Australia Fly Guide
National

Fishing Rules

Fishing law in Australia belongs to the states and territories — eight jurisdictions, eight rule books, and the border between two of them can run down the middle of a river. Start from the map, then always confirm against the authority's current rules before you fish: they change mid-season, and the current synopsis is the only version that counts.
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Who sets the rules

8 jurisdictions, each with its own licence, limits, seasons and closures. Pick one to see the rules we hold on record for it — and the official rule book they come from.

New South Wales — 157 captured rule scopes Victoria — 28 captured rule scopes Queensland — 91 captured rule scopes Tasmania — 85 captured rule scopes South Australia — 30 captured rule scopes Western Australia — 17 captured rule scopes Northern Territory — 93 captured rule scopes Australian Capital Territory — 50 captured rule scopes NSW VIC QLD TAS SA WA NT ACT

State and territory boundaries: Australian Statistical Geography Standard Edition 4, Australian Bureau of Statistics, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0 — simplified for display. Cartographic representations, not legal boundaries.

By state and territory

Eight rule books, one map

The rules we hold

551 captured rule scopes across 8 jurisdictions

New South Wales

157 rule scopes on record

DPIRD Local Fishing Guide Regions

Batemans Bay Central Coast and Hawkesbury River Central Tablelands Clarence Coffs Harbour to Nambucca Far South Coast Far West Hastings Hume District Illawarra Lake Macquarie Hunter Macquarie Monaro Montague New England Peel District Port Stephens Richmond Riverina Shoalhaven South West Slopes Sydney Harbour and Northern Beaches Sydney South Tweed Wallis Lake District
Closures and prohibitions · 11 Access restrictions · 4 Method and gear restrictions · 26 Permitted with conditions · 113 Advisory notes · 3

Species with captured rules here: Atlantic Salmon, Australian Bass, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, European Carp, Freshwater Catfish, Murray Cod, Rainbow Trout.

Check before you fish: NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development — current rules

Victoria

28 rule scopes on record

VFA Inland Angling Guide Basins

Avoca Barwon Broken Bunyip Campaspe Corangamite East Gippsland Glenelg Goulburn Hopkins Kiewa La Trobe Loddon (North) Loddon (South) Mallee Maribyrnong Millicent Coast Mitchell Mitta Mitta Moorabool Otway Ovens Portland Snowy South Gippsland (East) South Gippsland (West) Tambo Thomson Upper Murray Werribee Wimmera Yarra
Closures and prohibitions · 11 Method and gear restrictions · 11 Permitted with conditions · 3 Advisory notes · 3

Species with captured rules here: Brown Trout, Macquarie Perch, Murray Cod, Rainbow Trout, Trout Cod.

Check before you fish: State of Victoria (Victorian Fisheries Authority) — current rules

Queensland

91 rule scopes on record
Closures and prohibitions · 28 Access restrictions · 2 Method and gear restrictions · 13 Catch and release only · 2 Permitted with conditions · 39 Open under general rules · 2 Advisory notes · 5

Species with captured rules here: Australian Bass, Australian Lungfish, Barcoo Grunter, Barramundi, Bloomfield River Cod, Blue Threadfin, Golden Perch, Jungle Perch, King Threadfin, Longfin Eel, Mary River Cod, Murray Cod, Northern Saratoga, Pacific Shortfin Eel, River Blackfish, River Garfish, Silver Perch, Snubnose Garfish, Southern Saratoga, Southern Shortfin Eel, Spotted Flagtail, Tilapia, Welch's Grunter.

Check before you fish: Queensland Government — current rules

Tasmania

85 rule scopes on record

IFS Inland Fishing Regions (A-Z of Waters)

Central East North Northeast Northwest South West
Closures and prohibitions · 17 Access restrictions · 10 Method and gear restrictions · 17 Catch and release only · 3 Permitted with conditions · 33 Open under general rules · 3 Advisory notes · 2

Species with captured rules here: Atlantic Salmon, Brook Trout, Estuary Perch, Rainbow Trout, River Blackfish.

Check before you fish: Inland Fisheries Service (Tasmania) — current rules

South Australia

30 rule scopes on record
Closures and prohibitions · 7 Access restrictions · 2 Method and gear restrictions · 5 Catch and release only · 5 Permitted with conditions · 9 Advisory notes · 2

Species with captured rules here: Brown Trout, Congolli, Golden Perch, Hyrtl's Catfish, Murray Cod, Rainbow Trout, Silver Catfish, Silver Perch, Spangled Perch.

Check before you fish: Government of South Australia (Primary Industries and Regions SA) — current rules

Western Australia

17 rule scopes on record

WA DPIRD Bioregions (DPIRD-095)

Gascoyne Coast North Coast Northern Inland South Coast Southern Inland West Coast
Closures and prohibitions · 7 Access restrictions · 1 Method and gear restrictions · 3 Permitted with conditions · 5 Advisory notes · 1

Species with captured rules here: Barramundi, Brown Trout, Freshwater Cobbler, Rainbow Trout.

Check before you fish: Government of Western Australia (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development) — current rules

Northern Territory

93 rule scopes on record
Closures and prohibitions · 25 Access restrictions · 11 Method and gear restrictions · 22 Permitted with conditions · 21 Open under general rules · 4 Advisory notes · 10

Species with captured rules here: Barramundi, King Threadfin.

Check before you fish: Northern Territory Government — current rules

Australian Capital Territory

50 rule scopes on record
Closures and prohibitions · 12 Access restrictions · 1 Method and gear restrictions · 8 Catch and release only · 3 Permitted with conditions · 16 Open under general rules · 1 Advisory notes · 9

Species with captured rules here: European Carp, Golden Perch, Murray Cod, Redfin.

Check before you fish: ACT Government (Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate) — current rules

How to read this page

What a listing here means

A listing on this page records that a rule exists and where it applies — it is not the rule itself, and it is not legal advice. Every rule here traces to the authority that issues it, and the authority's current publication is always the version that binds you. If a water you fish is not listed, that means we have not captured a water-specific rule for it yet, not that no rule applies.