Shark Bay’s Steep Point rock platform is among Australia’s best landbased fishing spots.

The rocks are a cliff face that drop straight into deep water at the entrance to Shark Bay.

Across from the rocks is Dirk Hartog Island, which can be accessed by vehicular ferry.

Big fish are caught at Steep Point by those who are equipped to land them.

Whales swim by the rocks and large spanish mackerel, billfish, snapper, yellowtail kingfish and tailor are regularly caught.

Cliff gaffs are required and balloon fishing methods are the norm, although lure and bait casting will work.

Good footwear is a must and wearing a life preserver is recommended – for some reason, visiting fishermen rarely do.

Even with a life preserver, it is a long swim to safety. It is not a safe spot for children.

False Entrance is an alternative camping and fishing spot near Steep Point.

The area near the False Entrance platform can take four camp sites.

The rock platform itself is rougher than Steep Point, but the fishing is as good as Steep Point.

Gaffing is harder as it requires timing with the swells, and the cliffs at False Entrance are higher than the lowest Steep Point ledge.

The beach at False Entrance is a superb spot for tailor, with mulloway in the evenings.

False Entrance is on the same track as Steep Point, being just 7km from the signposted junction.

It requires the same permit and bookings as Steep Point and Shelter Bay.

Shelter Bay is a camping, launching and mooring area near Steep Point.

There is sandspit just a short drive west of the bay that provides good beach fishing at times.

Large schools of big silver drummer (buffalo bream) can be seen swimming the shallows in this region.

The sandspit west of Shelter Bay is a good landbased fishing spot, as it borders deep water.

Beware large norwest blowies if wading the spit. These are often aggressive. They attack hooked fish and will swim up to a fisho’s feet, and may take a bite if given the chance.

Camping at Steep Point is run by the Department of Environment and Conservation.

Advance bookings are essential as demand is high.

A 4WD vehicle is needed to access this region as there are patches of soft sand, and beach launching is required.

Bait, lures & tackle

Pilchard baits on ganged hooks and balloon gear are the usual rig for catching spanish mackerel off the rocks.

Heavy spinning gear also works.

Strong surf rods are the norm.

You’ll need a drop gaff to land fish from the rock platforms, and enough ice or refrigeration to keep your fish cold for the long trip home.

Squid are readily available in the shallows around the weedbeds and make good bait, being most effective as fresh or live bait.

Large kingfish seen patrolling the rocks are often cautious and may require live squid to tempt them.

Of the packet baits, prawns, bluebait and whitebait work well.

Expect to lose a lot of gear while bottom-fishing from the rocks.

Weather & tides

Shark Bay tides are relatively small, but there can be a tidal rip through the entrance with standing waves.

Like much of WA there can be a strong afternoon sea breeze.

The best boating time is between June and October, when winds are lighter and temperatures milder. Strong winds blow in summer.

Mackerel fishing is seasonal, but fish can be caught all year at Steep Point.

Special features

Billfish are a chance off the rocks, but big spanish mackerel are what most fishos chase.

Within the bay, tailor, bonito, queenfish, trevally, and emperor can be caught off the sandspit.

Further inside Shark Bay sand whiting are caught from the beaches, and flathead.

For boaters, pink snapper are in good numbers after being over-fished years ago. Special snapper fishing rules apply in the bay to prevent over-fishing.

Squid are usually abundant over the seagrass beds, and emperor can be caught over most reefy patches.

Shark Bay tides and weather
Book camping at Steep Point or Shelter Bay
WA fishing regulations
Shark Bay Marine Park
Shark Bay Federal Marine Reserves
Return to WA Fishing Map

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Shark Bay is a vast area of shallow seagrass beds, sandy beaches, clear water and abundant marine life.

The area is best known for its pink snapper, which can be caught off the beaches, but boat-based fishing is more productive.

Sand whiting, squid and blue crabs are other highlights.

Much of the area is easily fished by cartopper boat or canoe, with beach launching easy enough for portable boats in many areas.

Concrete boat ramps are at the township of Denham and nearby tourist stop Monkey Mia, and further north at Carnarvon.

Many fishos stay at Tamala Station’s coastal camps, while others camp at Shelter Bay near famous Steep Point at the entrance to the bay.

The marine habitat throughout is mostly sandflats, intersected by shallow channels, with vast seagrass beds.

There is coral and rocky reef in some areas, most extensive in the northern region, but can also be found off some beaches and headlands.

There are 12 types of seagrass in the bay and the ecosystem supports about 12,000 dugongs, many turtles and a healthy fish and crab population, as well as many tiger sharks.

The area is a marine park with some no-fishing zones and special regulations governing the taking of Shark Bay pink snapper.

Shark Bay snapper don’t intermix with pink snapper stocks outside the bay.

The bay’s unique snapper stock was overfished in years past but has recovered with strict management, be sure to check the WA Fisheries website for the specific Shark Bay rules.

Other fish caught include flathead, garfish, tailor, mackerel, trevally, queenfish and mulloway.

Sharks are ever-present, including big tiger sharks.

Blue crabs are seasonally abundant.

The local emperor are called black snapper or piggies. These and tuskfish (bluebone) are found on the shallow reefs, with red emperor, snapper, dhufish, spanish mackerel and more caught outside the bays.

Ocean access is gained by launching from the beach inside Steep Point at Shelter Bay and travelling through the passage, or launching at other sites within the bay and travelling the extra distance.

The town of Carnarvon can be used to access the northern bay waters.

A ferry is available to Dirk Hartog Island. Carnarvon has a tackle shop and at the time of writing a new artificial reef was to be installed, however the old jetty, famous for its black jewfish, had been wrecked by a cyclone.

The best boating time in Shark Bay is between June and October, when winds are lighter and temperatures milder. Strong winds blow in summer.

Steep Point and False Entrance are renowned landbased fishing spots at the entrance to the bay near the southern end of Dirk Hartog Island.

Schools of large silver drummer can be seen swimming around Shelter Bay, and there are reef fish and more off the nearby sandspit.

Steep Point itself can produce anything, including cobia, yellowtail kingfish, big tailor, sailfish, tuna and reef fish, but spanish mackerel are the main catch.

Campsite bookings must be done well in advance for Steep Point and Shelter Bay, book a site here.

Bait, lures & tackle

If fishing from a boat relatively light gear can be used within the bays, as the snapper are usually small to medium sized.

The sand whiting are not large by more southerly standards but are still well worth catching, and are best targeted with “finesse” style spinning gear and fresh bait.

Tiny soft plastic lures and poppers will also take whiting.

Squid are usually readily available and make good bait for snapper. They can be taken on baited or artificial jigs.

Of the packet baits, prawns, bluebait, whitebait and pilchards work well on most of the local fish species.

Pilchards presented on ganged hooks work well around the rocks and shallow reefs for tailor.

Paternoster rigs are standard fare when beach and boat fishing, as they help keep baits above the weeds. Use star sinkers and small long-shank hooks.

For Steep Point landbased fishing, specialist rock fishing gear is needed. Balloon fishing is popular when chasing spanish mackerel, and drop gaffs are needed to land big fish as the platform is high from the water.

Weather & tides

Shark Bay tides are relatively small.

Like much of WA there can be a strong afternoon sea breeze.

The best boating time is between June and October, when winds are lighter and temperatures milder. Strong winds blow in summer.

Mackerel fishing is seasonal, but fish can be caught all year at Steep Point.

Special features summary

Pink snapper are caught from shore.

The shallow inner parts of Shark Bay produce many tasty sand whiting and squid.

Reef fish such as bluebone and emperor are caught from shore in surprisingly shallow water around any rock patches, although these fish are generally small.

Pink snapper are in good numbers after being over-fished years ago.

Strict snapper fishing rules apply to prevent over-fishing.

Landbased fishing at Steep Point is world class but specialist gear.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for WA waters.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

Shark Bay tides
Book camping at Steep Point or Shelter Bay
WA fishing regulations
Shark Bay Marine Park
Shark Bay Federal Marine Reserves
WA marine parks

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.

Exmouth Game Fishing Club has had around 150 gamefish records in state, national and international categories, covering 28 species, which demonstrates the fishing quality in this region.

The town sits on a peninsula that forms borders Exmouth Gulf, with Ningaloo Reef to the west of the peninsula, extending south along the coast.

Despite the lack of significant rivers, Exmouth offers huge variety, from sight fishing clear, sandy flats inside reef lagoons, to deep-sea trolling for blue, black and striped marlin over the Continental Shelf, and coral reef fishing.

The eastern gulf flats offer different habitat again, with extensive mangrove and mudflat shallows that hold cod, trevally, threadfin salmon, queenfish and mud crabs, along with occasional barramundi.

The western gulf, from about Learmonth north, produces tropical reef fish and temperate species such as tailor and pink snapper.

The Continental Shelf is at its closest point to the Australian mainland on the north-west end of Exmouth Peninsula.

This is perhaps Western Australia’s prime billfish area, with the big three marlin species, broadbill swordfish and sailfish all taken.

Exmouth has good boating facilities, with a big marina and protected boat ramp.

There are sealed ramps at Bundegi, north of Exmouth, and Tantabiddi, on the ocean side of the peninsula.

Boats open this area up, but there is plenty of scope for shore-based fishing, with the marine rock walls a great place to start.

How to fish Exmouth

Known billfish grounds include the drop-off directly out from Tantabiddi boat ramp northwards, and offshore from the Muiron Islands.

Sailfish, dolphin fish, cobia, wahoo, spanish mackerel and tuna are also encountered in these areas.

Good reef fishing is had around North West Cape.

Dinghy anglers can catch spangled emperor, coral trout, Charlie Courts and tuskfish, as well as pelagic fish.

A larger trailerboat gives access to deeper water with red emperor, rankin cod, jobfish, chinaman, pearl perch and more.

The pearl perch is like a smaller version of WA’s temperate water dhufish.

North West Cape’s oyster rocks are a well-known haunt of oversize trevally. These are taken on poppers near sunrise and sunset.

Queenfish, trevally and permit are caught in the reef lagoons using sight-fishing methods.

The small “Charlie Court” cod is popular with Exmouth visitors because of its abundance near shore, and its eating quality.

Dinghy anglers generally target inshore reefs from Bundegi to Point Murat. Even here, humpback whales give the odd scare as they surface in close.

Further offshore, on a series of sand ridges, sailfish are found.

The sailfish are usually chasing bait schools entering and leaving the gulf with the tides.

The Muiron Island area is popular with the local charter boats, targeting both reef and pelagic fish.

Note the many sanctuary zones of Ningaloo Marine Park.

North of the gulf the Ashburton River near Onslow is regarded as the southern limit of the barramundi’s range, it is perhaps fish from this river that are found on occasion in the eastern gulf in summer.

The southern gulf has been traditionally accessed by fishermen through Giralia Station, which had accommodation and camping for a fee. The station was acquired by the WA Government in 2022, with a national park and associated marine park planned for the region. See news stories here and here.

Exmouth township has hotels/motels, caravan parks and camp sites, and there are station stays and park stays to the south along the Ningaloo Reef coast.

Diving and snorkelling is popular in this area because of the clear water and spectacular coral reefs.

Giant whale sharks and manta rays regularly visit.

Weather & tides

Exmouth tides are small, to around 2.45m movement.

Like much of WA there can be a powerful afternoon sea breeze.

Summer may bring cyclones that travel south-west down the coast from the tropical north.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for WA waters.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

Exmouth tides
WA fishing regulations
Ningaloo Marine Park
WA marine parks
Return to WA Fishing Map

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.