Woodgate Beach & Theodolite Creek

Woodgate is a quiet beach town on the Burrum Coast, with a long, gently shelving beach facing north-east across Hervey Bay and Burrum Coast National Park at its back door. The beach in front of the Esplanade and Theodolite Creek at its northern end are the shore-based fishing, and whiting are the town's most common catch — flathead, bream, grunter and golden trevally fill out the list. Hervey Bay keeps the surf down, so this is calm, comfortable fishing rather than surf-rod heroics. Kangaroos grazing the foreshore at dawn are part of the audience, and they have never once asked how you went.

Fish the run-in tide toward high, when the water pushes over the flats and the whiting follow it up the beach. A size 6–4 long-shank hook with a yabby or beach worm on a light running sinker, cast a short distance and slowly retrieved, is the standard rig. Theodolite Creek's clear water and white sand floor suit a small soft plastic for flathead along the drop-offs and a lightly weighted bait for bream around any structure. Pump yabbies from the creek's sand banks at low tide — Theodolite Creek is known for its yabby beds.

Sand whiting are the staple, with dusky flathead, yellowfin bream, grunter and golden trevally also caught. Sand whiting are 23 cm minimum and yellowfin bream 25 cm, each in a combined possession limit of 30. Dusky flathead are a 40–75 cm slot with a possession limit of 5. Grunter (barred javelin) are 40 cm, limit 10. Trevally share a combined limit of 20 with no minimum size.

Theodolite Creek and the northern end of Woodgate Beach are Great Sandy Marine Park Conservation Park (yellow) zones: a maximum of 2 rods or handlines and 2 hooks in total per person. The beach in front of the town centre is a habitat protection zone, where normal Queensland limits apply. High tide is the time — at low water the flats run a long way out. The picnic tables at Theodolite Creek go early on weekends and holidays. Bait and tackle are available in town.

Woodgate is off the Bruce Highway between Childers and Bundaberg. Park along the Esplanade, where there are shops, cafés, picnic tables and a pub across the road from the beach. Theodolite Creek's day-use area is at the top end of the beach. 4WDs may drive the southern end of the beach toward Burrum Heads without a permit. The beach is flat and calm and suits kids; the Banksia Track boardwalk in the national park is wheelchair-accessible if non-anglers need an outing.

Hervey Bay shelters the beach from ocean swell, so the water is usually calm. The beach faces north-east, so the common south-easterly blows side-on to offshore and is comfortable; a fresh north-easterly puts a chop on the beach and stirs up weed. Clear water on a rising tide is best for whiting. The bigger tides cover more of the flats and bring the fish closer.

Marine stingers, including Irukandji, occur 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 flats are shallow and can have stingrays — shuffle your feet when walking the water's edge. Watch for 4WDs on the southern beach. There is little shade on the sand, so carry water and sun protection.

Mostly whiting, with flathead, bream, grunter and golden trevally. Sand whiting are 23 cm minimum and bream 25 cm.

Yes. Theodolite Creek 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.

Yes, on the southern end of the beach toward Burrum Heads, with a 4WD. No permit is needed.