The fishing Perth has access to is fantastic year round. Perth boasts sandy beaches and the huge, riverside Kings Park and Botanic Garden on Mt. Eliza. Visitors and locals head there for sweeping views of the city. Perth has amazing fishing on its doorstep, where you could as easily be fishing in the river or the ocean.
You’ll find a lot of fishing action both north and south of the city. Its rich fisheries make Perth the first and only fishing stop for many anglers traveling to this part of the continent. The bustling streets and hip suburbs make it a great base when heading out to explore the fishing opportunities of Western Australia.
Known For
Perth is a real treat for recreational anglers. Local captains focus on both your enjoyment and the catch. This means that novice anglers and pro fishermen alike can find something to fish for. Local charters are experienced in navigating around the best fishing spots in Perth, whether you’re fishing inshore, on lakes and rivers, or heading further out offshore. Let's have a look at where you should cast your line.
Inshore
If you’d like to explore fishing opportunities inshore, there are several places to check out. Don’t miss Perth Beach. It produces Flathead, Whiting, Tailor, Bream, and Mulloway. The Yanchep lagoon is a great spot for Whiting and Tailor. You’ll find many reefs here where you can use poppers and metal slugs.
Another popular Tailor spot is the Swanbourne Beach Drain. There is a lot going on around the North and South Mole. These two spots are popular and fish well for Whiting, Bream, Blue Mackerel, and Herring throughout the year. Here you could also catch Snapper and Sharks.
The North Mole also produces fine fishing for Australian Salmon in spring. During fall, check out the Swanbourne Beach Drain and the Sorrento Beach for Salmon.
Offshore
Boat anglers can target a number of species out of Perth. Not far from the city, you can catch solid numbers of Spanish and King Mackerel during the summer. Head out to the Five Fathom Bank, where Pink Snapper and Spanish Macks are high in numbers during June. You can also hook Westralian Jewfish here.
Want to know another reason why Perth fishing is so great? Quite a few Tuna show up in waters from Lancin in the north to Myalup in the south. There are also Marlin that appear near Rottnest Island and schools of Mahi swimming around the nearby FADs.
The Direction Bank can produce Yellowtail Kingfish that will simply smash your jigs, so better get your grip ready. The Three Mile Reef produces Samson Fish (locally known as Sambo), Black Arse Cod (indigenous to Australia), some Westralian Jewfish, as well as King George Whiting (KGWs). Also, you can get Baldchin Groper here.
Once you go beyond Rottnest Island, you can target a variety of fish. The always-popular Yellowtail Amberjacks are on the chew. Travel some 10–15 kilometers past the Island, and you could be scouting the bottom waters for Sambo. They are too dry to eat, so the common practice it to get them back into the water. But, the fight is nothing short of spectacular for first-time anglers.
The Rottnest Trench is great for Blue-Eye Trevalla (Antarctic Butterfish).
If you want to head far out, go past the Lewin warm current mark, and head for the Perth Canyon. Those waters are brilliant to do some deep sea fishing. Target Big Nose Shark at the depth of 300 meters and larger Snapper and Trevalla.
River Fishing
There’s hardly any blog, book, or a forum that doesn’t mention Swan River fishing. The river dominates the cityscape and has sparked many fishing opportunities, hotspots, and big catches. Famed for Black Bream fishing, the Swan River attracts many anglers who flock here to get Whiting, Flounder, Tailor, Grunter, Herring, and more during the summer. Check out the Canning Bridge, The Narrows, and Mt. Henry.
Fishing Tips
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When heading to the reefs, make sure to pack jigs. You can get Westralian Jewfish, Pink Snapper, and Samson Fish by bottom jigging near the reef patches.
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Baldchin Groper (‘baldie’) are caught on spin sticks with mono line, and go after berley. Use squid, strip baits, and mulies.
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If you want to get Tailor, use metal slugs and poppers. King George Whiting goes after poppers and minnows, and strike prawn as well.
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Fishing for Black Bream near estuaries or rivers? Try a light spin stick and small threadline reel.
Need to know
The seasons in the southern hemisphere are opposite to those of the northern hemisphere. November (their spring) is the best time to fly over.
Regulations
With Perth’s massive fishing potential, the local fisheries are heavily fished. There are restrictions and fish limits throughout the year. Each year, there is a seasonal demersal fishing ban aimed to help preserve the fisheries further. That means no bottom fishing for the likes of Snapper, Baldchin Groper, and Westralian Jewfish at certain times of the year. To stay abreast of up-to-date info each year, it’s best to check out the most recent regulations before you book a trip.
Budget
For inshore fishing, shared charters are a popular option and cost about AUD 150 per person for a half day trip and bit over AUD 200 for full day trips. When offshore fishing, a full day private charter costs around AUD 3,200 – luckily, you can split the cost with some friends as most private charters can accommodate dozens of fishermen.
Getting There
Fly directly into Perth Airport, which is just 20 minutes from the center of town.
There’s no better time to try your hand fishing Perth’s waters – inshore or offshore, there’s something for anglers of all skill levels here.