Stretching for more than 10,000km, the Western Australian coastline is peppered with stunning fishing spots. You don’t even need to leave the capital! With the Indian Ocean to its west, and the Swan River running right through the heart of the city, Perth has some beautiful spots to throw in a line. So whether you’re looking for somewhere to teach the kids what fishing’s all about, or relax with your mates, we’ve got you covered with this guide to the best fishing spots in Perth.
Best fishing spots in Perth – coast fishing
From Albany to Broome, the WA coastline has something to offer everyone when it comes to fishing and Perth is no exception. Here are some of the best fishing spots in Perth along the ocean.
Trigg Beach
Image from Surf Life Saving Western Australia
Popular with surfers and fishermen alike, Trigg Beach is a well-loved beach in Perth’s northern suburbs. You can fish anywhere along the beach, but Trigg Beach is best known for the rocky reefs around Trigg Point which are ideal for catching herring and tailor. If you’re fishing in Autumn you might also find Australian salmon taking shelter in the reef’s holes and gutters.
Hillary’s Boat Harbour
By EurovisionNim – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Located just next to the Aquarium of Western Australia, Hillary’s Boat Harbour is a good, family-friendly fishing spot. You can fish off the north or south break walls where, depending on the season, you’re in with a chance to catch herring, garfish, small tailor, tarwhine, pilch and bonito. To avoid the crowds we recommend heading there midweek if you can—especially during summer when it’s at its busiest. Also note that fishing is not permitted off the boardwalks or jetties in the harbour.
Cottesloe Groyne
Cottesloe Groyne is one of the best fishing spots in Perth—and also one of the most popular. If you don’t mind the crowds, it’s a great spot to seek out Australian herring and garfish, although you can also find tailor, whiting and skipjack. It’s best visited in the morning to avoid the strong sea breeze that comes through around lunchtime.
North and South Mole
Located just south of Perth in Fremantle, both North and South Mole are excellent for shore angling. If you’re keen to hook a larger fish, North Mole Jetty is a great spot to head. It’s ideal year-round for whiting, large tailor, herring and blue mackerel, while in summer it attracts salmon and bonito. In winter, you can usually find snapper and big silver trevally.
If you’re looking for a quieter, safer spot to fish for bread and butter species, head down to South Mole where you’ll find herring and garfish (and fewer people!). In winter, South Mole is also a good spot to target squid from the breakwall.
Yanchep Lagoon
About 45 minutes north of the Perth CBD, Yanchep Lagoon is a family-friendly fishing spot that’s popular with fishers and snorkelers alike. With a good pair of reef shoes you can easily walk onto the reef which is just a short walk from the beach. Here you’ll have a good chance of catching reef tailor, herring and whiting.
Two Rocks
Less than ten minutes’ drive north from Yanchep Lagoon, Two Rocks is a known dhufish hotspot and one of the few places you can reel them in from the beach. The Marina is a great spot to throw in a line off the jetty or docks, and the area also provides easy access to offshore fishing. In addition to dhufish, species commonly found here include silver trevally (known to locals as skippy), herring, tailor, pink snapper, groper and cod. You might even snag a southern bluefin tuna from the boat. If you’re up for a bit more of an adventure, head to one of the 4WD only beaches just north of the marina where you can explore the various gutters and reefs teeming with fish.
Mangles Bay, Rockingham
If you’ve fished all the central beach locations, head down south past Freo to Mangles Bay. At only 45 minutes’ drive from the Perth CBD it makes for a great weekend outing. You can fish off the beach, jetty or rock wall for all sorts of fish including the usual suspects—mulloway, tailor, herring and whiting—as well as pink snapper, silver trevally and samson. If you’re there in autumn you also have a chance to hook an Australian salmon as they make their way south on their annual migration.
Best fishing spots in Perth – Swan River
Snaking its way right through the centre of Perth, the Swan River is home to some of the best fishing spots in Perth. While it’s most well-known as a spot to catch black bream in summer, the Swan River also fishes well for flathead, flounder, yellowfin whiting, tailor, herring and grunting—you just need to know where to go!
Mosman Bay
Located just east of Peppermint Grove and Mosman Park, Mosman Bay is a wide section of the Swan River known for its deep water. Being so deep, Mosman Bay has a reputation for being a productive spot to catch all sorts of fish from black bream, flathead and silver bream, to bread and butter species, and even squid and crabs. Because it faces east, Mosman Bay is relatively sheltered from the strong sea breeze that picks up in the afternoon, making it a pleasant spot to throw in a post-work line. The Mosman Bay jetty makes for a relaxing fishing spot and is accessed off Johnson Parade Giant.
Blackwall Reach
If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city without travelling very far, Blackwall Reach is the perfect place to head for a fish. Just like Mosman Bay, the water’s deep—nearly 25 metres near the cliffs—making it a favourite spot for large schools of fish, as well as predator fish. You’ll be in with a chance of mulloway, snapper, flathead and bream, as well as herring, mullet, tailor, garfish and tarwhine. Unfortunately, this spot is also popular with the common blowfish, which is a species native to WA that’s notorious for gobbling bait. To have the best chance of avoiding them, try moving your bait quickly through the water.
Narrows Bridge
Fishing in Perth doesn’t get much more central than this! Straddling the Swan River just to the east of King’s Park, Narrows Bridge connects Narrows Parklands to David Carr Memorial Park, and provides easy access to some sheltered fishing. Fish from the shore—not the bridge itself—to try your luck at the mulloway that like to hide in and around the bridge’s pylons, as well as the black bream that commonly get up to 45cm here.
Riverside Gardens
Image from AllTrails
Further upstream on the Swan River, the Riverside Gardens at Bayswater are a great spot to take the whole family for a fish. The upstream sections of the Swan River tend to be free of blowfish, and the two bridges at either end of the parklands create the perfect hiding holes for fish. The small jetty in the middle of the park is a great place to teach the kids to fish, and gives you a strong chance of snagging a black bream. And when the kids have had enough, wander back over to the parklands to enjoy the riverside reserve’s BBQ facilities, children’s playground and dog beach.
Sources
- Fishing Booker, 2021, Fishing Spots in Perth: Our Top Picks!
- Perth is Ok, Some of Perth’s best fishing spots
- The Chart and Map Shop, Perth Fishing Spots – 10 of the Best Places to Fish in the Metro Area
- Man of Many, 2021, 14 Best Perth Fishing Spots to Drop a Line