Tin Can Bay (Norman Point)

Norman Point is the northern tip of the Tin Can Bay township, where the boat ramp, the Coast Guard jetty and the dolphin-feeding centre sit beside a deep channel through Tin Can Inlet. The channel swings right past the point, with sand flats on the far side, so flathead, bream and whiting are all within an easy cast. Diver (winter) whiting gather around the moored boats in the cooler months, and trevally and jacks hunt the edges. The resident dolphins are better at it than you are, and they know it.

Fish the point and the foreshore beside the ramp on the run-out and the first of the run-in, when bait drains off the flats into the channel. Bounce soft plastics or drift baits down the channel edge for flathead, and fish small baits near the pylons and moored boats for bream and winter whiting. Cast lures along the rock and timber edges at dawn and dusk for trevally and jacks. If the dolphins move in, reel in and wait — they will take your fish and your rig.

Dusky flathead are 40–75 cm (5) and yellowfin bream 25 cm (combined possession 30). Trumpeter (winter) whiting have no size limit and a possession limit of 50; sand whiting are 23 cm (combined 30). Trevally have no size limit but a combined possession of 20, and mangrove jack are 35 cm (5).

The water off Norman Point sits outside the Great Sandy Marine Park zones, so standard Queensland gear rules apply: up to 3 lines and 6 hooks in total per person, and you must stay with your lines. Most of Tin Can Inlet beyond the point is the Great Sandy Strait conservation park (yellow) zone, where the limit drops to max 2 rods or handlines and 2 hooks in total per person. Several creeks off the inlet are green zones with no fishing at all — Griffen Creek, whose mouth is about 450 m across the channel to the north-west, is the nearest, and Searys, Cooloola and Carland creeks are further south. Dolphins and turtles are protected — never feed them, and keep lines clear of them.

Norman Point is at the end of the Tin Can Bay foreshore road, with a large boat-ramp car park and toilets. The foreshore walking path runs back along the inlet towards the town and the marina. Keep clear of the ramp lanes and the dolphin-feeding area at feeding time. Don't fish from the jetties or the beach in front of Barnacles during the morning dolphin feed.

Tin Can Inlet is sheltered from the ocean, so the point fishes in most weather. The tides are smaller than in Hervey Bay but still run hard through the channel mid-tide. Northerlies blow straight down the inlet and chop up the point; calm mornings are best.

The channel current is strong right off the point; keep children back from the edge. Wading on the flats means stingrays and soft mud — shuffle your feet. Watch for cars and trailers in the ramp car park.

You can fish from Norman Point, but dolphins are protected: never feed them, keep your lines away from them, and reel in if they come close.

Flathead, bream, winter and sand whiting, golden trevally and mangrove jack in the channel off the point.

Most of Tin Can Inlet is in Great Sandy Marine Park. The water right off Norman Point is outside the zones, but the conservation park (yellow) zone covers most of the inlet, and several of its creeks are no-take green zones.