Burnett Heads South Wall (Burnett River Mouth)

The Burnett River reaches the sea at Burnett Heads, about 15 km downstream of Bundaberg, between a pair of rock training walls. The south wall runs close to a kilometre west from South Head, by the lighthouse, along the edge of the river mouth, with the deep shipping channel on one side and shallow harbour flats on the other. Rock walls are where the Burnett's bream and grunter live, and the mouth adds whiting, flathead and Moses perch to the mix. It is the closest land-based anglers get to the open-water side of Bundaberg's fishing without a boat. The boats, mind you, will be anchored 200 m away catching the same fish.

Fish whole prawns or sprat on a light ball sinker along the rocks for bream and grunter — keep the weight as light as the current allows so the bait drifts naturally into the boulders. Small soft plastics, around 2.5 inches on 1/8–1/12 oz heads, worked along the wall and the sandy edges catch bream, whiting and flathead. On the flats side, fresh yabbies or worms on a long-shank hook find the whiting. In winter, the trumpeter (winter) whiting gather in front of Burnett Heads and around the mouth; small worm baits or worm-imitation soft plastics on a size 6 long-shank are the rig.

Yellowfin bream and grunter are the wall's core fish, with flathead, whiting and Moses perch also caught. Yellowfin bream are 25 cm minimum, in a combined possession limit of 30. Grunter (barred javelin) are 40 cm, limit 10. Dusky flathead are a 40–75 cm slot, limit 5. Sand whiting are 23 cm in a combined limit of 30; trumpeter (winter) whiting have no minimum size and a limit of 50. Moses perch are 25 cm minimum, with a possession limit of 5.

Keep clear of the Port of Bundaberg's wharves and shipping upstream, and of vessels in the channel beside the wall. The Burnett Heads coast is a turtle nesting area: the Mon Repos area just south has no entry from 6pm to 6am between 15 October and 31 May without permission, and lights on the beach disturb nesting turtles. Moses perch are a coral reef fin fish, and Burnett Heads is inside the coral reef fin fish closure area: no take on 6–10 November 2026 (the next closure), and on 26–30 October and 25–29 November 2027. Bin your scraps rather than leaving them on the rocks.

Burnett Heads is about 15 km north-east of Bundaberg. Park near South Head and the lighthouse at the end of Lighthouse Street and walk onto the wall from its eastern end; the harbour foreshore and boat ramp off Harbour Esplanade have more parking. The wall is loose rock armour with no rail and isn't suitable for wheelchairs, prams or unsupervised children; the harbour foreshore parks are the better family option.

The wall runs east–west, so the south-easterly trade wind blows from behind and across it, while a fresh north-easterly puts chop and spray over the channel side. The run-in tide brings clean water from the bay for whiting and flathead; the run-out pulls bait off the flats past the wall for bream and grunter. After heavy rain the Burnett runs brown and the fish push out toward the mouth.

The wall is uneven rock armour, slippery when wet, with deep water and a strong tidal current in the channel. Wear non-slip shoes, don't fish the wall in big seas, and a lifejacket is strongly recommended — Level 50S or higher (AS 4758) for adults. Marine stingers, including Irukandji, occur in these waters, typically November to May; carry vinegar. Crocodiles are rare this far south, but a crocodile was reported in the Burnett River at Bundaberg in November 2024; report any sighting on 1300 130 372. Shark control equipment operates off Oaks Beach at Burnett Heads — stay more than 20 m from nets or drumlines; it's an offence to be inside the 20 m zone.

The south training wall at the Burnett River mouth, walked onto from South Head by the lighthouse, is the main land-based spot. The harbour foreshore near the boat ramp is a calmer family option.

Bream and grunter along the rock walls, with flathead, sand whiting and Moses perch, and trumpeter (winter) whiting in the cooler months. Bream are 25 cm minimum and grunter 40 cm.

Yes. The Mon Repos area just south of Burnett Heads has no entry from 6pm to 6am between 15 October and 31 May without permission, to protect nesting turtles.