Species
Archerfish
Toxotes chatareus
Also known as seven-spot archerfish · largescale archerfish
Tier 4Eating4/10ultralight tackleQLDWANT
19 waypoints~15–25 cm typical
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Range & spots
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Overview: about archerfish
Tropical estuary and freshwater fish famous for spitting water at insects above the surface. Found across northern Australia in mangrove creeks, billabongs and brackish flats. Light tackle target on small surface lures, soft plastics and flies — fun rather than meaty.
Biology: Archerfish size, diet & habitat
- Habitat
- Estuary, Freshwater, River
- Typical size
- 15–25 cm (max 40 cm)
- Weight
- 0.2–0.5 kg (max 1.5 kg)
- Depth range
- 0–3 m
- Diet
- insects, small fish, crustaceans
- Most active
- diurnal
- Global range
- Indo-Pacific mangroves and freshwater
How to target: Archerfish angling strategies
Generally fished with ultralight tackle — match gear to the conditions and the size of fish you expect.
- small surface poppers and gurglers under mangrove overhangs
- tiny soft plastics fished alongside snags
- fly with size 6-8 deer-hair poppers in shallow estuary edges
Best season: when to catch archerfish in Australia
No seasonal pattern for archerfish yet. Seasons shift with water temperature and local conditions — check state fisheries advice and recent local reports before planning a trip.
Where to catch: archerfish fishing spots in Australia
19 mapped fishing spots, marks and waypoints for archerfish across Australia, covering land-based fishing, estuary fishing, freshwater fishing and impoundment fishing. Each location below links through to access notes and coordinates.
Northern Territory17
- Anbangbang Billabong (Kakadu)Lagoon · NT-12.87°
- Bitter SpringsRiver · NT-14.92°
- Coomalie CreekRiver · NT-13.02°
- Corroboree BillabongLagoon · NT-12.78°
- Douglas Hot Springs (Douglas River)River · NT-13.77°
- Edith RiverRiver · NT-14.18°
- Hardies LagoonLagoon · NT-12.85°
- Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk)River · NT-14.32°
- Katherine RiverRiver · NT-14.47°
- King RiverRiver · NT-14.53°
- Magela Creek (Kakadu)River · NT-12.65°
- Mainoru RiverRiver · NT-14.05°
- Manton DamDam · NT-12.85°
- Mataranka Roper HeadwatersRiver · NT-14.93°
- Phelp RiverRiver · NT-14.70°
- Wilton RiverRiver · NT-14.05°
- Yellow Water (Ngurrungurrudjba)Lagoon · NT-12.88°