Rosslyn Bay Harbour Breakwall

Rosslyn Bay is the Capricorn Coast's working harbour: the Great Keppel ferries, the trawler fleet, the marina and two public ramps, all tucked behind a pair of rock breakwalls under Double Head. The eastern wall runs about 300 m from the shore out to the harbour mouth, and it is the land-based angler's spot — deep water on the outside, a boat channel on the inside and a constant tide flow past the tip. Trevally and queenfish hunt bait along the rocks on the run-in, bream and grunter live in the boulders, and the odd mangrove jack takes a bait meant for something smaller. It is the closest thing the coast has to open-water fishing without a boat, which explains the number of boats.

Work the outside face of the wall on the run-in tide with metal slices and soft plastics for trevally and queenies, and switch to a surface popper or stickbait when you see bait showering along the rocks. For bream and grunter, fish a lightly weighted prawn, yabby or strip bait down the face of the boulders on a short leader — the rocks eat sinkers, so use the lightest weight that holds. A live herring or poddy mullet worked near the harbour mouth gives you a chance at a jack or a bigger trevally. Catch live bait with a cast net (3.7 m drop and 28 mm mesh maximum) only from a boat or jetty — CrocWise advice is never to cast-net from the water's edge or while standing in the water.

Bream are the staple, with grunter, flathead, and golden and giant trevally making up most of the rest; queenfish turn up whenever the bait is thick. Yellowfin bream are 25 cm minimum, in a combined possession limit of 30 with tarwhine and pikey bream. Barred javelin (grunter) are 40 cm with a possession limit of 10. Dusky flathead are a 40–75 cm slot with a possession limit of 5. Giant queenfish are 50 cm, limit 5, and all trevally share a combined limit of 20 with no minimum size. Mangrove jack are 35 cm, limit 5. Queensland uses possession limits, which include fish already in your freezer at home.

The run-in tide, early or late in the day, is when the wall comes alive — a slack low tide in the middle of the day is mostly for watching the ferry. Keep clear of the harbour mouth and the ramps when boats are coming and going. Fish scraps and bait go in a bin or home with you, not over the rocks. The harbour is the jumping-off point for the Keppel islands, so if a westerly blows the boat crowd home early, the wall gets busier. Take a landing net or a long-handled gaff for anything over a couple of kilos; lifting a fish up the boulders on the line is how leaders and fish get lost.

Rosslyn Bay is on the Scenic Highway about 7 km south of Yeppoon, signposted as the Rosslyn Bay Boat Harbour. Park in the harbour car parks and walk onto the eastern wall from the Double Head end. There are public toilets at the harbour, plus cafés and restaurants on the waterfront. The wall itself is loose rock armour with no rail and is not suitable for wheelchairs, prams or unsupervised children; the flat harbour foreshore is the better spot for young kids.

The wall faces north-east into Keppel Bay. The common south-easterly trade wind blows from behind and across the wall, which is fishable; a strong north-easterly pushes chop onto the outside face and makes the rocks wet and unpleasant. Clean water on a rising tide is best for the lure fish. After heavy rain the bay discolours and the bream and grunter tend to fish better than the pelagics. Big tides run hard past the tip, which is good for trevally but calls for heavier sinkers if you are bait fishing.

This is crocodile country: estuarine crocodiles live in the Capricorn Coast's creeks and also swim in the sea. Stay at least 5 m back from the water's edge where you can, never stand in the water to cast or to free a snag, reel fish in quickly and step back, and if a crocodile takes your catch, cut the line. The boulders are uneven, slippery when wet and drop into deep water, so wear non-slip shoes and keep off the outer face in a swell or after dark unless you know the rocks. A lifejacket is strongly recommended on the wall — a Level 50S or higher (AS 4758) for adults. Marine stingers, including box jellyfish and Irukandji, occur in these waters, typically November to May; carry vinegar for first aid. The harbour mouth is a busy vessel channel, including ferries.

Yes. The eastern breakwall at Rosslyn Bay Boat Harbour is a popular land-based spot, walked onto from the Double Head end. Keep clear of the harbour mouth and boat ramps when vessels are moving.

Bream, grunter, flathead, golden and giant trevally and queenfish are the main catches from the wall, with the odd mangrove jack. Bream are 25 cm minimum, grunter (barred javelin) 40 cm and mangrove jack 35 cm.

Rosslyn Bay is inside Queensland's crocodile habitat, which starts near Gladstone, and crocodiles can turn up in the sea as well as the creeks. Stand back from the edge, don't wade, and put fish scraps in a bin.