Inside Fishing

November-December 2025 Fishing Report: Bribie Island and Moreton Bay – Snapper heating up, Whiting holding strong as summer looms 

By Roger Small 

As November rolls into December 2025, the Pumicestone Passage and Moreton Bay are firing on all cylinders, with warmer waters (hitting 24-26°C) ushering in summer's first thrills around Bribie Island. Post-Cyclone Alfred recovery has the bay thriving and local reports from Fishing Monthly and Coastwatch paint a picture of bumper sessions: whiting gobbling yabbies on the flats, snapper stacking up on inshore reefs and school mackerel still crashing the channels. From Bongaree beaches to Sandstone Point shallows, holiday crowds are out, but savvy anglers are timing tides for keepers. We've tapped the freshest intel from charters, tackle shops and BOM forecasts to guide your next sortie - before the festive rush turns ramps into parking lots. 

Weather and tides: Ride the warm swell 

November wrapped with settled highs (25-28°C days, 18-20°C nights) and light southeasterlies easing to 10-15 knots, per BOM's Moreton Bay marine forecast - ideal for tinnies and kayaks. Early December looks golden: mostly sunny with isolated showers, seas 0.5-1m and a high-pressure system keeping things fishable through the 15th. UV spikes to extreme by 10am, so reef up and hit dawn patrols. 

Tides are peaking for action, with neap lows giving way to stronger flows. Spring tides topped out November 7 (2.11m highs) and they're building again for December 5-6 (around 2.0m). Focus on run-in tides for whiting schools and run-outs for flathead ambushes around Bribie Bridge pylons. 

• Late November example (Nov 27): Highs at 1:45am (1.7m) and 2.20pm (1.6m); lows at 7.50am (0.4m) and 9.30pm (0.7m). Target 9am-1pm run-out for passage flats. 

• Early December outlook: Bigger swings mid-week—dawn incoming around Dec 10 for mackerel in Rainbow Channel. 

Moon's waning post-full on Nov 5, so solunar majors at first/last light could stack the odds. Grab TideTime.org or WillyWeather for spot-on charts. 

What's biting: Prime targets and hotspots 

With baitfish booming, predators are locked in - variety's the name of the game from land-based jaunts to offshore drifts. Water clarity's crisp post-rains, favouring light leaders and natural baits. 

• Whiting and Flathead (Flats favourites): November has been a whiting bonanza on Pumicestone's southern flats, with 35-45cm models at Maroon Hole, Amity Banks and Rous Channel (red buoy edges) - yabbies or bloodworms on run-in tides for 15-25 fish limits. Flathead lurk in Bongaree coffee rock holes and oyster jetty drains, smashing 4-inch gulp! minnows (pumpkin seed). Coastwatch reports 55cm dusky lizards from deeper river mouths on early run-outs. Hotspot: Chain Banks for mixed bags; bag limits: 30 whiting (27cm min), 5 flathead (40cm min). 

• Snapper and Sweetlip (Reef rush): Season's open and roaring - 45-60cm squire off Peel Island's shallows (north/west reefs) and Hutchinson Shoal on pillie-baited plastics. Grassy sweetlip and spangled emperor join the fray at Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef and Flinders patches. Fishing Monthly notes solid 50cm+ hauls from Woody Point and Scarborough in 20-30m, dawn/late arvo best. Offshore edges near North Moreton FADs mix in longtail tuna. Bag: 4 snapper (35cm min). 

• School Mackerel and Tailor (Channel and beach buzz): Macks linger at Hope Banks (southeast quadrant) and inside Amity Bar, with pilchard floats or chrome slugs pulling doubles in the Rainbow Channel - one-mile gutters too. Tailor patrol Woorim beach gutters at dawn, slashing gangs of herring. Bush 'n Beach highlights grunter bonuses off Cabbage Tree Creek on squid strips. 

Crabbing's peaking with muddies in bridge pots on big tides (male-only, 11.5cm min) and prawns are netting well in shallows. Note: No net use in regulated waters; check QLD Fisheries app for closures. 

Species	Best Bait/Lure	Hotspots	Size/Bag Notes
Whiting	Yabbies, bloodworms, prawns	Amity Banks, Maroon Hole, Rous Channel	27cm min, 30 bag
Flathead	Gulp! minnows, live herring	Bongaree coffee rock, river mouths	40cm min, 5 bag
Snapper	Soft plastics, pillies	Peel Island reefs, Hutchinson Shoal	35cm min, 4 bag
School Mackerel	Pilchards, chrome slugs	Hope Banks, Rainbow Channel	50cm min, 10 bag

Local buzz and safety notes 

Island Fishing Supplies in Banksia Beach reports ‘holiday frenzy’ with simple whiting rigs outselling lures - excellent crab numbers too, per local pots. Charters like Bribie Island Boat Charters are slammed for snapper drifts and jewfish hunts under the bridge. X chatter from @BribieAnglersAU echoes the vibe: "PB snapper off Green Is. this week - tides on point!" Dolphins are schooling bait near Sylvan Beach, a good omen. 

Safety smarts: Closed seasons hold (snapper open July 15-Aug 15 closure passed; barra shut midday Dec 1 - target responsibly). No licence needed, but boat limits apply (e.g., 14 mud crabs). Join Fishability QLD for accessible passage trips. Pack the Esky for festive feasts, but release undersized - sustainable catches keep the bay buzzing. 

November-December is your window before January heat - get amongst it, snap a pic of your haul and tag the page. As one charter skipper quipped, "Bay's wide, but the bite's even wider - tide it right!" What's cooking in your creel this month? 

Sources: Fishing Monthly Moreton Bay Report (Nov 20, 2025), Coastwatch Weekly (Nov 2025), Tide-Forecast.com, BOM Moreton Bay Marine (updated Nov 30, 2025). Reports current as of Dec 1, 2025.