Prawning on the Gold Coast: Complete Guide to Catching Prawns

Gold Coast Prawning Guide: Species, Seasons, Locations & Techniques

Your Practical Guide to Prawning on the Gold Coast

Gold Coast prawning is one of South East Queensland’s most popular and rewarding fishing activities. With extensive estuary systems, bays, rivers and coastal waters stretching from northern NSW through to Queensland, the Gold Coast offers excellent opportunities to target multiple prawn species throughout the year.

Whether you’re cast netting banana prawns in deep holes, scooping schoolies in the shallows, or spotlighting tiger prawns around drains and weed beds, understanding prawn species, seasons, locations and gear will dramatically improve your success.

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Common Prawn Species on the Gold Coast

Banana Prawns

(Penaeus merguiensis, Penaeus indicus)
Banana prawns are one of the most sought-after species for Gold Coast prawning. Found from Shark Bay in Western Australia, around the Top End and down to northern NSW, they can grow up to 34cm in length.

Season: November to May
Habitat: Estuaries, bays and deep holes (5.5–12m)
Best Method: Cast nets, especially top-pocket nets

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School Prawns

(Metapenaeus macleayi)
School prawns are common from mid-Queensland to the Victorian border and are especially abundant in shallow estuaries and river systems.

Season: November to May
Size: Up to 25cm
Habitat: Shallows, drains and small holes (2–8m)
Best Method: Scoop nets, haul nets and cast nets

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Tiger Prawns

(Penaeus monodon)
There are three main tiger prawn varieties encountered locally:

• Black Tiger Prawn (farmed – year-round)

• Brown Tiger Prawn (wild – peak February to May)

• Grooved Tiger Prawn (wild – peak February to May)

Size: Up to 33cm
Habitat: Weed beds, drains, shallow flats and deeper holes
Best Method: Spotlighting with scoop nets, cast nets (QLD)

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Eastern King Prawns

(Penaeus plebejus)
Eastern kings range along the entire east coast of Australia and are mainly caught offshore by commercial trawlers.

Size: Up to 30cm
Habitat: Offshore reefs and deeper coastal waters

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Coral Prawns

Found along the east coast around reefs and rubble bottoms. Mostly taken as bycatch by trawlers.

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Mantis Shrimp

Although not true prawns, mantis shrimp are often encountered while prawning. Over 125 species exist in Australian waters, from estuaries to depths exceeding 1500m.

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Gold Coast Prawning Bag Limits

• Personal limit: 10 litres per person

• Boat limit: 20 litres (two or more people)

⚠️ Bag limits apply to all prawns in your possession, including those at home in fridges, freezers or used as bait.

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Prawn Life Cycle & Spawning

Most prawns live fast-paced lives, spawning multiple times before dying within one to two years. Females release hundreds of thousands of eggs per spawn, with larvae drifting shoreward into estuaries, bays and shallow reefs.

Banana, tiger and school prawns migrate upstream into estuaries during juvenile stages, feeding and growing rapidly before returning offshore to spawn after around 12 months.

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Where to Find Prawns on the Gold Coast

Banana Prawns

• Deep estuary holes and bay channels

• Preferred depth around 6m

• Often avoid shallow water during daylight to escape bird predators

School Prawns

• Shallow flats, drains and sand holes

• Particularly common in northern NSW river systems

Tiger Prawns

• Weed beds, drains and gutters

• Less schooling behaviour than banana prawns

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Using Sounders for Gold Coast Prawning

Modern sounders with down scan and side scan are extremely effective for locating prawns, especially banana prawns in deeper water.

• Thin bands, dots or pyramid shapes indicate light prawn concentrations

• Thick schools can completely white out the sounder

• Casting behind the boat is often most productive, as you’ve just driven over the prawns

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Best Nets for Gold Coast Prawning

Top Pocket Cast Nets

• Best all-round net

• Ideal for 4–30m depth

• Fast sink rate, excellent spread

• Most popular among serious prawners

Bottom Pocket Nets

• Best for shallow water (up to 3m)

• Effective around drains and weed beds

Top & Bottom Pocket Nets

• Mid-depth water (1–6m)

• Slower sink but versatile

Drawstring Nets

• Ideal for deep water and snaggy bottoms

• Allows retrieval before hitting bottom

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Scoop Nets & Haul Nets

• Scoop nets are excellent for spotlighting in shallow water

• Haul nets are highly effective for school prawns in drains and flats (where legal)

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Net Weights: Chain, Lead or Rings?

• Chain: Fast sink, more snag-prone

• Lead: Slower sink, fewer snags

• Rings: Mid-sink rate, noisier

Personal preference plays a big role—try different setups to find what suits your style.

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Handling, Storage & Cooking

• Prawns have sharp defensive spikes on the head and tail

• Place prawns straight into an ice slurry with salt for best quality

• Shallow-water prawns often contain more grit

• Best eaten fresh or within three weeks of freezing

Prawns are incredibly versatile in the kitchen—perfect for BBQs, curries, pastas, stir-fries, cocktails and more.

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Responsible Prawning on the Gold Coast

Always take only what you need and correctly identify your catch. Fish ID apps and reference books are valuable tools, and when in doubt, take a photo and release the prawn.

Responsible prawning ensures healthy stocks and great fishing for future seasons.