Fishing in Perth
Top fishing spots in Perth.
Fishing can be enjoyed all along Perth's coastlines, lakes and rivers.
Whether you're a keen, experienced fisherman or someone who just wants to give it a go, Perth has an abundance of hot spots to cast a line. Perth is a recreational fisherman's dream, with fish, crabs, mussels and crayfish to create the perfect day out on the water. For those who are after bigger fish, charter boats & tours take visitors to favourite fishing areas of the Indian Ocean.
In Perth we're fishing for a sustainable future so please make sure you have any relevant licences. The following areas are suggested locations in Perth where locals believe are excellent spots to go spend time in the outdoors and go fishing.
Fishing on the Perth Beaches
Lancelin
An hour north of Perth, Lancelin has is a great place for fishing if you know where to look. For herring go to the main jetty, off the beach you'll find whiting during the day and at sunrise and sunset you may catch tailor at the jetty or the back beach. From the wharf, try your luck at flounder, flathead and even large king george whiting.
Hillarys Boat Harbour
The break walls at Hillarys Boat Harbour are great spots to find herring, garfish, small tailor and tarwhine. Families and kids will like the north wall or off the boardwalk, where you're most likely to catch bream and whiting.
Cottesloe Groyne
The best time to sink a line is in the mornings as the sea breeze usually has arrived by lunch time. Herring and garfish are the popular locals of the area and they enjoy swimming around the groyne.
Fishing in Fremantle and Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island is a popular place for all levels of fishers with a large variety of fish around the island including herring, tailor, skipjack trevally, mulloway and sand whiting. It is also possible to catch pike, garfish, king george whiting, Westralian jewfish and groper from the shore. Popular locations to cast off are the jetty in Thomson's Bay, Natural Jetty, Henrietta Reef, Vera Rock, Parker's Point, Salmon Point, The Bluff, Nancy Cove, Wilson Point, Radar Reef, Cathedral Rocks, North Point and Point Clune.
North and South Mole, Fremantle
North Mole is popular with a large variety of fish throughout the months including rays, snapper, sharks, mulloway and smaller bread and butter fish. Herring and 'gardies' are the most popular fish in the area (they are the easiest to catch). The best time to fish is mornings but afternoons are also good. South Mole is a safer place to fish off the rocks and are less quite. Herring and garfish are quite popular in this area.
Woodman Point, Fremantle
Just south of Fremantle, this seaward groyne is great for herring and garfish and plenty of squid. Some snapper and tailor can be caught at times. The groyne is a great spot for boat anglers to catch snapper in early summer and the odd nice tailor.
Fishing on the Swan River
The Swan and Canning Rivers are bursting with idyllic fishing locations, with species including mulloway, black bream, flathead and sand whiting as well as crabs, prawns and mussels!
North and East Fremantle
Harvest Road, North Fremantle is a good spot for tailor, flounder, cobbler, and the occasional mulloway. The Leeuwin Boat Ramp, East Fremantle is surrounded by large expanses of sand flats covered by varying depths of water and anglers wading the shallows catch flathead and flounder, particularly early morning in summer when the tide is changing.
Narrows Bridge
Mulloway, cobbler and tailor can be caught from the shore on the city side of Narrows Bridge. On the South Perth side, there is a small beach providing a popular spot for families to fish. Just east of the bridge large catches of cobbler can be made and black bream can be found in winter near the pylons.
Point Walter
The long sand spit and jetty at Point Walter allow anglers access to some of the best fishing on the river. Families can picnic on the adjacent lawns and barbecue their catches of tailor, cobbler, black bream, mulloway, flathead, flounder, prawns and crabs. Bicton Jetty is a junior fishing spot producing tailor, flathead and mulloway.
Mosman and Claremont Jetties
Mosman Jetty, downstream from the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, is a quiet spot with deep water which produces good mulloway during early summer - a good location for junior anglers. Claremont Jetty is popular for anglers seeking black bream, cobbler, tailor and mulloway. Prawns and crabs can be scooped or trawled from the beaches either side of the jetty.
Fishing in Mandurah and Peel
Mandurah Estuary
Fish for herring, sand whiting, bream, cobbler, tailor or garfish in the Mandurah Estuary. Most fish caught here are undersized so in the interest of future marine life, make sure you return these to the waters. Mandurah Estuary is most popular for crabbing during the summer months and popular spots include Mandjar Bay, Sticks Channel, and the Mandurah Estuary Bridge.
5 Fathom Bank
The 5 Fathom Bank, located offshore, extends to Mandurah and has great fishing all year. Pink snapper and samson gather during June, before the spawning season, making a good time to fish with soft plastics around the drop offs. Snapper can be caught year round. Troll the western side during summer for the chance of Spanish mackerel. The deeper 19 Mile Reef is a diving hotspot.
Falcon
Take the Merlin St turnoff right from the Old Coast Rd heading south. Turn left into Vanessa St and right quickly into Gretel Rd. Here you will find big tailor, salmon (when in season) and plenty of herring all of the time. Summer is best for the tailor but get there early because it can be quite busy.
The Dawesville Cut
The Northern Wall Jetty closest to the ocean is a popular spot for herring, whiting, skippy, tarwhine and the odd tailor. The ocean side of the breakwall provides excellent tailor action at dawn and dusk with salmon in season and the odd mulloway. This is also a popular spot to fish for crabs in summer.
Waroona
Catch trout and redfin all year in Lake Navarino (also called Waroona Dam) and Drakesbrook Weir in Waroona. At Preston Beach, fish for whiting, herring, skippy and salmon (when they run) straight from the beach.
Murray River
If you love some black bream, mulloway and whiting, Murray River is a great spot to try your luck. Upstream, the river has been stocked up with trout.
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