QLD FAD locations and GPS marks

November 18, 2021

Find fish aggregating devices in Queensland

Queensland FADs GPS locations: Fish aggregating devices are human-made structures anchored offshore that attract fish, making them easier to catch so you can have a great fishing experience.

To start with, 25 surface FADs were deployed off South East Queensland, from Fraser Island to the Gold Coast. These FADs have been popular with fishers, with great catches of mahi mahi reported.

As part of the next stage of the program, four surface FADs were deployed off Weipa, three surface and four all-water FADs off Wide Bay Burnett and 12 subsurface FADs off South East Queensland. Additional FADs are also being considered for other parts of Queensland.

Fish attracted to FADs

Most fish attracted to the FADs are seasonal pelagic fish, which travel in the warm water delivered by ocean currents. Species caught around the FADs include mahi mahi, wahoo, tuna, cobia, mackerel and billfish.

Mahi mahi are the most common species of fish caught around the FADs and are the perfect sport fish:

They have a remarkable growth rate, known to grow as fast as 7cm in a week.
Adult fish can grow to almost 200cm (weighing up to 40kg).
They can be sexually mature as early as 6 months of age and reproduce at a high rate.
They are relatively short-lived – they rarely live past 2 years of age.

Check out the interactive map for the locations of all the Queensland FADS. Queensland FADs GPS

Below is a list with GPS marks.

Click here for details on the initial FAD program.

Fish aggregating devices are deployed in the following locations all year round: Queensland FADs GPS locations

South east Queensland

FAD type	FAD location	Latitude (DDM)	Longitude (DDM)	Distance from nearest access point (nm)	Depth of water (m)
Surface FAD	FAD 1: Gold Coast 24s	27° 59.268’S	153° 31.747’E	6 from Gold Coast Seaway	46
Surface FAD	FAD 2: Gold Coast 50s	27° 55.790’S	153° 45.198’E	16 from Gold Coast Seaway	85
Surface FAD	FAD 3: Gold Coast 36s	27° 48.408’S	153° 37.472’E	12 from Gold Coast Seaway	68
Surface FAD	FAD 11: Gold Coast 36s	28° 03.047’S	153° 39.480’E	16 from Gold Coast seaway	65
Surface FAD	FAD 12: Gold Coast 36s	27° 56.040’S	153° 38.331’E	11 from Gold Coast seaway	64
Surface FAD	FAD 12B: Gold Coast 36s	27° 55.462’S	153° 37.571’E	11 from Gold Coast seaway	64
Surface FAD	FAD 12C: Gold Coast 36s	27° 55.029’S	153° 38.267’E	11 from Gold Coast seaway	64
Surface FAD	FAD 13: Gold Coast 50s	27° 44.368’S	153° 44.314’E	20 from Gold Coast Seaway	86
Surface FAD	FAD 14: Gold Coast 36s	27° 40.460’S	153° 36.166’E	18 from Gold Coast Seaway	66
Surface FAD	FAD 15: Point Lookout offshore	27° 23.448’S	153° 40.623’E	12 from South Passage bar	104
Surface FAD	FAD 4: Stradbroke offshore	27° 17.029’S	153° 37.672’E	9.5 from South Passage Bar	83
Surface FAD	FAD 16: Moreton offshore	27° 11.097’S	153° 36.894’E	13 from South Passage bar	108
Surface FAD	FAD 5: Moreton offshore	27° 05.797’S	153° 34.177’E	14 from Comboyuro Point	89
Surface FAD	FAD 17: Cape Moreton offshore	26° 59.654’S	153° 33.585’E	5 from Cape Moreton	108
Surface FAD	FAD 6: Bribie offshore	26° 55.735’S	153° 31.775’E	12 from Comboyuro Point	100
Surface FAD	FAD 18: Wide Caloundra	26° 44.758’S	153° 27.189’E	18 from Mooloolaba	60
Surface FAD	FAD 19: Mooloolaba 18nm	26° 36.144’S	153° 25.765’E	17 from Mooloolaba	49
Surface FAD	FAD 7: Mooloolaba 10nm	26° 35.908’S	153° 19.686’E	10 from Mooloolaba	55
Surface FAD	FAD 7B: Mooloolaba 10nm	26° 34.999’S	153° 18.665’E	10 from Mooloolaba	56
Surface FAD	FAD 7C: Mooloolaba 10nm	26° 35.099’S	153° 20.727’E	10 from Mooloolaba	56
Surface FAD	FAD 8: Mooloolaba east	26° 34.259’S	153° 33.796’E	24 from Mooloolaba	101
Surface FAD	FAD 20: Noosa	26° 22.700’S	153° 14.300’E	9 from Noosa	52
Surface FAD	FAD 9: Noosa	26° 15.558’S	153° 19.754’E	14 from Noosa	55
Surface FAD	FAD 10: Double Island offshore	25° 53.075’S	153° 21.907’E	16 from Wide Bay Bar	57
Surface FAD	FAD 21: Fraser Island offshore	25° 41.269’S	153° 22.616’E	17 from Wide Bay bar	51
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 1A: Gold Coast continental shelf	27° 55.542’S	153° 53.764’E	25 from Gold Coast Seaway	256
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 1B: Gold Coast continental shelf	27° 54.555’S	153° 54.108’E	25 from Gold Coast Seaway	273
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 1C: Gold Coast continental shelf	27° 55.425’S	153° 54.765’E	26 from Gold Coast Seaway	306
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 2A: Point Lookout continental shelf	27° 25.720’S	153° 49.764’E	19 from South Passage Bar	250
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 2B: Point Lookout continental shelf	27° 24.894’S	153° 50.489’E	20 from South Passage Bar	258
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 2C: Point Lookout continental shelf	27° 25.738’S	153° 51.278’E	20 from South Passage Bar	290
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 3A: Cape Moreton continental shelf	27° 01.074’S	153° 45.918’E	22 from Comboyuro Point	269
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 3B: Cape Moreton continental shelf	27° 00.412’S	153° 46.696’E	23 from Comboyuro Point	280
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 3C: Cape Moreton continental shelf	27° 01.088’S	153° 47.563’E	23 from Comboyuro Point	295
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 4A: Mooloolaba continental shelf	26° 40.491’S	153° 40.111’E	29 from Mooloolaba	233
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 4B: Mooloolaba continental shelf	26° 39.887’S	153° 40.786’E	29 from Mooloolaba	244
Subsurface FAD	SFAD 4C: Mooloolaba continental shelf	26° 40.709’S	153° 41.170’E	30 from Mooloolaba	252

Wide Bay Burnett

FAD type	FAD location	Latitude (DDM)	Longitude (DDM)	Distance from nearest access point (nm)	Depth of water (m)
Surface FAD	FAD F1: Rooney Point, Fraser Island	24° 48.296’S	153° 05.638’E	31 from Urangan	34
Surface FAD	FAD F2: Fraser Island offshore	24° 37.897’S	153° 24.348’E	8 from Sandy Cape	54
Surface FAD	FAD F3: Fraser Island offshore	24° 58.062’S	153° 32.673’E	11 from Waddy Point	54
All-water FAD	FAD B1a: Bundaberg offshore	24° 39.163’S	152° 32.925’E	10 from Burnett Heads	25
All-water FAD	FAD B1b: Bundaberg offshore	24° 39.265’S	152° 33.012’E	10 from Burnett Heads	25
All water FAD	FAD B1c: Bundaberg offshore	24° 39.355’S	152° 32.922’E	10 from Burnett Heads	25
All water FAD	FAD B1d: Bundaberg offshore	24° 39.280’S	152° 32.835’E	10 from Burnett Heads	25

Far North Queensland

FAD type	FAD location	Latitude (DDM)	Longitude (DDM)	Distance from nearest access point (nm)	Depth of water (m)
Surface FAD	FAD G1: Weipa	12° 58.959’S	141° 17.009’E	36 from Weipa	30
Surface FAD	FAD G2: Weipa	12° 54.711’S	141° 22.625’E	29 from Weipa	30
Surface FAD	FAD G3: Weipa	12° 48.671’S	141° 23.665’E	25 from Weipa	30
Surface FAD	FAD G4: Weipa	12° 49.903’S	141° 32.594’E	18 from Weipa	21