Species › Australia & New Zealand › Dusky Flathead

Saltwater

Dusky Flathead

Platycephalus fuscus · Flathead, Flattie, Lizard

Water temp
61–73°F
Peak season
Nov–Feb
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
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Dusky Flathead (Dusky Flathead (Platycephalus fuscus) with Bullina Lineata (9141290010).jpg)

Photo: Sylke Rohrlach from Sydney · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Dusky flathead are long, flattened fish with a wide spiny head, a huge mouth, eyes on top and a mottled brown-grey back ending in a tail with a distinctive dark blotch. They are the largest of Australia's flatheads and range from Cairns in Queensland to the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria, living in estuaries, coastal lakes, shallow bays and surf beaches over sand and mud. Flathead lie buried waiting for prawns, baitfish and crabs to pass, then lunge upward, mostly in daylight on moving tides. They are the most-caught sportfish on the Australian east coast because they are everywhere, eat lures readily and taste excellent, and big females over 35 in (90 cm) are serious trophies.

Typical size1–3 lb (0.5–1.5 kg); 14–22 in
Trophy32 in+ (80 cm+), roughly 8 lb+; 1 m fish are rare giants
Table fareExcellent — sweet, firm white fillets; release the big breeding females

Where & when

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Best from October to April when water is warm and fish move into shallow estuary flats; the big females gather near estuary mouths to spawn in early summer, and winter fish go deeper and bite slowly.

Lake Macquarie, AustraliaNSW coastal lake famous for big dusky flatheadGold Coast Broadwater, AustraliaSand flats and channels; year-round flatheadMallacoota Inlet, AustraliaVictoria; trophy flathead fishery

How to catch

Soft plastics along drop-offsCast a 3–5 in paddletail, prawn or curl-tail on a 1/4–1/2 oz jighead up-current and hop it down a sand bank or weed edge with a double lift and pause, letting it hit bottom each time. Flathead take on the drop, so watch the line and strike at the bump.
Drifting with hardbodies or baitsDrift across flats and channel edges on a run-out tide trolling or casting deep-diving minnows that bump the sand, or drift a live poddy mullet or fresh prawn on a running sinker. Puffs of sand from the lure draw fish from a distance.

Gear

Rod7' light to medium spinning
Reel2500–3000 spinning
Line10–15 lb braid; 15–20 lb fluorocarbon leader

Lures

Soft-plastic paddletail or prawnDeep-diving hardbody minnowSoft vibe or blade

Baits

Live poddy mulletFresh prawnPilchardWhitebait

Regulations

Dusky flathead are managed with a slot size limit and daily bag limit in New South Wales and Queensland and a size limit in Victoria, and a recreational fishing licence is required in NSW and Victoria; limits differ by state and change.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: not listed. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

What is the best lure for dusky flathead?

A 3–5 in soft plastic paddletail or prawn imitation on a 1/4–1/2 oz jighead, hopped slowly along sand drop-offs so it puffs the bottom, is the standard. Natural and bright pink or chartreuse colors both work. Deep-diving hardbodies trolled or cast so they dig into the sand are a close second.

Bite forecast — Dusky Flathead

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Dusky Flathead.

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