Raffles Bay

Saltwater
Estuary

Raffles Bay

Saltwater
Estuary

Sq. miles: 24
Boat Ramps: 0
Access Points: 0
Species: 5

Raffles Bay is a remote and historically significant estuary on the Cobourg Peninsula within the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in the Northern Territory. This shallow, mangrove-lined bay offers a pristine and challenging fishing environment renowned for its bluewater pelagic action and rich inshore habitats, set against a backdrop of Aboriginal cultural heritage and early colonial settlement ruins.

Northern Territory licenses and regulations4 to check before you go

Species & education

Learn what type of fish are at Raffles Bay and what's needed to catch them.

Find which waters have the species you want to catch

Barramundi

Lates calcarifer

Giant Trevally

Caranx ignobilis

Golden Trevally

Gnathanodon speciosus

Longtail Tuna

Thunnus tonggol

Queenfish

Scomberoides commersonnianus

Fishing spots, boat ramps & amenities

Learn how to get on Raffles Bay. Uncover great fishing access points, boat ramps, and all the facilities you need for an unforgettable day on the water. Some locations shown may border or include private property. Always check property boundaries and applicable regulations before visiting. onWater's Public & Private Land layer can help you plan your access with confidence.

Key areas include the rocky outcrops and sandy drop-offs that attract pelagic species. The sandy flats across all bays are productive for golden trevally. The marked channel along the eastern side provides a route to deeper water and fishing grounds. The shallow and deep coral reefs offshore from the bay also hold significant fish populations.

Know where you can legally fish on Raffles Bay

See public and private land boundaries along the water, turn on private parcels with owner details to know where permission is required, and find land-trust parcels that offer permitted fishing access.

Northern Territory licenses and regulations

Northern Territory Boating Regulations

Official NT recreational boating safety guide. Boats need no registration and operators need no licence, but must follow the Marine Act 1981 and Marine (General) Regulations 2013, including minimum safety-equipment requirements.

Learn more

Northern Territory Fishing License

The Northern Territory does not require a recreational fishing licence - fishing is licence-free, and no recreational boat licence is needed either. This official NT Fisheries page confirms no licence is required and outlines the rules that still apply.

Learn more

Northern Territory Fishing Regulations

Official NT page setting recreational possession limits, including a general personal possession limit, separate limits for exempt species, and per-vessel limits. See the page for current numbers.

Learn more

Northern Territory Stream Access Laws

NT has no single generic stream-access statute; the major access consideration is that much of the NT's intertidal waters overlie Aboriginal land. Permission is required to enter intertidal waters over Aboriginal land, and recreational fishers must register (via the Northern Land Council) to access some waters.

Learn more

Take Raffles Bay with you

The onWater Fish app keeps this water's access points, species and conditions in your pocket, with the tools you use once you're there.

Use the map without signal
Download the map around Raffles Bay to use it offline when coverage drops.
Log your catches here
Keep a private fishing journal for Raffles Bay to find where and when fish are biting for you.

Get the onWater Fish app

Free on iOS and Android