In dryland river systems fish are isolated in waterholes and can only undertake longitudinal movement during flow events and subsequent reconnection. These events may provide cues for fish to move, but flow regime modification and artificial barriers severely reduce movement opportunities. We are investigating what flow attributes both cue fish movement, and provide opportunity for that movement to be realised in the lower Balonne system of the northern Murray-Darling Basin. We use an acoustic telemetry array to track movements of 240 individuals of carp, yellowbelly (Macquaria ambigua), spangled perch (Leiopotherapon unicolor), and Hyrtl’s tandan (Neosilurus hyrtlii). During no-flow conditions local-scale (2-10 km) movement was significant, with some individuals continuously moving throughout the length of a waterhole. Recruitment of yellowbelly and spangled perch was also recorded. A late summer flow provided opportunity for larger-scale movement, but the majority of tagged fish remained in their starting waterhole during the event. Hyrtl’s tandan however migrated up to 40 km upstream on the flow, and returned to their original location in the same week the flow subsided. There was no clear upstream or downstream preference for carp or spangled perch, but some carp moved large distances downstream (>100km). We discuss the implications of these results for population connectivity and recolonization of habitats in intermittently flowing rivers, and examine the question of how flows for fish movement can provide both cue and opportunity in a modified system. Results will inform water resource planning in the lower Balonne floodplain.