Broome and Roebuck Bay fishing spots

Broome sits between the open Indian Ocean at Cable Beach and the vast tidal flats of Roebuck Bay, with tides of up to about 10 m. Rocky points and the Town Beach jetty give trevally, queenfish and fingermark; Roebuck Bay and its mangrove creeks are prime threadfin, barramundi and mud crab water; and offshore boats chase sailfish and mackerel from May to October.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

7 spots here: 5 fished from land and 2 reached only by boat or kayak, plus 3 public boat ramps. Seasons follow our Kimberley coast 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

7 spots: Broome and Roebuck Bay
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Town Beach Jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park
2. Entrance Point	Rocks	Land-based	Ocean coast	Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park
3. Reddell Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
4. Gantheaume Point	Rocks	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
5. Cable Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
6. Dampier Creek mouth (Fall Point)	Estuary	Boat and kayak	Bay, estuary or river	Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park
7. Roebuck Bay (boat)	Bay	Boat	Bay, estuary or river	Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park

1. Town Beach Jetty

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. At Town Beach on Roebuck Bay; parking at the beach.
What's good here: Peak in October: trevally, queenfish, golden snapper and barramundi. Also in season: king threadfin.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Light winds; the dry-season south-easterly blows across the bay. Faces SE.
Note: Shire jetty over the Town Beach rocks: trevally and queenfish on lures, fingermark and the odd barra or threadfin on bait. No fishing from the lower landing or the southern side.
Safety: Crocodile country: stay a few metres back from the water, never wade or clean fish at the edge. Irukandji stings are most often reported Nov-Jun but happen in any month: avoid swimming, carry vinegar.
Zone: Town Beach waters sit just outside the marine park (about 1.2 km away), which has no sanctuary zones Guide only, not for navigation: check exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -17.97156, 122.23821 · Open in Google Maps (position: Jetty, Broome, Coastal Infrastructure DOT (DOT-020))
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Entrance Point

Type: Rocks · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Beside the Entrance Point boat ramps near the port.
What's good here: Peak in October: golden snapper, trevally, queenfish and Spanish mackerel.
Best tide: Run-in tide: arrive about an hour before the water reaches the rocks and fish until it passes the weed line.
Best wind: Light winds; the dry-season south-easterly blows in here. Faces SE.
Note: Rocky shoreline next to Broome's main ramp: fingermark, trevally and queenfish on the rising tide, with mackerel passing in the dry season.
Safety: Crocodile country: stay a few metres back from the water, never wade or clean fish at the edge. Rock and cliff fishing: wear a lifejacket and grippy footwear, watch the swell for several sets first, never fish alone.
Zone: Port waters outside the marine park; the park (no sanctuary zones) covers Roebuck Bay to the east Guide only, not for navigation: check exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -18.00940, 122.20960 · Open in Google Maps (position: Entrance Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Reddell Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Between Gantheaume Point and Entrance Point (gazetted as Riddell Beach); check local access signs.
What's good here: Peak in October: trevally, queenfish and golden snapper.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Easterlies (offshore); dry-season trade winds suit it. Faces WSW.
Note: Red pindan cliffs and rock shelves facing the open ocean: cast lures and baits off the rocks on the tide for trevally, queenfish and fingermark.
Safety: Crocodile country: stay a few metres back from the water, never wade or clean fish at the edge. Irukandji stings are most often reported Nov-Jun but happen in any month: avoid swimming, carry vinegar. Rock shelves are cut off quickly by the big tides.
Zone: Not in a marine park Guide only, not for navigation: check exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -17.99060, 122.19280 · Open in Google Maps (position: Riddell Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Gantheaume Point

Type: Rocks · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. End of Gantheaume Point Road at the south end of Cable Beach.
What's good here: Peak in October: trevally, queenfish, Spanish mackerel and golden snapper.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Easterlies (offshore); calm dry-season mornings. Faces W.
Note: Rocky point at the south end of Cable Beach: trevally, queenfish and passing mackerel on lures and live baits, with fingermark around the ledges.
Safety: Rock and cliff fishing: wear a lifejacket and grippy footwear, watch the swell for several sets first, never fish alone. Box jellyfish have been found at Gantheaume Point; stingers peak Nov-May: avoid swimming.
Zone: Not in a marine park; the nearest waters of Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park (no sanctuary zones) are about 3 km to the south-west Guide only, not for navigation: check exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -17.97330, 122.17570 · Open in Google Maps (position: Gantheaume Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Cable Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Several access points; vehicles are allowed on parts of the beach, check signs.
What's good here: Peak in October: whiting and trevally. Also in season: king threadfin and blue threadfin.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Easterlies (offshore); calm dry-season mornings. Faces W.
Note: Long beach facing the Indian Ocean: work the gutters and rocky ends for threadfin, blue salmon, whiting and trevally. Fish well away from swimmers and the flagged area.
Safety: Crocodile control zone: beaches close when a croc is sighted. Irukandji stings are most often reported Nov-Jun but happen in any month: avoid swimming, carry vinegar.
Zone: Not in a marine park Guide only, not for navigation: check exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -17.93190, 122.20810 · Open in Google Maps (position: Cable Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Dampier Creek mouth (Fall Point)

Type: Estuary · bay, estuary or river
Access: Boat and kayak. Launch at Town Beach and run east; the creek nearly drains on big low tides. Coordinate is Fall Point at the mouth.
What's good here: Peak in October: barramundi and mud crab. Also in season: king threadfin and blue threadfin.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Light winds.
Note: Mangrove creek beside Chinatown that empties into Roebuck Bay at Fall Point: barra, threadfin and blue salmon on the tide, mud crabs in the mangroves.
Safety: Crocodile country: stay a few metres back from the water, never wade or clean fish at the edge; Fall Point marks the edge of the Broome croc control zone. Easy to get stranded on a falling tide.
Zone: Inside the marine park, which has no sanctuary zones: statewide rules apply Guide only, not for navigation: check exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -17.98030, 122.33630 · Open in Google Maps (position: Fall Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

7. Roebuck Bay (boat)

Type: Bay · bay, estuary or river
Access: Boat. Launch at Town Beach or Entrance Point; plan the whole trip around the tide.
What's good here: Peak in October: golden snapper, queenfish, trevally and mud crab. Also in season: king threadfin, blue threadfin and black jewfish.
Best tide: Moving water at creek mouths and channels; about 160 sq km of flats drain at low springs.
Best wind: Light winds; the dry-season south-easterly chops up the bay.
Note: Huge shallow bay with mangrove creeks: threadfin (booming since netting was removed), blue salmon, northern mulloway and fingermark around creeks and channels; queenfish and trevally on the flats.
Safety: Crocodile country: stay a few metres back from the water, never wade or clean fish at the edge. Do not get caught on the flats by the tide. Irukandji stings are most often reported Nov-Jun but happen in any month: avoid swimming, carry vinegar.
Zone: No sanctuary zones; the special purpose zones do not restrict recreational fishing Guide only, not for navigation: check exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -18.08580, 122.28300 · Open in Google Maps (position: Roebuck Bay, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

Boat ramps

3 public boat ramps are listed for Broome and Roebuck Bay, with positions from Public Boat Ramps (DOT-033). Lanes, parking and tide access are as the data says: check them on the day.

Boat ramps: Broome and Roebuck Bay
Ramp	Notes	Position
Entrance Point boat ramp	Sealed, 2 lanes, about 100 trailer bays; Broome's main ramp near the port. Check tide heights before launching.	-18.00772, 122.20908 Google Maps
Town Beach boat ramp	Sealed single lane, about 30 trailer bays; tide-dependent, onto Roebuck Bay.	-17.97050, 122.23673 Google Maps
Gantheaume Point beach launch	Unsealed beach launch near Gantheaume Point; 4WD and small boats only.	-17.97216, 122.18885 Google Maps

What's biting here in October?

In peak season at Broome and Roebuck Bay in October: trevally, golden snapper, queenfish, barramundi and 10 more. Of the 25 species our Kimberley coast list has for this part of the coast, 14 peak in October 2026 and 10 more are in season.

Peak in October: trevally, golden snapper, queenfish, barramundi, Spanish mackerel, mud crab, whiting, mangrove jack, estuary cod, longtail tuna, cobia, sailfish, marlin and spangled emperor.

Also in season: king threadfin, blue threadfin, black jewfish, pikey bream, school mackerel, coral trout, red emperor, goldband snapper, Rankin cod and blue swimmer crab.

Seen now and then, so not rated: squid.

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-based line fishing. Any fishing from a powered boat (incl. crabbing, squid, catch and release) needs a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence: $40/yr, half price concession incl. under 16 (DPIRD, Oct 2026). Licence details. Size and bag limits and closed seasons apply: Western Australia's limits (checked 9 Oct 2026).

Rules at Broome and Roebuck Bay

Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park has no sanctuary zones: statewide recreational rules apply.
Willie Creek and Barred Creek are closed to netting.
Barramundi: min 55 cm, max 80 cm, bag 2.
Powered boats need a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence; North Coast demersal bag is 4 per person from 1 Jun 2026.

Marine parks and no-take zones

The zone notes here name Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at Broome and Roebuck Bay

Broome's crocodile control zone runs from just north of Coconut Wells to Fall Point (not Willie Creek); an angler wading at Barred Creek was bitten in late May 2026: never wade in creeks.
Irukandji stings in Broome waters are most often reported November to June (Shire of Broome) but can happen in any month.
Tides of up to about 10 m: flats flood fast and rock shelves get cut off.
The Port of Broome jetty walkway has had long closures during port works: obey port signs.
Crocodile country: saltwater crocodiles live in rivers, estuaries, beaches and around islands here. Stay well back from the water's edge, never clean fish at the water, and don't stand on logs or overhanging banks. More.
Marine stingers (box jellyfish and irukandji) can be in these waters, mostly in the warmer months: cover up if you wade or swim, and carry vinegar. More.

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

Derby and King Sound (about 165 km north-east)
Port Hedland (about 463 km south-west)
Dampier and Karratha (about 630 km south-west)
Onslow and Mackerel Islands (about 847 km south-west)

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, Coastal Infrastructure DOT (DOT-020) (Western Australian Department of Transport), 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: catalogue.data.wa.gov.au (Boat ramp coordinates, lanes, finger jetties and trailer bays (WA DoT Public Boat Ramps DOT-033, CC BY 4.0)); public-services.slip.wa.gov.au (DPIRD Fisheries Guide polygons (DPIRD-061): every spot was tested against sanctuary, fishing-prohibition and FHPA areas); public-services.slip.wa.gov.au (DBCA Legislated Lands and Waters (DBCA-011): which marine park each spot sits in); recfishwest.org.au (Roebuck Bay, Dampier Creek, jetty, Gantheaume Point, Cable Beach and offshore species); giftcards.tackleworld.com.au (Seasons: barra Oct-Feb, sailfish, mackerel and tuna May-Oct; fish the tide change (Tackle World Broome, 2018)); watravel.com.au (Town Beach and Entrance Point rocks: species and tide timing); broome.wa.gov.au (Town Beach Jetty fishing rules and species); exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au (Yawuru parks guide: zoning, fishing areas, ramps, crocodile control zone); exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au (Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park map); broomead.com.au (Roebuck Bay threadfin reports and tides); marinewaters.fish.wa.gov.au (Roebuck Bay creeks and flats (DPIRD fact sheet)); broome.wa.gov.au (Irukandji and box jellyfish season in Broome); broomead.com.au (Box jellyfish found at Gantheaume Point); kimberleyports.wa.gov.au (Port of Broome walkway closures during works); thegreynomads.com.au (Late-May 2026 crocodile bite on an angler wading at Barred Creek); rules.fish.wa.gov.au (Barramundi limits); wa.gov.au (Kimberley netting restrictions); dbca.wa.gov.au (Crocodile safety).
Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.