Fish species in Australia 2023
There are over 4,000 different species of fish that can be found in Australia, making it difficult to determine which one is the best. Luckily, we’ll show you.
By Steve Starling
The fish population of Australia has had tens of millions of years to evolve and adapt to the distinct aquatic environments of this massive, isolated island continent, so it should come as no surprise that many species can be found nowhere else on Earth but in Australia.
On the other hand, even the species that you might be familiar with, such as the black marlin and certain types of tuna, have a tendency to be more abundant and grow larger here than almost anywhere else in the world.
The following is a brief list of some of Australia’s most exciting sport fishing target species or groups of fish. This list is referred to as Australia’s Dreamtime Dozen.
In reality, Australia’s Dreamtime Dozen is just the beginning; many anglers from around the world are reeling in species that they may not have even been aware of until the very moment they come into view.
The waters around Australia are home to a diverse and abundant population of these fish.
BARRAMUNDI
The Kimberley region of Western Australia, the entirety of the Northern Territory, and northern Queensland are just some of the places in our tropical north where these giant perch can be found. They can also be found in saltwater.
They have the potential to reach lengths of over 55 inches (1.4 meters) and weights of more than 40 kilograms (90 pounds). They’re a globally known sport fish, grabbing bait with an explosive strike, gill-rattling leaps and rapid, muscular runs.
They will bite at any time of the year, but the most active months are March and April.
GIANTS OF THE BLACK MARLIN SEA
Australia offers the world’s most consistent large black marlin fishing.
From September through early December each year, gigantic black marlin (including several “granders” in excess of a thousand pounds) converge in great numbers around the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef between Cairns and Lizard Island, in far northern Queensland.
BLUE, BLACK & STRIPED MARLIN
Large numbers of striped, black, and blue marlin follow schools of bait fish during the warmer months (the best months are February and March), providing an exceptional standard of game fishing from Brisbane in the state of Queensland to the far south coast of New South Wales, as well as off the west coast around Exmouth in the state of Western Australia. During these months, the fishing is at its best.
MACKEREL
The northern seas of Australia are home to a thriving population of many species of tropical and subtropical mackerel. Foremost amongst them is the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, a close cousin of the king mackerel.
The capture of one of these dangerous carnivores is highly coveted over the top of the country, from the southern tip of Queensland to the center of the coast of Western Australia. Readily accessible, they may be caught all year, but are frequently at their finest over the colder winter or dry season months.
SWORDFISH
The broadbill swordfish is the most coveted prize in game fishing, and Australia is one of the most dependable venues on the planet for capturing these fish.
Baits known as “deep dropping” that are let to fall to the ocean floor during daylight hours are bringing in impressive quantities of swordfish from southern Queensland to Tasmania, with many of these fish reaching proportions that have never been seen before.
TUNA
Many different kinds of tuna, including yellowfin, longtail, bigeye, dogtooth, and albacore, may be found in healthy populations in Australian waters, and many of them can grow to trophy proportions.
In our more temperate southern seas, such as those off the coasts of South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania, you may often find the biggest tuna.
In addition, vast shoals of smaller longtail and kawa-kawa tuna present anglers fishing with flies and lures with spectacular angling opportunities in the tropical north. The months of March through May are ideal for catching tuna.
YELLOWTAIL KINGFISH
Yellowtail kingfish are seasonally abundant in many Australian waters, particularly along our southeastern and southern coastlines from New South Wales around to the southern coast of Western Australia, where they often flourish alongside their less well-known but fittingly named cousins: the Samson fish.
Yellowtail kingfish are well-known among anglers all over the world for their incredible power and stamina, and they are especially prevalent in the waters that run along our southeastern and southern coastlines.
The months of February through April are prime time to catch kingfish.
TREVALE GIGANTE
These days, “GTs,” as they are more often called, are reputed to be the bullies of the fish world. The manner in which these giant jacks respond to a bouncing “surface popper” bait before speeding off into the depths is well-known in many parts of the world.
The excitement of the possibility of such encounters draws avid anglers from all over the world to the tropical north of Australia, as well as to the coral or rocky reefs that may be found throughout the Top End, from Western Australia to the coast of Queensland, where giant GTs are abundant.
GOLDEN TREVALLY, BONEFISH, AND PERMIT
The “big three” of inshore flats fishing are the permit, bonefish, and golden trevally. Permit are the most coveted of the three.
Even though it is plentiful, the Indo-Pacific permit (also known as oyster cracker or pumpkin head) is just as difficult to capture as its relatives in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and it is appreciated for the same reasons.
Bonefish are only caught in a few isolated areas (notably around Exmouth in Western Australia), but they are also regarded in high regard.
This is in contrast to golden trevally and permit, which can be found in large numbers across the northern region of Australia. The months of August and September are often the best months to look for all three of these species.
SNAPPER AND SOUTHERN REEF FISH
The exquisite pink snapper, also known as squirefish, can be found in the waters surrounding the southern part of Australia. This fish is highly prized for its use as a table fish because its white flesh is delectable.
It shares its southern seas with a number of other hard-fighting and flavorful treasures, such as the Bight redfish, queen snapper or blue morwong, and the West Australian dhufish, which is possibly the tastiest of any of them.
Some jurisdictions allow fishing throughout the whole year, whereas others, like South Australia and Western Australia, have certain times of the year when fishing is prohibited.
KING GEORGE WHITING
In most regions of the globe, species of the genus Sillago, more commonly known as whiting, are small but eagerly sought after treasures.
They are coveted for their flavorful flesh as well as the difficulty of snagging them with fine gear. However, the actual giants of the whiting family, which are fittingly dubbed King George, hide in the shallow, inshore seas of Victoria, South Australia, and southern Western Australia.
The King George, sometimes known as the “KG,” is a unique species of fish that can grow to lengths of more than 60 centimeters (24 inches) and weights of more than two kilograms (four pounds).
As a result, it has garnered the devoted following on a global scale that it justly merits. The months of March and April are the most favorable for catching a KG.
TROUT, INCLUDING BROWN, RAINBOW, AND BROOK SPECIES
In the 1860s, trout were brought to the waterways of Australia for the first time, and they did quite well in their new environment.
There are now significant populations of brown and rainbow trout in Australia’s colder regions; the best fishing may be found in Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory.
There are also some landlocked Atlantic and Chinook (quinnat) salmon, in addition to some smaller brook trout populations, which may be found in a few isolated pockets.
The finest opportunities to fish for trout in Australia may be found in Tasmania, as well as in the mountainous regions of New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory.
MURRAY COD
Murray cod have been documented reaching lengths of approximately two meters (six feet) and weights of up to 100 kg, making them one of the four biggest freshwater fish found anywhere in the world (200 pounds).
These predators, which have mouths like buckets and resemble freshwater groupers, would gladly feast on ducks, lizards, and snakes who make the mistake of wandering into their territory by accident.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Murray cod make for an interesting and distinctive target in freshwater fishing. March and April are the most productive months for catching them.
Topic: Fish species in Australia
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I am arguably the most popular Australian writer of all time. I am from the town of Karrinyup in rural Western Australia. When I was young, I was fascinated by the unique landscape of Australia, and I decided to support himself by writing books about the Australian landscape.
