Flathead (Sand & Tiger) (also known as Sand Flathead, Tiger Flathead, Southern Flathead, Flatty) in Tasmania. Minimum legal size, daily bag limit, possession limit, slot rule — verified against the NRE Tas guide, 2026.
In Tasmania, the minimum legal size for Flathead (Sand & Tiger) is 35 cm and the daily bag limit is 20 combined (sand + tiger flathead); from 1 March 2026 sand flathead alone is zoned — bag 0 in the south-eastern zone (closure), 5 in the Eastern zone, 10 in the Northern/Western zone and around King/Flinders Islands, with a possession limit of 30 combined (sand + tiger flathead); sand-flathead zone possession is 0 on the water / 10 on land in the south-eastern zone, 10 in other zones. A slot limit applies: Sand flathead: 35–40 cm slot statewide, EXCEPT no maximum size around King and Flinders Islands (35 cm minimum only there). Tiger flathead minimum is 32 cm. Season note: From 1 March 2026 a sand flathead closure applies in the south-eastern zone (bag/possession 0 on the water). No statewide closed season for tiger flathead. All flathead must be landed whole or as fillets with intact frames.
Sand flathead: 35–40 cm slot statewide, EXCEPT no maximum size around King and Flinders Islands (35 cm minimum only there). Tiger flathead minimum is 32 cm.
From 1 March 2026 a sand flathead closure applies in the south-eastern zone (bag/possession 0 on the water). No statewide closed season for tiger flathead. All flathead must be landed whole or as fillets with intact frames.
Tasmania has no true dusky flathead — this entry covers the local sand and tiger flathead. Sand + tiger share an overall combined limit (bag 20, possession 30); within that, sand flathead carries a 35–40 cm slot and, from 1 March 2026, big zone-based reforms including a south-eastern-zone closure. Around King/Flinders Islands there is no maximum size (35 cm minimum only). Tiger flathead minimum is 32 cm.
These limits are pulled from the NRE Tas Recreational Sea Fishing Guide — size and bag limits. Last verified June 2026.
Always check the official guide before keeping any fish. Regulations change. Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (Fisheries Tasmania) — and, for inland trout, the Inland Fisheries Service updates its guide annually and occasionally mid-year. Fines for over-bag or undersized fish are significant.
Tasmania has two licence regimes. Inland/freshwater (trout) fishing requires a recreational angling licence for anyone aged 14 or over. Sea/saltwater line fishing for scalefish needs no licence — only specific methods (rock lobster, abalone, scallop dive, nets, set lines) require a recreational sea fishing licence. Buy an inland angling licence (IFS).
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