Species
Yellowfin Tuna
Thunnus albacares
Tier 2Eating10/10heavy tackleNSWVICQLDWANT
42 waypoints~80–160 cm typical
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Range & spots
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Overview: about yellowfin tuna
Premier east-coast pelagic — runs from northern NSW down through southern NSW in late summer and autumn, with strong runs off QLD and WA. Targeted by trolling skirts and live-baiting on the shelf and current lines. Top-shelf eating and a stunning sportfish on heavy spin.
Biology: Yellowfin Tuna size, diet & habitat
- Habitat
- Offshore, Pelagic
- Typical size
- 80–160 cm (max 240 cm)
- Weight
- 10–60 kg (max 200 kg)
- Depth range
- 0–300 m
- Diet
- squid, small tuna, flying fish, mackerel
- Most active
- diurnal
- Global range
- Pantropical and warm-temperate (Thunnus albacares)
How to target: Yellowfin Tuna angling strategies
Generally fished with heavy tackle — match gear to the conditions and the size of fish you expect.
- trolling small skirts and Christmas-tree daisy chains along shelf temperature breaks
- cubing pilchards on a slow drift over current lines and FADs
- casting stick baits into surface boil-ups
- live-baiting slimies on a kite from a drifting boat
Best season: when to catch yellowfin tuna in Australia
- NSW
- Mar-Jul (Port Stephens/Sydney canyons)
- QLD
- year-round offshore (peak Sep-Dec)
- WA
- Mar-Jul (Perth canyons)
Seasons shift with water temperature and local conditions, so check recent reports before a trip.
Where to catch: yellowfin tuna fishing spots in Australia
42 mapped fishing spots, marks and waypoints for yellowfin tuna across Australia, covering land-based fishing, rock fishing, estuary fishing and offshore and bluewater fishing. Each location below links through to access notes and coordinates.
Queensland21
- 18 mile SouthReef · QLD-26.58°
- 21 mile edge of the Barwon Banks in MiddleReef · QLD-26.55°
- Caloundra Wide South Western endReef · QLD-26.85°
- Cape Moreton CanyonsCanyon · QLD-27.00°
- Cape Moreton TrenchReef · QLD-26.93°
- Deep Little ShipReef · QLD-26.30°
- Deep Tempest Reef off Cape MoretonReef · QLD-27.12°
- Gold Coast FADBait Ground · QLD-28.15°
- HeavenCanyon · QLD-26.92°
- Holmes ReefReef · QLD-16.48°
- Marion ReefReef · QLD-19.17°
- Mooloolaba WideReef · QLD-26.60°
- Noosa CanyonsCanyon · QLD-26.42°
- North of Hutchison ShoalsShoal · QLD-26.92°
- Northern Noosa CanyonsCanyon · QLD-26.27°
- Saumarez ReefReef · QLD-21.83°
- Southern Little Ships MarksReef · QLD-26.38°
- Southern grounds of Cape Moreton CanyonsCanyon · QLD-27.05°
- Sunshine Coast FADBait Ground · QLD-26.68°
- The Dog LegCanyon · QLD-26.67°
- Wreck Reef (Capricorn-Bunker)Reef · QLD-22.18°
New South Wales8
- Bermagui CanyonsCanyon · NSW-36.35°
- Browns MountainCanyon · NSW-34.15°
- Cape Byron DeepCanyon · NSW-28.63°
- Eden - Twofold BayBay · NSW-37.07°
- Jervis Bay - Point PerpendicularHeadland · NSW-35.09°
- Merimbula FADBait Ground · NSW-36.90°
- Montague IslandReef · NSW-36.25°
- Port Stephens - Broughton IslandReef · NSW-32.62°