Fishing Seasons

​​​​​Fisheries may be closed at spawning times to protect breeding stock, to limit the catch for a fishery or for public health reasons. If not listed, no season applies

​Species ​Recreational Seasons
​Commercial Seasons
​​Rock Lobster​
(crayfish)

​OPEN

Waters outside theEast Coast​​ Stock Rebuilding Zone
- Open from Saturday, 5 November 2022.
East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone
- Open from Saturday, 3 December 2022.

Information about transiting between seasonally closed waters​.

CLOSED
Eastern Region (including ECSRZ)
- Closed from Monday, 1 May 2023.
Western Region (Females)
- Closed from Monday 1 May 2023.
Western Region (Males)
- Closed from Friday 1 September 2023.

2​022/23 SEASON OPEN

Waters outside the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone
- Open from Tuesday, 15 November 2022.

East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone
- Open from Wednesday, 1 March 2023.​

2023 - SEASON CLOSURE

Female - closed from Monday, 1​ May 2023 for all State waters.

Male - closed from Friday, 1 September 2023 all waters south of St Helens Pt around to Sandy Cape (41° 29').

Male - closed from Sunday, 1 October 2023 all other State waters.

Squid and Calamari
Spawning Closures

​East Coast

Upper south east coast waters including Great Oyster Bay and Mercury Passage from 15 October to 14 November inclusive each year.​

 

North Coast

2022From Cape Grim east to Cape Naturaliste will be closed from 23 September - 31 October 2022 inclusive​.

​​East Coast

Upper south east coast waters including Great Oyster Bay and Mercury Passage from 15 October to 14 November inclusive each year.​

 

North Coast

2022From Cape Grim east to Cape Naturaliste will be closed from 23 September - 31 October 2022 inclusive​.

​​Scallops

​2023: Open from 1 April to 31 July 2023.
The D'Entrecasteaux Channel is closed.

​Open 24 June 2022

Closed 31 December 2022

​​Striped Trumpeter

​Closed from 1 September to 31 October inclusive each year.

​Closed from 1 September to 31 October inclusive each year.

​​Garfish

​​​Northern Waters

Above a line from Cape Grim east to Cape Naturaliste - closed to fishing from 15 January to 14 February inclusive in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Southern Waters

All other waters south of the above line - closed to fishing from 15 November to 14 December inclusive​ in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

*The line between Northern and Southern Waters is the same as the North Coast Squid closure line.

​Northern Waters

From Cape Grim east to Cape Naturaliste - closed to fishing from 15 January to 14 February inclusive in 2023, 2024 and 2025. 

​Southern Waters

All other waters from Cape Grim south and around to Cape Naturaliste - closed to fishing from 15 November to 14 December inclusive​ in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Giant Crab​​Same as Rock lobster season.

​Males - Open all year round.

Females - from 15 November in a year to 31 May the following year inclusive.

Banded Morwong​​​Closed from 1 March to 30 April inclusive each year.

​​Closed from 1 March to 30 April inclusive each year.

Abalon​e

​​​Open all year round​.

​Open all year round however catch caps exist in many zones. See Abalone Closures.


See Inland Fisheries for inland fishing seasons.



    Contact

    Recreational Fishing Enquiries
    Level 3, 134 Macquarie St
    Hobart TAS 7000
    Phone: 03 6165 3233, 1300 720 647
    Email: fishing.enquiries@nre.tas.gov.au

    Hotline

    Fishwatch Report illegal fishing

    0427 655 557

    What to report? arrow button

    Contact us

    Recreational Fishing

    Level 3, 134 Macquarie St

    Hobart TAS 7000

    Phone: (03) 6165 3233, 1300 720 647

    Email: fishing.enquiries@nre.tas.gov.au

    Commercial Fisheries

    Level 3, 134 Macquarie St

    GPO Box 44

    Phone: (03) 6165 3000, 1300 368 550

    Email: commercial.fisheries@nre.tas.gov.au

    Commercial Fisheries Licensing

    Level 3, 134 Macquarie St

    GPO Box 44

    Phone: (03) 6165 3000, 1300 368 550

    Email: fishing.licensing@nre.tas.gov.au