail	Min: 280g	Limit: 20

Oysters

• You can only take pearl oysters away from a public oyster reserve or an unlicensed oyster ground. You must eat all other oysters where you catch them.
• All licensed oyster grounds and aquaculture areas are required to display signage. Taking oysters from, or interfering with, aquaculture infrastructure and licensed oyster grounds is illegal and carries heavy penalties.

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Oysters	None	Limit: 20
Exceptions
Blacklip pearl oyster	Min: 9cm	Limit: 20
Goldlip pearl oyster	Min: 13cm Max: 23 cm	Limit: 20

Trochus

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Trochus	Min: 8cm Max: 12.5cm  (measure across widest part of the base of the shell)	Limit: 20

Sharks and rays

Fin and tail removal and filleting rules:

• You can remove the fins and tails of some sharks and rays, but the rest of the body must also be on board the boat.
• You can divide a shark or ray into portions as long as an inspector can easily count the number of sharks or rays in your possession.

Sharks

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Sharks	Max overall length: 150cm, or Max interdorsal length: 60cm	Combined limit: 1 shark or ray per person, or 2 sharks or rays per boat (with 2 or more people on board).	-
Exceptions
Grey nurse shark	No take	No take	-
Grey reef shark	Max overall length: 150cm, or Max interdorsal length: 60cm	Combined limit: 1 shark or ray per person, or 2 sharks or rays per boat (with 2 or more people on board).	You cannot fillet grey reef sharks, or remove the tails or fins, or have tails or fins on a boat.
Hammerhead shark	No take	No take	-
Sand tiger shark	No take	No take	-
Speartooth shark	No take	No take	-
White shark	No take	No take	-
Whitetip reef shark	Max overall length: 150cm, or Max interdorsal length: 60cm	Combined limit: 1 shark or ray per person, or 2 sharks or rays per boat (with 2 or more people on board).	You cannot fillet whitetip reef sharks, or remove the tails or fins, or have tails or fins on a boat.

Rays

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Rays	Max overall length: 150cm, or Max interdorsal length: 60cm	Combined limit: 1 shark or ray per person, or 2 sharks or rays per boat (with 2 or more people on board).	-
Exceptions
Guitarfish	Max overall length: 150cm, or Max interdorsal length: 60cm	Combined limit: 1 shark or ray per person, or 2 sharks or rays per boat (with 2 or more people on board).	You cannot fillet guitarfish, or remove the tails or fins, or have tails or fins on a boat.
Manta ray	No take	No take	-
Sawfish	No take	No take	-
Shovelnose ray	Max overall length: 150cm, or Max interdorsal length: 60cm	Combined limit: 1 shark or ray per person, or 2 sharks or rays per boat (with 2 or more people on board).	You cannot fillet shovelnose rays, but you can trunk or gut them. Fins must be naturally attached.

Sea cucumbers

Species	Size limit	Possession limit	Notes
Sea cucumber	None	Limit: 5 per person, or 10 per boat (with 2 or more people on board) for waters north of latitude 20° south (near Bowen) and waters east of longitude 142°31’49’’ east (Gulf waters).	Closed waters apply
Exceptions
Black teatfish	No take	No take	-
White teatfish	No take	No take	-

Worms and bait species

• If you catch a fish to be used as bait, it must comply with all recreational fishing rules (for example, size and possession limits, closed seasons, etc).
• You cannot use no-take species as bait.
• Worm-digging closed waters apply.

Worms

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Beach worms	None	Limit: 30
Cribb Island worms (formerly known as bloodworms)	None	Limit: 50
All other worms (for example, mangrove worms)	None	None

Bait species

Species	Size limit	Possession limit
Australian anchovy	None	None
Australian sardine	None	None
Common hardyhead	None	None
Cuttlefish or squid (excluding tiger squid)	None	Limit: 50
Herring	None	None
Saltwater yabby	None	None
Silver biddy	None	None
Smooth-clawed rock crab	None	Limit: 50
Soldier crab	None	None
Tiger squid	None	Limit: 20
Yellowtail pike	None	Limit: 50