Fishing, Boating & Crabbing
We are Hearing About the One That Got Away.
We are herring, hearty crustaceans and much more. Hit our coastal beaches in summer for Whiting and Tailor.
Lower river fishing is best in winter, when the systems are flowing, but you can still score a great catch. Or be adventurous and head into the forests and the upper river country, for places untouched and untamed. An elusive trout is best found at Harvey Dam or Lake Brockman while you enjoy the serenity of the surrounding Jarrah forest.
Coast
Binningup
A reef runs parallel to the Binningup Beach foreshore, offering great fishing in particular from December to April. Throw in a line off the beach to catch Tailor, Yellowfin whiting, Herring, Flathead and Salmon. 4WD Drive beach access is available north and south of the Binningup Foreshore Precinct. Or launch the boat and head further afield for Dhufish, Baldchin groper, Skippy, Pink Snapper, Nanagai, and the occasional large King George whiting. In season, crayfish can be found near the reef.
After a day at sea, the Binningup Fishing Club is open Thursdays and Friday nights for meals and drinks. Don’t miss their annual fishing competition in January with more $8,000 worth of prizes up for grabs.
Belvidere & Buffalo Beaches, Leschenault
These are two very popular beach fishing areas (and beach 4WD) in the region. Buffalo Beach produces some nice Mulloway and you should be able to get Tailor in the late afternoon. A little further south is Belvidere Beach, which is well known for Whiting, Herring, Skippy, Tailor, and Mulloway in the summer.
The Cut
Despite its difficulty to access, The Cut is a popular land-based fishing spot; producing Tailor, Herring, and Mulloway in summer. Fish off the on the rocks, jetty, or from your boat.
Leschenault Estuary & Australind Jetty
The place of the Blue Manna Crab. For thousands of years, this area was called Karragarup, Noongar for the Place of Crabs.
Today, Leschenault Estuary is still home to one of the south-west coast’s major populations of blue swimmer crabs. These crabs are a widely distributed tropical species – they are found this far south thanks to the influence of the warm waters of the Leeuwin Current. When the tide is low, put on your wadding shoes and grab a scoop net and start fossicking. The Karragarup Nature Reserve is a great place to start.
The Estuary also produces Black Bream, Herring, Tailor, and Whiting. The Australind Jetty has been a popular place for families to throw in a line or crab net for generations.
Myalup Beach
Fish off the beach or jump in your 4WD. Myalup is a relaxed, sleepy hollow and an angler’s dream. Common varieties of fish caught in the summer months include Tailor, Sand and Yellowfin whiting, Herring, Flounder, Gardies, Flathead, and small Shark. Silver bream is caught all year round and the odd Mulloway is not uncommon. Locals also love a little place to the north called Paradise Beach.
Grab your bait from the local Myalup Beach General Store.
Rivers & Dams
Brunswick & Collie Rivers
At the mouth of the Collie River, families should venture to the Old Lower Collie River Timber Jetty. It’s an excellent place to fish, particularly black bream, tailor, and mulloway, plus to throw in some crab nets.
From Leschenault Estuary flats up to Treendale Road, plus up the Brunswick River, are countless snags and deep holes which hold good numbers of Black Bream and even Mulloway (in deep holes), as well as a few giant Herring, while farther upstream it offers Redfin Perch (active in summer) and Trout (less likely in summer).
Harvey Dam
Harvey Dam is inland fishing at its best. WaterCorp has successfully worked with Fisheries WA and Recfish West to re-establish trout and marron in the reservoir, allowing licensed anglers the chance to try their luck during the designated seasons.
Using a kayak to fish Harvey Dam is the most productive way to catch fish with several launching spots that all give anglers quick access to good structure. During the warmer months, trolling is an effective way to target Redfin that have schooled up in deep water.
Harvey Dam is heavily stocked every year with both brown and rainbow trout in various sizes and that drives the quality of the fishery. Each year, some big ex-broodstock fish, both browns and rainbows, are released into its waters and these provide many of the trophy captures each year…Spending a balmy afternoon on Harvey Dam, with insects buzzing and fish rising as the sun drips below the horizon in the west, is a pretty special experience and catching a nice trout is a great bonus.
Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan
There is also some quality marron lurking in the waters of Harvey Dam. These tasty crustaceans can be caught during the season.
Lake Brockman – Logue Brook
Surrounded by majestic jarrah forest, Lake Brockman – Logue Brook Dam is 197 Ha and is more than 40 metres deep near the dam wall when full. Water skiing is prohibited in the northern and eastern arms and these areas are better suited for fishing from a kayak, canoe or boat. Shoreline fishing is good with easy access via Scarp or Brockman roads and there are shallows suitable for wading. The lake is stocked in most years with rainbow trout, yearlings and fry.
Please follow marine and fisheries regulations. Don’t forget you need may need freshwater and ocean fishing licences, plus a marron licence.