Reel in a trophy Barra!
As of April 2019 over half a million fish have been stocked, including barramundi and sooty grunter. Kinchant has the reputation as one of the best places to land a fish over the metre mark due to its open nature and the numbers of big fish in residence. With limited standing timber and plentiful weed beds, fish tend to fight fairly cleanly.
Getting there
Kinchant Dam is located 40 km west of Mackay and is an easy 40min drive from the Mackay City Centre. From Mackay, travel west on the Peak Downs Highway for 25min before turning left on to Marian-Eton Road and then Kinchant Dam Road.
Fishing Tips
Catching fish at Kinchant Dam has never been easier, thanks to the recently completed Kinchant Dam Habitat Enhancement Project.
For a good chance to catch a barra, target one of the 36 strategically located fish hotel hotspots – make sure to take the GPS coordinates with you!
Weed is the primary natural structure type in the impoundment, so make sure you have plenty of weedless offerings in your arsenal. Big worm-style hooks rigged on paddle-tail plastics are ideal and can be weighted with special jigheads or a small ball sinker tied in the loop knot on the lure’s nose. Surface lures worked over the submerged weed beds is also an option.