Yellowfin Tuna
Yellowfin tuna — 'fin' to most Australian bluewater anglers — are the engine of the offshore gamefish scene along the East and West Coasts.
They ride warm oceanic currents into Australian waters, sometimes pushing within a few hundred metres of the beach, and can top 100 kg.
The NSW Far South Coast consistently produces the biggest fish, but they're a genuine target from Queensland to south-west WA.
Scientific Name: Thunnus albacares
Also known as Fin, YFT, Allison's tuna, yellow-finned albacore
- Dark metallic blue back fading to silvery-yellow sides and a silver-white belly, often with roughly 20 broken vertical white lines across the lower flanks.
- The second dorsal and anal fins are disproportionately long and bright yellow — on fish over 40 kg these sickle-shaped fins are the clearest ID feature; on fish under 40 kg, check that the pectoral fin reaches back to the start of the second dorsal.
- All finlets are bright yellow with a narrow black margin — a quick separator from bigeye tuna, which share similar colouring but have proportionally larger eyes and shorter second dorsal fins.
- Commonly caught in Australian waters at 15–50 kg; anything over 100 kg is a serious fish. The Australian all-tackle record is 125 kg, taken off Montague Island, NSW.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to Australian waters — a wide-ranging pelagic species found from south-west WA, across the Northwest Shelf, and down the entire East Coast from Cape York to eastern Bass Strait and Tasmania.
- Absent from the Northern Territory, Gulf of Carpentaria, western Victoria and South Australia; also recorded at Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Lord Howe Island.
- Primarily an open-ocean species of the upper 100 m of the water column, though individuals have been tracked diving well beyond 400 m. They follow the East Australian Current and warm eddies that push baitfish concentrations toward the continental shelf edge.
- Schools by size class — juveniles mix with skipjack and juvenile bigeye tuna; fish over roughly 40 kg tend to travel alone or in smaller groups of similar-sized individuals.
Key Locations
- NSW Far South Coast (Bermagui, Ulladulla, Merimbula) — consistently produces the largest fish in Australia, with the national record taken off Montague Island near Bermagui.
- Jervis Bay and Sydney offshore grounds — accessible shelf-edge fishing with a strong recreational following; fish can push close inshore during strong current years.
- Rottnest Trench, WA — a deep-water canyon close to Perth that concentrates fish following the warm Leeuwin Current; a key West Coast yellowfin location.
- Exmouth, WA — warm Indian Ocean waters bring yellowfin within reach of the Exmouth Gulf and nearby offshore grounds, particularly in the warmer months.
Specific Spots
- Temperature breaks along the continental shelf edge are the starting point — look for the boundary where cooler inshore water meets warm current water, as baitfish stack there and yellowfin follow.
- Colour changes in the water (green to blue transitions) and floating debris or weed lines concentrate baitfish and draw feeding fish to the surface, especially around tide changes.
- Seabird activity — gannets and shearwaters diving — is one of the most reliable surface indicators of feeding yellowfin pushing bait up from below.
- Sunrise and sunset are peak feeding windows; during the day, tide changes can push fish shallower and restart surface activity that has gone quiet.
Yellowfin Tuna FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Yellowfin Tuna?
Hard-bodied trolling lures, bibbed minnows in the 190–220 mm range in pilchard, chrome-pink or kingfish colours, have largely replaced skirted lures as the first choice for big yellowfin along the East Coast. Run them at varying distances behind the boat, with the longest bait in the shotgun position.
When is the best time to fish for Yellowfin Tuna?
NSW East Coast: the run typically begins around autumn (April–May) as warm current water pushes south, and fishing holds through winter and spring before tapering as summer conditions change, roughly May to November is the productive window.
How do you catch Yellowfin Tuna?
Most Australian anglers target yellowfin by trolling hard-bodied lures or skirted lures across temperature breaks and colour changes along the continental shelf edge, reading bird activity and surface disturbances to find feeding fish.
What do Yellowfin Tuna eat?
Yellowfin feed heavily on baitfish, pilchards, mackerel, squid and whatever schooling species the current has concentrated. When fish are visibly busting up bait on the surface, matching the size and profile of what they're eating matters: slender bibbed minnows in pilchard or chrome colours have become the go-to...
Where do Yellowfin Tuna live?
Native to Australian waters, a wide-ranging pelagic species found from south-west WA, across the Northwest Shelf, and down the entire East Coast from Cape York to eastern Bass Strait and Tasmania.
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