Augusta fishing spots
Augusta sits where the Blackwood River and Hardy Inlet meet Flinders Bay, near Cape Leeuwin. The inlet and river are known for black bream, whiting and herring, with crabs in some summers; Flinders Bay gives small boats King George whiting, squid and herring; and Hamelin Bay to the north-west is a popular beach and launching spot. The waters around Cape Leeuwin are a sanctuary zone.
Updated
4 spots here: 3 fished from land and 1 reached only by boat or kayak, plus 5 public boat ramps. Seasons follow our Perth and South West species list for Western Australia. Positions are a guide only, not for navigation.
Under each spot, "Forecast for this spot" opens the app's forecast worked out for that spot: Go, Marginal or No-go for each day of the week ahead, with the best times, wind, waves and tide. Open the forecast.
Spots at a glance
| Spot | Type | Fished from | Water | Marine park |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hamelin Bay | Beach | Land-based and boat | Bay, estuary or river | Ngari Capes Marine Park; no-take zone nearby |
| 2. Blackwood River (lower reaches) | River | Land-based, boat and kayak | Bay, estuary or river | – |
| 3. Hardy Inlet | Estuary | Land-based, boat and kayak | Bay, estuary or river | – |
| 4. Flinders Bay (boat) | Bay | Boat and kayak | Bay, estuary or river | Ngari Capes Marine Park; no-take zone nearby |
1. Hamelin Bay
- Type
- Beach · bay, estuary or river
- Access
- Land-based and boat. Hamelin Bay caravan park and boat ramp, off Caves Road; coordinate is the gazetted Hamelin Headland beside the ramp.
- What's good here
- In season in October: Australian herring, silver trevally and southern calamari. Out of season now: Western Australian salmon.
- Best tide
- Not confirmed for this spot yet.
- Best wind
- Easterly and northerly winds; exposed to strong westerlies. Faces WNW.
- Note
- Popular beach and boat-launching spot: herring and skippy from the beach, squid around the reef and salmon in autumn. Rays gather in the shallows: they are fully protected here.
- Safety
- Large stingrays in the shallows: do not touch or feed them. Swell builds quickly in westerly weather.
- Zone
- No-take zone nearby. Hamelin Bay Recreation Zone: recreational line fishing allowed (no live shell collecting or charter fishing). Hamelin Island sanctuary zone is about 1 km west. Guide only, not for navigation: check wa.gov.au map (PDF).
- Map
- -34.22280, 115.02560 · Open in Google Maps (position: Hamelin Headland, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
2. Blackwood River (lower reaches)
- Type
- River · bay, estuary or river
- Access
- Land-based, boat and kayak. Town foreshore, Molloy Island (Fisher Road ramp) and riverside reserves.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: black bream, King George whiting and mulloway. Also in season: Australian herring.
- Best tide
- Not confirmed for this spot yet.
- Best wind
- Sheltered river; fishable in most winds.
- Note
- Black bream are the main catch year-round: work snags and bends with lures or prawns. King George whiting and herring move into the lower reaches.
- Safety
- Snags and shallow bars.
- Zone
- No marine park here. Guide only, not for navigation: check rules.fish.wa.gov.au.
- Map
- -34.27670, 115.20060 · Open in Google Maps (position: Blackwood River, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
3. Hardy Inlet
- Type
- Estuary · bay, estuary or river
- Access
- Land-based, boat and kayak. Augusta foreshore, Ellis Street and Irwin Street ramps.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: King George whiting, black bream and mulloway. Also in season: school whiting and Australian herring. Out of season now: blue swimmer crab.
- Best tide
- Not confirmed for this spot yet.
- Best wind
- Calm days; wind chops up the shallow banks.
- Note
- Shallow sand banks and deeper channels inside the river mouth: sand whiting most of the year, herring in autumn, King George whiting and bream, and crabs in some summers.
- Safety
- Shifting sandbars near the mouth: the entrance is not a safe sea route. Strong tidal flow in the channels.
- Zone
- No marine park in the inlet. Guide only, not for navigation: check rules.fish.wa.gov.au.
- Map
- -34.28550, 115.17070 · Open in Google Maps (position: Hardy Inlet, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
4. Flinders Bay (boat)
- Type
- Bay · bay, estuary or river
- Access
- Boat and kayak. Launch at the Augusta Boat Harbour.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: King George whiting. Also in season: school whiting, southern calamari, Australian herring and silver trevally.
- Best tide
- Not confirmed for this spot yet.
- Best wind
- Westerly and north-westerly winds (offshore here); exposed to south-easterlies.
- Note
- Sheltered bay east of the cape: King George and sand whiting on the sand-weed edges, squid and herring; skippy on berley. Boat demersal fishing is closed for now.
- Safety
- Southern Ocean swell outside the bay. Watch for whales in winter and spring.
- Zone
- No-take zone nearby. East Flinders Bay sanctuary zone is about 1.8 km east; Cape Leeuwin and Flinders Island sanctuary zones to the south. Guide only, not for navigation: check wa.gov.au map (PDF).
- Map
- -34.32630, 115.18630 · Open in Google Maps (position: Flinders Bay, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
Boat ramps
5 public boat ramps are listed for Augusta, with positions from Public Boat Ramps (DOT-033). Lanes, parking and tide access are as the data says: check them on the day.
| Ramp | Notes | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Augusta Boat Harbour ramp | Sealed, 4 lanes, 3 finger jetties (DoT data); the main sea access. | -34.35199, 115.16722 Google Maps |
| Ellis Street boat ramp | Sealed, 1 lane (DoT data); Hardy Inlet. | -34.31546, 115.16202 Google Maps |
| Irwin Street boat ramp | Unsealed, 1 lane (DoT data); Hardy Inlet. | -34.30459, 115.16160 Google Maps |
| Hamelin Bay boat ramp | Sealed, 1 lane (DoT data); exposed in westerlies. | -34.22083, 115.02828 Google Maps |
| Fisher Road (Molloy) boat ramp | Unsealed, 1 lane (DoT data); Blackwood River. | -34.25651, 115.21013 Google Maps |
What's biting here in October?
In peak season at Augusta in October: King George whiting, mulloway and black bream. Of the 23 species our Perth and South West list has for this part of the coast, 3 peak in October 2026 and 11 more are in season.
Peak in October: King George whiting, mulloway and black bream.
Also in season: Australian herring, silver trevally, school whiting, southern calamari, tailor, yellowfin whiting, tarwhine, southern bluespotted flathead, samsonfish, yellowtail kingfish and pink snapper.
Closed now for some fishing only: pink snapper (closed to boat and kayak fishing, until spring 2027).
Closed now in part of the area: blue swimmer crab in Swan-Canning rivers to Minninup Beach (15 km south of Bunbury), incl. Cockburn Sound, Peel-Harvey and Leschenault (1 September to 30 November); pink snapper in Cockburn and Warnbro Sounds incl. waters west to Five Fathom Bank - land and boat (1 August to 31 January).
Out of season in October: Western Australian salmon (best Mar–May); blue swimmer crab (best Jan–Apr); western king prawn (best Dec–Mar); mahi mahi (best Jan–Apr).
Seen now and then, so not rated: Spanish mackerel, WA dhufish, queen snapper, bight redfish and southern bluefin tuna.
Seasons are closure-aware: a species is never listed as in season, for the area or at a spot, while it is closed there; a closure for part of the area says where. Species links go to our South East Queensland species guides, with Queensland's limits: Western Australia's own size and bag limits are on the official rules page.
Can you fish here? Rules and safety
No licence for shore fishing. Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence (RFBL) for any fishing from or using a powered boat: $40/yr, half price concession (DPIRD, Oct 2026). Separate $50 licences for rock lobster, abalone and netting. Licence details. Size and bag limits and closed seasons apply: Western Australia's limits (checked 9 Oct 2026).
Rules at Augusta
- Ngari Capes Marine Park sanctuary zones (Cape Leeuwin, East Flinders Bay, Flinders Island, Hamelin Island, Cosy Corner): no fishing.
- All rays and skates are protected in the Hamelin Bay Protection Area.
- West Coast demersal closure (16 Dec 2025 until DPIRD reopens it, planned spring 2027): no demersal scalefish (pink snapper, dhufish, baldchin, cods etc.) from boats or kayaks; shore and jetty line fishing stays open, mixed bag 2.
- Pink snapper minimum size 50 cm (Augusta is west of Black Point, so West Coast rules apply).
Marine parks and no-take zones
The zone notes here name Ngari Capes Marine Park. A no-take zone starts close to Hamelin Bay and Flinders Bay (boat): each one's zone note says where. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.
Safety at Augusta
- Cape Leeuwin and the open coast get very large swell: keep off wave-washed rocks.
- The Hardy Inlet bar is shallow and shifting.
- Large stingrays at Hamelin Bay.
Western Australia: official links
Read the official forecast and warnings in the Bureau of Meteorology's own words: WA coastal and local waters forecast map and current warnings.
Boating: Western Australia boating safety and lifejacket rules. Lifejackets: Powered boats <4.8m: everyone wears L100+ when >400m offshore in unprotected waters. >=4.8m there: children 1-12 wear L100+. PWC: always. Paddle craft <4.8m: wear L50S+ >400m offshore.
Heading out on the water? Log on and off with Marine Rescue WA (Volunteer Marine Rescue Service, DFES). Log on and off by marine radio with the local marine rescue group every trip, or use the Log on Log off (LOLO) feature in the DECKEE app, which notifies Marine Rescue WA.
Marine parks and closed areas: DPIRD - marine protected areas and fishing, WA recreational fishing rules site (interactive MPA maps) and Australian Marine Parks (North-west and South-west networks).
- Water Police HF watch: Water Police monitor HF 4125, 6215 and 8291 kHz 24/7; VHF 16/67 Perth metro only. More.
Western Australia's official rules: size and bag limits and closed seasons and areas (checked 9 Oct 2026).
Emergency: 000 (112 from mobiles) · VHF channel 16 for distress.
Nearby fishing areas
- Busselton and Dunsborough (about 72 km north)
- Bunbury (about 122 km north-east)
- Mandurah and the Peel-Harvey (about 194 km north)
- Rockingham and Cockburn Sound (about 231 km north)
Distances are between the middle of each area. Every area in Western Australia · all fishing spot guides.
Sources and checked dates
- Spot and ramp positions: Composite Gazetteer of Australia (Geoscience Australia and the state and territory naming authorities), CC BY 4.0, ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 (2021) (Australian Bureau of Statistics), CC BY 4.0 and Public Boat Ramps (DOT-033) (Western Australian Department of Transport), CC BY 4.0; gazetteer and ABS positions through our place index. Guide only, not for navigation.
- Spot research checked 9 Oct 2026 and fact-checked 9 Oct 2026; species seasons and rules checked 9 Oct 2026; safety links checked 9 Oct 2026. Text in our own words.
- Research sources: westernaustralia.com (Tourism WA: Hardy Inlet fishing); en.wikipedia.org (Hardy Inlet form (banks and channels) and historic catch composition (summary of CSIRO creel census)); publish.csiro.au (CSIRO creel census of the Blackwood River estuary: bream, sand whiting and herring dominance); westernaustralia.com (Tourism WA: Hamelin Bay beach fishing, boat ramp and stingrays); wa.gov.au (Ngari Capes Marine Park order: Hamelin Bay Recreation Zone and sanctuary zones); wa.gov.au (Prohibition on Fishing for Demersal Scalefish Order 2025: boat closure in the West Coast Region, shore line fishing exempt); dpird.wa.gov.au (DPIRD bag and size limits (pink snapper size zones, crab limits)); public-services.slip.wa.gov.au (DPIRD Fisheries Guide map service (DPIRD-061 consolidated notices and orders): closure, marine park order and FHPA polygons used for the zone check); catalogue.data.wa.gov.au (WA Department of Transport Public Boat Ramps (DOT-033), CC BY 4.0: ramp coordinates, lanes and finger jetties).
- Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.