Species
Mulloway
Argyrosomus japonicus
Tier 1Eating7/10medium tackleNSWVICQLDSAWA
155 waypoints60–120 cm (max 200 cm) typical
Regulations
NSW70 cm min · bag 2VIC60 cm min · bag 2SA82 cm min · bag 2WA50 cm min · bag 2
| State | Size | Bag |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 70 cm min | 2 |
| VIC | 60 cm min | 2 |
| SA | 82 cm min | 2 |
| WA | 50 cm min | 2 |
Regulations change. Always verify with the relevant state fisheries authority before fishing.
Overview: about mulloway
Big southern croaker (also called jewfish) found from southern QLD around to WA in estuaries, surf beaches and inshore reef. Targeted with live baits, big soft plastics and fresh squid around tide changes — night and dawn are prime. Strict size and bag limits apply in most states.
Biology: Mulloway size, diet & habitat
- Habitat
- Beach, Estuary, Inshore, River
- Typical size
- 60–120 cm (max 200 cm)
- Weight
- 5–25 kg (max 75 kg)
- Depth range
- 0–100 m
- Diet
- mullet, squid, prawns, small fish
- Most active
- nocturnal
- Global range
- Southern Africa and Australia (Argyrosomus japonicus)
How to target: Mulloway angling strategies
Generally fished with medium tackle — match gear to the conditions and the size of fish you expect.
- live mullet or squid on a running ball sinker in deep estuary holes at night
- soft plastics (7" jerk shads) hopped along channel edges through tide change
- fresh squid or pilchard baits in surf gutters at dusk and dawn
- vibes and blades on bridge pylons and break walls
Best season: when to catch mulloway in Australia
- NSW
- Sep-May (estuaries); Mar-Jul (beaches)
- SA
- Dec-May (Coorong)
- WA
- Apr-Sep (south coast)
Seasons shift with water temperature and local conditions, so check recent reports before a trip.
Conservation
IUCN: Least Concern
AU stocks under pressure in some estuaries; SA size limit highest in country.
Recent community catches: anglers who caught mulloway
No mulloway catches logged yet. Log one and you'll be recognised here.
Where to catch: mulloway fishing spots in Australia
South Australia62
- 28 Mile CrossingBeach · SA-36.03°
- Acraman CreekEstuary · SA-32.15°
- Adelaide - Outer HarborBreakwall · SA-34.79°
- Adelaide Artificial Reef (North Haven)Reef · SA-34.77°
- Antechamber BayBeach · SA-35.77°
- Ardrossan JettyJetty · SA-34.42°
- Backy PointHeadland · SA-33.03°
- Beachport JettyJetty · SA-37.48°
- Boomer BeachBeach · SA-35.57°
- Brighton JettyJetty · SA-35.02°
- Browns BeachBeach · SA-35.26°
- Cactus BeachBeach · SA-32.07°
- Cape Jervis BreakwallBreakwall · SA-35.61°
- Carrickalinga BeachBeach · SA-35.44°
- Ceduna JettyJetty · SA-32.13°
- Christies BeachBeach · SA-35.14°
- Clayton BayShoreline · SA-35.49°
- D'Estrees BayBeach · SA-35.92°
- Daly HeadHeadland · SA-34.93°
- Davenport CreekEstuary · SA-32.12°
- Donovans LandingRiver Mouth · SA-38.05°
- Finniss River MouthRiver Mouth · SA-35.40°
- Fisherman BayShoal · SA-33.55°
- Goolwa BarragesRiver Mouth · SA-35.52°
- Goolwa ChannelEstuary · SA-35.52°
- Hanson BayBeach · SA-36.02°
- Henley Beach JettyJetty · SA-34.92°
- Hindmarsh Island ChannelsEstuary · SA-35.54°
- Inman River MouthRiver Mouth · SA-35.56°
- Lake Albert (Meningie)Dam · SA-35.69°
- Lake Alexandrina (Pelican Point)Dam · SA-35.35°
- Long Beach RobeBeach · SA-37.15°
- Mark PointShoreline · SA-35.73°
- Maslin BeachBeach · SA-35.23°
- Middleton BeachBeach · SA-35.52°
- Mundoo ChannelEstuary · SA-35.55°
- Mundoora MangrovesShoal · SA-33.58°
- Normanville BeachBeach · SA-35.45°
- Northern Power Station Outlet (Port Augusta)Shoreline · SA-32.50°
- Onkaparinga River MouthRiver Mouth · SA-35.15°
- Parnka Point (Coorong)Lagoon · SA-35.93°
- Pennington BayBeach · SA-35.80°
- Pondalowie BayBeach · SA-35.21°
- Port Augusta DeepsShoreline · SA-32.55°
- Port MacDonnell BreakwaterBreakwall · SA-38.06°
- Port Pirie JettyJetty · SA-33.18°
- Port River (Garden Island)Estuary · SA-34.82°
- Salt Creek (Coorong)Lagoon · SA-36.13°
- Sellicks BeachBeach · SA-35.34°
- Semaphore JettyJetty · SA-34.84°
- Sheringa BeachBeach · SA-33.85°
- Snapper Point (Pelican Point Power Station)Shoreline · SA-34.77°
- Streaky Bay JettyJetty · SA-32.80°
- Tea Tree Crossing (Coorong)Lagoon · SA-36.02°
- Telowie BeachBeach · SA-33.06°
- The CoorongLagoon · SA-35.73°
- Vivonne BayBeach · SA-36.01°
- Wellington (Lower Murray)River · SA-35.33°
- West Beach ShorelineBeach · SA-34.95°
- West LakesDam · SA-34.88°
- Whyalla - Spencer GulfShoreline · SA-33.03°
- Yanerbie BeachBeach · SA-33.01°
New South Wales33
- Botany Bay - KurnellEstuary · NSW-34.01°
- Camden Haven BarRiver Mouth · NSW-31.65°
- Cowan CreekEstuary · NSW-33.63°
- Crookhaven HeadsBreakwall · NSW-34.91°
- Diamond HeadHeadland · NSW-31.74°
- Eraring Power Station OutletShoreline · NSW-33.08°
- Evans Head BarRiver Mouth · NSW-29.12°
- Forster-Tuncurry BreakwallBreakwall · NSW-32.17°
- Greenwell PointWharf · NSW-34.92°
- Hastings River EntranceRiver Mouth · NSW-31.43°
- Hat HeadHeadland · NSW-31.05°
- Hawkesbury Brooklyn Bridge PylonsWharf · NSW-33.55°
- Hawkesbury River - BrooklynRiver · NSW-33.55°
- Iluka BreakwallBreakwall · NSW-29.41°
- Karuah BridgeWharf · NSW-32.65°
- Lake MacquarieLagoon · NSW-33.08°
- Macleay River EntranceRiver Mouth · NSW-30.88°
- Manning River PolesRiver · NSW-31.91°
- Narooma - Wagonga InletEstuary · NSW-36.22°
- Newcastle HarbourEstuary · NSW-32.93°
- North Head - SydneyHeadland · NSW-33.82°
- Port Macquarie BreakwaterBreakwall · NSW-31.43°
- SS Tuggerah WreckWreck · NSW-33.30°
- South West Rocks - Trial BayBay · NSW-30.88°
- Stockton BridgeWharf · NSW-32.87°
- Stuarts Point, Macleay ArmEstuary · NSW-30.85°
- Swansea ChannelEstuary · NSW-33.09°
- Sydney Harbour - The SoundEstuary · NSW-33.83°
- The EntranceRiver Mouth · NSW-33.34°
- Tweed BarRiver Mouth · NSW-28.17°
- Twelve Mile Reef NewcastleReef · NSW-32.90°
- Vales Point Hot Water CanalShoreline · NSW-33.15°
- Yamba - Clarence River MouthRiver Mouth · NSW-29.43°
Victoria23
- Bass River MouthRiver Mouth · VIC-38.49°
- Bird RockRock Platform · VIC-38.35°
- Bouchier ChannelEstuary · VIC-38.45°
- Hastings JettyJetty · VIC-38.31°
- Hopkins RiverEstuary · VIC-38.40°
- Lake TyersEstuary · VIC-37.87°
- Lake WellingtonDam · VIC-38.12°
- Loch SportShoreline · VIC-38.05°
- Mallacoota InletEstuary · VIC-37.56°
- MarloEstuary · VIC-37.80°
- McLennan StraitEstuary · VIC-38.10°
- MetungJetty · VIC-37.89°
- Mitchell River Silt JettiesEstuary · VIC-37.89°
- Ocean Grove BeachBeach · VIC-38.28°
- PaynesvilleShoreline · VIC-37.92°
- Port Fairy WharfWharf · VIC-38.39°
- Sandy PointBeach · VIC-38.80°
- Sorrento HoleShoal · VIC-38.34°
- Tambo River - Swan ReachEstuary · VIC-37.75°
- Tamboon InletEstuary · VIC-37.77°
- Torquay Back BeachBeach · VIC-38.35°
- Williamstown PierJetty · VIC-37.87°
- Wye RiverRiver Mouth · VIC-38.64°
Western Australia22
- Becher PointBeach · WA-32.36°
- Binningup BeachBeach · WA-33.15°
- Bremer Bay Back BeachBeach · WA-34.41°
- Bunbury Cut (The Plug)Estuary · WA-33.33°
- Cape AridHeadland · WA-33.97°
- Cape NaturalisteHeadland · WA-33.54°
- Carnarvon - One Mile JettyJetty · WA-24.88°
- Como PoolShoreline · WA-31.99°
- Dawesville CutEstuary · WA-32.63°
- Fremantle North MoleBreakwall · WA-32.06°
- Geraldton ForeshoreShoreline · WA-28.78°
- Heirisson IslandShoreline · WA-31.96°
- Henri Freycinet HarbourBay · WA-26.08°
- Israelite BayBeach · WA-33.61°
- Kalbarri / Murchison River MouthRiver Mouth · WA-27.71°
- Maylands ForeshoreShoreline · WA-31.93°
- Mosman Bay (Swan River)Shoreline · WA-32.01°
- Murchison River Mouth (Chinaman's Beach)River Mouth · WA-27.71°
- Preston BeachBeach · WA-32.88°
- Quobba StationRock Platform · WA-24.48°
- Steep PointRock Platform · WA-26.16°
- Thomas RiverRiver Mouth · WA-33.85°
Queensland14
- Agnes Water Main BeachBeach · QLD-24.21°
- Auckland Point, GladstoneHeadland · QLD-23.83°
- Bribie Surf Gutters (Woorim)Beach · QLD-27.08°
- Currumbin AlleyEstuary · QLD-28.14°
- Double Island PointHeadland · QLD-25.93°
- Gold Coast Seaway Inside WallBreakwall · QLD-27.94°
- Jumpinpin BarRiver Mouth · QLD-27.73°
- Logan River MouthRiver Mouth · QLD-27.72°
- Ngkala Rocks GutterBeach · QLD-24.97°
- North Stradbroke Main Beach GuttersBeach · QLD-27.48°
- Southport SeawayRiver Mouth · QLD-27.94°
- Tallebudgera Creek MouthRiver Mouth · QLD-28.10°
- Tweed Sand Bypass Outlet (Letitia)Shoreline · QLD-28.17°
- Waddy Point GutterBeach · QLD-24.90°
Northern Territory1
More information: mulloway references & sources
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