Fishing the Tweed River: Where and How to Get Started

The Tweed River in northern New South Wales offers diverse land-based and boat-accessible spots for targeting bream, flathead, whiting, luderick, mangrove jack, and mulloway (jewfish). Popular locations include the North Wall for jew and jacks on slack tides, Jack Evans Boat Harbour for flathead and whiting, and the old hospital wall and Chinderah bridges for bream, trevally, and luderick.

Top Fishing Spots

North Wall and VMR Jetty
Fish the end of the wall and adjacent rock edges for bream, flathead, mangrove jack, and mulloway, especially on the turn of the tide when current eases. Work soft plastics or large swimbaits down the face of the wall and along the drop-offs.

Jack Evans Boat Harbour
A great family spot with calmer water holding flathead, whiting, and luderick, best around slack water and gentle run. Ideal for kids to flick small plastics or lightly weighted baits along the sandy edges and rock retaining walls.

Hospital Wall, Shallow Inlet and Chinderah
The hospital wall and nearby inlet produce bream, jacks, flathead, and trevally on the run-out tide, while the deeper water around Chinderah and the bridges fishes well for mulloway and luderick in cooler months. Sandbanks between Chinderah and Condon are prime summer whiting water on the incoming tide.

Upper Tweed and Freshwater Reaches
Above Murwillumbah and in nearby impoundments, bass become the main target, with small hardbodies and surface lures productive in low light. This section of river suits kayaks and smaller craft.

Lures That Work in the Tweed

Matching your lure to the species and structure makes a big difference on the Tweed, especially with strong tides and clear water.

Flathead and Estuary Jew

• Use 4–5 inch paddle-tail soft plastics in natural mullet or pilchard colours rigged on 1/4–1/2 oz jigheadsfor drifting the drop-offs and river bends.

• Larger soft swimbaitslike the Kokoda Flash Shad are ideal when you are specifically hunting mulloway or big flathead along deep rock walls and bridge pylons, slow-rolled close to the bottom on the slack or first push of the tide.

Bream and Trevally

• Run 2–3 inch grub or minnow-style soft plastics over rock walls, pontoons and retaining edges on light jigheads.

• Small suspending hardbodiesin prawn or baitfish patterns work well when twitched around bridges and marinas.

Whiting on the Flats

• Surface lures such as small walk-the-dog stickbaits and poppersare effective when worked quickly across yabbie banks and shallow sand flats between Chinderah and Condon during summer.

• Lightly weighted worm or crab imitations are useful if you prefer subsurface presentations.

Mangrove Jack and Rock Wall Bruisers

• Compact hardbody divers that get down tight to rock walls and bridge pylons are deadly when paused near structure in low light.

• Stout soft plastics or small swimbaitsin dark or natural tones do well when pitched tight to snags and allowed to sink before a sharp, aggressive retrieve.

Techniques and Seasonal Tips

Fish light and focus on the tides: aim for the last of the run-in and first of the run-out to avoid the heaviest current and let your lures stay in the strike zone longer. In summer, concentrate on whiting and flathead on the flats and lower river, while winter brings better luderick and mulloway action around deeper rock walls and bridges.

After rain, colour changes and drains pushing dirty water into clean create ambush edges where flathead and bream sit; work your plastics or swimbaits along these seams to cover multiple depth zones.

Licences, Rules and Safety

Anyone fishing the Tweed River in NSW needs to hold a current recreational fishing licence (NSW fishing fee receipt), unless exempt, and carry proof while fishing. Bag and size limits apply to common species such as flathead, bream, whiting and mulloway, and there are specific estuary closures and gear restrictions in parts of the Tweed system, including commercial netting restrictions in the lower river.

Always check the latest NSW saltwater fishing guide and Tweed Recreational Fishing Guide before your session, and fish to the most current regulations. Wear appropriate footwear on the walls, use a PFD when boating or fishing close to deep edges, and keep an eye on swell and boat traffic near the bar and river mouth