Fishing in Poona National Park

Poona National Park sits in the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, about 6 kilometres southeast of Maryborough and roughly 210 kilometres north of Brisbane.

The park covers just over 5,300 hectares of mostly marshy, forested country between rivers and the sea — low, wet terrain with no walking trails and no camping. Fishing inside the park is permitted in one designated area only: the Kalah Creek catchment.

That boundary matters. The park is a wildlife refuge protecting endangered species, and the restriction to Kalah Creek is a condition of fishing here, not a suggestion. Check current rules with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service before you go.

Kalah Creek can be reached two ways — by four-wheel-drive off Boonaroo Road, or by boat.

The 4WD approach suits anglers who want to drive in and fish from the bank or wade; the boat access opens up the creek from the water side and suits those already on the Great Sandy Strait.

The creek holds bream, mangrove jack, mulloway, and mud crabs, typical of the tidal creek systems along this stretch of coast.

The surrounding area fishes well for the same species, and the Poona Foreshore Reserve nearby has a boat ramp and land-based access to the Great Sandy Strait.

But inside the park, Kalah Creek is where the fishing is, and the rest of the park's waterways are off limits. This is a park that asks you to fish one creek and leave the rest alone.

That trade-off — access in exchange for restraint — is worth understanding before you launch.