Elliott Heads (Elliott River Mouth)

Elliott Heads is the seaside village where the Elliott River meets the coast south of Bargara, and the river mouth is its fishing heart. On the falling tide the mouth drains into a huge spread of sand flats and channels, and the flathead that hunt along the drop-offs are the local specialty — fish around 50 cm are a regular catch. Whiting work the same flats, bream sit along the rocks, and further upstream the river's rock bars hold jacks and barramundi. The basalt headland at the north end of the beach adds rock pools at low tide for the kids. The river and the headland are both marine park yellow zones, so check the rod limit below. The flathead keep their own hours regardless.

Work the edges of the channels at the mouth from the beach on the run-out tide, casting soft plastics over the shallow flats and down the drop-offs for flathead. For whiting, fresh yabbies on a long-shank hook drifted across the flats work, and small surface lures skipped over the shallows can draw explosive strikes in summer. Bream take prawn and yabby baits along the rocks of the headland and the river bank. The jacks and barra on the upriver rock bars are mostly a boat or kayak proposition, best on live bait. The jetty at the Riverview boat ramp upstream is the other land-based option.

Dusky flathead and sand whiting are the main targets, with bream, mangrove jack and barramundi further up the river. Dusky flathead are a 40–75 cm slot with a possession limit of 5 — many of the 50 cm fish here are keepers, but the big breeders over 75 cm go back. Sand whiting are 23 cm minimum and yellowfin bream 25 cm, each in a combined possession limit of 30. Mangrove jack are 35 cm, limit 5. Barramundi are a 58–120 cm slot, limit 5, and closed from 1 November to 31 January.

The Elliott River is a Great Sandy Marine Park Conservation Park (yellow) zone, as is the water off the headland: a maximum of 2 rods or handlines and 2 hooks in total per person. The river is also a Fish Habitat Area, so the only digging tool allowed for bait is a hand-held yabby pump. The open beach in front of the village is a habitat protection zone, where normal Queensland limits apply. Fish the first half of the run-out for flathead as the bait drains off the flats. Holiday periods fill the caravan park; weekday mornings are quieter.

Elliott Heads is a short drive south-east of Bundaberg along Elliott Heads Road. Park along the foreshore near Life Savers' Park, where there are wheelchair-accessible public toilets, picnic areas and the holiday park. The beach and sand flats are a flat walk; the headland rocks are uneven and slippery. The flats are kid-friendly at low tide with an adult close by.

The mouth faces east, so a south-easterly blows across it and is fishable in light to moderate strength; a strong onshore wind roughens the bar and colours the water. The run-out tide is the flathead tide, as baitfish and prawns drain off the flats into the channels. Clear water after a few calm days is best for the lure fishing; after heavy rain the river runs dirty for days.

The channels at the mouth run hard on a big tide and the sand drops away suddenly — don't wade the channels or cross to the sandbanks on a rising tide. Marine stingers, including Irukandji, are found in these waters, typically November to May; carry vinegar. Crocodiles are rare this far south, but any sighting should be reported to the department on 1300 130 372. The headland rocks are slippery and exposed to swell, so a lifejacket is strongly recommended there — Level 50S or higher (AS 4758) for adults. Watch for stingrays on the flats and shuffle your feet.

Two. The Elliott River is a Great Sandy Marine Park Conservation Park (yellow) zone, where each person may use a maximum of 2 rods or handlines and 2 hooks in total.

Flathead and whiting on the sand flats at the river mouth, bream along the rocks, and mangrove jack and barramundi on the upstream rock bars. Dusky flathead are a 40–75 cm slot.

Yes, with a hand-held yabby pump. The Elliott River is a Fish Habitat Area, where a hand pump is the only digging tool allowed for bait.