11 of the best fishing spots to visit in the Top End

A well-timed visit to the Top End makes all the difference between snagging a tiny tacker or a bumper-sized beast. The Tropical Summer is the prime period for memorable fishing moments against a spectacular Territory backdrop. Whether you’re a beginner after a unique holiday or a die-hard angler, we’ve got the top spots and best times to wet a line.

Unlock harbour secrets to bag a trophy-sized Territory catch

Five times bigger than Sydney Harbour and dotted with shipwrecks, mangroves and crocs, Darwin Harbour is a top choice for a day charter.

If you’re an amateur angler or don’t have any fishing gear with you, heading out with an expert fishing guide provides a good chance of reeling in a trophy-sized catch. You’ll be spoilt for choice with the number of tours (half and full day) available, including Darwin Harbour Fishing Charters, Barramundi Adventures, Anglers Choice Fishing Safaris and Estuary Escapes.

South of Darwin, is Bynoe Harbour with a natural boat launch site on the north shore at Keswick Point, and three boat ramps on the south shore, including one at Crab Claw Island Resort. You can fish in a tinny as much of it is sheltered or jump on a tour with Fish the Top End. Bynoe sits in a storm alley, so do as the locals do and keep an eye on the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) radar throughout the day.

Nearby is Shoal Bay, one of the Territory’s best fishing secrets. It’s not for the faint hearted as once the tides fall, anyone caught out in the bay will be “locked in” by a network of sandbars and, short of an aerial rescue, there’s no way out until the tide returns. Check out charters with Offshore Boats who depart from Darwin.

Elevate your fishing game with a heli fishing tour

Spend less time travelling and more time fishing while flying over some pretty speccy wildlife. Heli fishing experiences will take you to the Top End’s most secluded and treasured fishing spots in a helicopter for the fishing adventure of a lifetime. Best of all, tours are available all year round.

Airborne Solutions, which has access to several remote land and fish sites, offers half and full day packages from Darwin as does HeliFish. Custom designed multi-day fishing adventures by HeliFish are also available in hot-spots such as the Daly River, Bynoe Harbour and Arnhem Land with options to suit all budgets, timeframes and experience levels.

If you’re looking for that dream ‘bucket list’ trip to a genuinely wild and fish-filled stretch of Top End water with all the hard stuff taken care of, Cobourg Fishing Safaris provide fly in/fly out fishing safaris to the remote Cobourg Peninsula, almost 2,000km² of mostly uninhabited coastline on the western tip of Arnhem Land. About an hour’s flight from Darwin, this region is home to some of the world’s best reef and tropical sports fishing locations and is oh-fish-ally as good as it gets.

Land your dream catch at Dundee Beach

A favourite with Darwinites, Dundee Beach is just 90 minutes from the city by sealed road. This sleepy beachside community spills out on to some of the region’s best blue-water fishing spots. Huge jewfish get caught less than 2km out, while barra are common along the coast.

Success at snagging a barra is based on the right tidal conditions, and while October is known as the “sweet spot”, you can fish anytime of the year. Local operator Dundee Beach Fishing Charters can help plan your trip to coincide with the best tides, offering tours during the build-up from October to December and then January-February (dependent on the weather).

If you’re feeling adventurous, hire a boat at Dundee Beach Boat Hire. There’s a boat ramp, and nearby points and exposed reefs are ideal for small boat fishing. There are also plenty of locations for land-based anglers where you can catch small barra and threadfin from the beach, and celebrate with a beer later at the Lodge of Dundee or Skippers at Dundee.

If you’re short on time, Anglers Choice Fishing Safaris and Humbug Fishing will pick you up from the city as will Phil’s Affordable Barra Fishing Charters. Always call first as tours are often weather dependent.

Get your run-off rush at Shady Camp

Shady Camp is a popular place, with trophy barra over the magic metre mark not an uncommon catch in the Mary River system, especially in the run-off months from February.

Located in the picturesque Mary River National Park, Shady Camp is a good 2 hours’ drive towing a boat from Darwin. You’ll need a 4WD from December to March. Hire a vehicle with Adventure Rentals which offer unlimited kilometres, free additional driver (aged 25+) and the ability to drive on unsealed roads and 4WD tracks.

Surrounded by freshwater billabongs, paperbark and monsoon forests, it’s worth looking into camping at Shady Camp or cabin options with Big 4 Howard Springs Holiday Park. You won’t regret spending a night or two as you spin a few yarns over a few bevvies about the one that was ‘this’ big.

If you’d rather go with an expert fishing guide, Reel Screamin Barra Fishing are based at Shady Camp all year round. Wildman Fishing offer tours from October to December and then during the run-off months from March to April with Estuary Escapes Fishing Charters available from October to November.

Super-size your fishing adventure in Kakadu

When it comes to fishing and boating, Kakadu National Park should be at the top of your wish list. While fishing tour operators close during the Tropical Summer, you can still fish at Yellow Water, which is part of the South Alligator River floodplain.

There’s a boat ramp and you’ll find great barra here, plus peaceful companions in the fantastic bird species that live on the wetlands. Cooinda Lodge is nearby or spend the night in Jabiru where there is a range of sleeping options, including Aurora Kakadu Lodge.

If you’ve got the right safety gear and a big enough boat, you can super-size your adventure by taking a long trip to the river mouth. Check with the Bowali Visitor Centre to ask about tide times. Keep your trip flexible as the weather may change suddenly, check the daily access report, buy your pass online and keep an eye on the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) radar throughout the day.

Cast a rod in the wild rivers of the Top End

Take advantage of the great fishing during breaks in the tropical summer, when monsoonal rains bring the landscape to life, and head to the Top End’s wild rivers.

Adelaide River is 70km east of Darwin via the Stuart and Arnhem Highways. A concrete boat ramp just upstream from the Adelaide River Bridge provides easy access, and the river has many creek mouths that can be fished for barra during the build-up and the run-off with Estuary Escapes offering tours. Alternatively, Alure Fishing Charters NT offer day trips to Adelaide River out of Leaders Creek.

One of the most iconic spots to catch a barra in the Territory is the Daly River. It’s about a 2½ hour drive south of Darwin, so unless you’re up for a super early start, stay at the Daly River Adventure Lodge or the Daly River Inn before you hit the water. Some areas are subject to seasonal closure so download the Daly River Fishing Guide before you leave. Alternatively, NT Fish & 4x4 offer one day or 5-day tours from Darwin, and will make sure you fish in the right spots.

Extend your trip and drive the 147km across to the Douglas Daly Esplanade Conservation Area via a sealed road. You’ll not only enjoy great fishing along the way, but you can hike or swim at Butterfly Gorge, soak in thermal pools at Tjuwaliyn (Douglas) Hot Springs Park and stay at the Douglas Daly Holiday Park.

Hop aboard a boatel for a barra brekkie

As any fisho worth their salt will tell you, they’d rather spend their precious time fishing than hours spent in a car.

So what could be better than rolling out of bed on a big boat, jumping into a tinny with a morning cuppa and minutes later snagging a nice boatel barra for brekkie?

It will be hard not to miss the 70ft floating Barra Boatel moored at the mouth of Sampan Creek (Shady Camp). In operation from December 2023, locations will include Swim Creek, Marsh Creek, and Tommy Cut Creek.

Half and full barramundi fishing days charters will be available. And if you don’t have a boat or dinghy to moor at the back of the boatel, book a charter boat with Wildman Fishing and transport from Darwin CBD can be arranged.

Get ready to reel in a million-dollar barra jackpot

The Territory’s Top End is home to some of the best fishing in Australia. What makes it even better is that you can land a barra worth a million bucks just by casting a line.

Whether you’re a complete novice or mad-keen, the odds of reeling in the Million Dollar Fish have never been better than now. Registrations for Season 9 of Million Dollar Fish open on 1 September 2023, with Australia’s richest fishing competition running from 1 October 2023 – 31 March 2024.

You can also increase your chances to win big with tour operators. HeliFish will double your winnings if you catch a $10K tagged barra in Season 9 while on one of their tours. Humbug Fishing, Real Screamin Barra Fishing and NT Fish 4x4 will also offer some amazing opportunities during Million Dollar Fish Season 9 to capture a slice of the available prize money.

Don’t delay. Grab a rod, a reel, and a bag of lures and get ready to be the one who bags a barra and a bucketful of cash. Visit the Million Dollar Fish website for more info.

Hook up for the ultimate offshore fishing adventure

Our Tropical Summer (known locally as the wet) is one of the Top End’s best kept secrets when it comes to pristine water, abundant wildlife and action-packed bluewater adventures. You can either choose a day trip or stay overnight for the fishing trip of a lifetime.

Alure Fishing Charters NT offer a Darwin Bluewater Offshore Full Day Charter and Barramundi Fishing Charter (at a reduced capacity in January/early February) with Offshore Boats specialising in barra fishing plus Darwin reef and sports fishing charters.

Territory Guided Fishing feature overnight stays on their 55-foot ‘mother ship’ the Beagle Gulf. Anglers can hook straight into the action, followed by the all-important beer after a big day out.

Chase jewfish, mackerel, golden snapper, coral trout and cod with Arafura Bluewater Charters which offer reef and game fishing tours departing from Darwin’s Cullen Bay. They close in December and reopen in late February.

Reel in a world of wonder in the magical Tiwi Islands

Escape to a remote, natural paradise where you can fish in barely touched river systems. Bathurst and Melville Islands – the Tiwi Islands – lie about 80km to the north of Darwin and are the perfect place to catch barra, salmon and mangrove jack in the estuaries.

There’s also excellent bluewater fishing around the rocky headlands for queenfish, giant trevally, golden snapper and black jewfish.

Leaders Creek, which is an hour’s drive from Darwin, is the closest boat ramp for the Tiwi Islands. Stay at Clearwater Island Lodge, which operates all year, or Melville Lodge (closed from December to March). If you DIY, you’ll also need a permit to enter the waters.

Tiwi Island Adventures offer tours until December, and reopen in April, while Alure Fishing Charters NT are available until early December, returning in February 2024.

Cast & conquer with land-based fishing in Darwin

If you want to have a shot at catching a barra, and you don’t own or have access to a boat, you’ll find an abundance of land-based-fishing options around Darwin.

Catch a big boy from the safety of a shaded fishing deck at the Top End’s only land-based, recreational barramundi fishing venture, Barramundi Adventures Darwin.

Stokes Hill Wharf and Rapid Creek produce some good fish for the patient angler and live-baiting from the rock wall near the Deckchair Cinema on a big high tide will not only give you a chance at reeling in a barra but trevally and queenfish.

Some of the best fishing is on the western end of East Point, in sight of the Fannie Bay Beach, with low tide as the premium time.

Another popular location is Mindil Beach right next to the Mindil Beach Casino Resort and Buffalo Creek, just out of Darwin’s Northern Suburbs. A barra hotspot during the build-up, you can cast lures or live bait off the beach to the left of the boat ramp, especially on a rising tide.