Hinchinbrook Channel

Hinchinbrook is one of the most scenic places to fish, surrounded by rainforest covered mountains and pristine estuaries – each year hundreds of fisherman test their skills and knowledge at Hinchinbrook.

Fishing the Hinchinbrook channel can initially be daunting due to the size of system its hard to know where to start and many people leave without any fish.  During the wet season large amounts of fresh water run into the channel and it can be tough fishing as bread and butter species head for more salinity and others follow the bait into the brackish. Adding to the complexity of the system is tides and the massive network of creeks, islands and snags! Hopefully this guide will help you know where to start fishing Hinchinbrook.

The northern part of Hinchinbrook island is fairly simple consisting of very deep channels and structure lined banks. Missionary Bay is  located on the Northern side of Hinchinbrook and is a series of small inlets with many channels and sand flats – where people from all over the world come to fly fish for the elusive Permit. The northern part of the Hinchinbrook Channel generally stays clearer than the southern with a good chance of a 1m+ Barramundi.

The southern part of Hinchinbrook is a complex network of tributaries and islands, running back out to sea pass the famous Lucinda Jetty. The southern side contains great river systems like the Herbet River and Seymour River along with a massive array of mangrove lined islands and channels.

Access to the Hinchinbrook channel is via 3 locations, the north, south and the middle.

Lure fishing Hinchinbrook Channel

Great fishing can had all year round in the Hinchinbrook channel, with around 10 – 20 different species on offer. Barramundi can also be caught all year round provided the water is between 18-30 degrees.

First point of call is working the mangrove lined smaller creeks, a common trap many first timers have is not spending long enough time in one spot, thinking the next creek will be better. Actually fact most anglers will be rewarded by spending time working over snags along a single creek – constantly keeping an eye on your sounder for protruding or snags out from the banks.