The Great Sandy Strait has many great areas to fish.
Whiting, bream and flathead can be caught around the two Reef islands (almost directly opposite Boonooroo near Fraser Island), at high tide and in the channel between them at low tide. You should look for little gutters draining off the flats there also.
Poona, Black Swan and Shark creeks fish well at times. Camping areas up these creeks can also be found.
One of the strait's best fish habitats is from Boonooroo north to Ungowa on Fraser Island. This area is without doubt one of the best fishing areas in the Great Sandy Strait but it can be a minefield of shallow water, sandbars and blind gutters for the inexperienced boatie.
Good fishing territory can be found all around any of the Moonboom Islands. Along the eastern side of the Moonbooms runs a deep ledge for reef fish.
The eastern sides of Bookar and Turkey islands are very productive for whiting, bream and flathead. You can catch winter whiting in the steamer channel around here. Fishermen chasing reef fish have the steamer channel ledge running the entire length of Fraser Island and this area from Little Rocky Creek to Yankee Jack Creek is fantastic reef fish country. Tailor can be trolled for off the islands on the opposite side of the steamer channel to Turkey Island.
A few kilometres north is Woongoolbver Creek (or Wanggoolba as some maps have it), is the landing point for one of the barge services from River Heads. Here the strait opens up wide, the distant twin points of River Heads clearly visible to the west.
River Heads is the major departure point for vehicles and has magnificent views of Fraser Island, the Great Sandy Strait and the Mary and Susan rivers estuaries. There are public boat ramps from which boaties can set out for either a day out fishing or to take a 40-minute run up the Mary River to Maryborough.
Back in the strait, the area between Woongoolbver Creek and the next point of interest, McKenzie's Jetty, is about 6km of mangroves and shallow mud flats so steer well clear of the shoreline. Lake McKenzie's Jetty is almost within shouting distance of the only tourist facility on the western side of the island, Kingfisher Bay Resort and Village.
The stretch of water between the two is a popular anchorage for passing boats, which are protected from the prevailing south-easterlies by the height of the Island's land mass. It is also a popular fishing location, renowned for golden trevally and big whiting.
Leaving Kingfisher Bay boaties invariably head for the shipping channel that takes them up the narrows between Big and Little Woody islands.
