HOOKED ON THE BURDEKIN

Reeling in the best of North Queensland’s fishing and boating scene

If you’re into fishing and boating, the Burdekin should be at the top of your bucket list. Tucked between Townsville and Bowen in North Queensland, it’s a place where creeks, rivers and reef all come together. With boat ramps across the region and fish in every direction, it’s less about finding the right spot, and more about choosing which great one to try first.

Cast Off From Anywhere

With eight public boat ramps across the shire, getting on the water is easy—whether you're after a lazy creek session or a run out to the reef.

Cromarty Boat Ramp leads into the Haughton River, famous for barramundi but just as good for whiting, flathead and grunter. Just a little further north, Barramundi Creek (a.k.a. Morris’s Creek) and Barratta Creek are barra and mud crab favourites. For offshore access, Ocean Creek is your best bet—just 13km from Ayr and known for mangrove jack, barra and crabs.

Closer to town, Plantation Creek and Hell Hole ramps offer solid bream, whiting and jack. Over in Home Hill, Groper Creek and Wallace Creek are net-free zones packed with prawns, grunter, barra and more.

No Boat? No Problem.

Land-based fishing in the Burdekin is just as good. Groper Creek has a public jetty perfect for throwing a line or cast net. Lynch’s Beach at Alva (14km from Ayr) is a 4WD-accessible flathead and salmon haven. For something more remote, Wunjunga Beach is wild, beautiful, and full of fish.

There’s also the mighty Burdekin River—and inland, Lake Dalrymple’s stocked with barra, cod, grunter and more. Just be sure to grab a permit.

So, whether you're chasing barra in a shaded creek, tossing a net off a jetty, or heading out to the reef with an esky full of drinks and a boatload of optimism, the Burdekin is one of the best places in Queensland to drop your line.

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