Esperance fishing spots

Esperance pairs a sheltered town bay and a 415 m jetty (opened 2021) with white surf beaches and the islands of the Recherche Archipelago. Shore anglers take herring, King George whiting, squid and skippy from the jetties and Bandy Creek; salmon schools work the Twilight Beach Road beaches in autumn; and boats fish the islands for samsonfish, kingfish and queen snapper. Wudjari Marine Park zoning starts late 2026.

Updated 9 Oct 2026

7 spots here, all fished from land, plus 2 public boat ramps. Seasons follow our WA South 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: Esperance
Spot	Type	Fished from	Water	Marine park
1. Eleven Mile Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	Wudjari Marine Park
2. Twilight Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
3. Salmon Beach & Fourth Beach	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	–
4. Taylor Street Jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	–
5. Esperance Jetty	Jetty	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	no-take zone nearby
6. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour	Breakwall	Land-based	Bay, estuary or river	–
7. Wylie Bay	Beach	Land-based	Ocean coast	–

1. Eleven Mile Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Off Twilight Beach Road west of town; gravel and sand tracks.
What's good here: In season in October: Western Australian salmon, Australian herring and silver trevally.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Northerly (offshore) winds; a 4WD helps along this coast. Faces S.
Note: One of the western beaches (with Stockyards, 14 Mile and Roses further on) where salmon schools are found in autumn; herring and skippy otherwise.
Safety: Remote and exposed: big surf and rips. Soft sand tracks.
Zone: General use zone (shore fishing allowed); no sanctuary zone within 3 km. The new zoning takes effect in late 2026. Guide only, not for navigation: check dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -33.86350, 121.70360 · Open in Google Maps (position: Eleven Mile Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

2. Twilight Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Twilight Beach Road; sealed car park (patrolled swimming beach in summer).
What's good here: In season in October: Western Australian salmon, Australian herring, southern bluespotted flathead and silver trevally.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Northerly (offshore) winds. Faces S.
Note: Sheltered by offshore granite islands: salmon in the run, herring, flathead and skippy at other times.
Safety: Popular swimming beach: fish away from swimmers. Rips around the granite outcrops.
Zone: Outside the Wudjari Marine Park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -33.89220, 121.82420 · Open in Google Maps (position: Twilight Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

3. Salmon Beach & Fourth Beach

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. Twilight Beach Road scenic drive car parks west of town.
What's good here: In season in October: Western Australian salmon, Australian herring, silver trevally and southern bluespotted flathead.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Northerly (offshore) winds with modest swell. Faces SSW.
Note: Beaches on the Twilight Beach Road drive where salmon schools are often spotted from the road in autumn; herring, skippy and flathead at other times.
Safety: Southern Ocean surf and rips. Rocks at the beach ends wash in swell.
Zone: Outside the Wudjari Marine Park (the park starts further west, near Observatory Point). Guide only, not for navigation: check dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -33.88750, 121.85640 · Open in Google Maps (position: Salmon Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

4. Taylor Street Jetty

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Taylor Street on the town foreshore, next to the Town Beach ramp.
What's good here: Peak in October: King George whiting. Also in season: Australian herring, southern calamari and silver trevally.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Northerly winds (offshore here). Faces SSE.
Note: A reliable town jetty for herring, King George whiting, squid and skippy (garfish too).
Safety: Boats launching at the adjacent ramp.
Zone: Outside the Wudjari Marine Park. The Esperance Jetty wire-trace ban area starts about 1.3 km north-east, around the main jetty. Guide only, not for navigation: check wa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -33.86540, 121.89560 · Open in Google Maps (position: Taylor Street Landing, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

5. Esperance Jetty

Type: Jetty · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Town foreshore on the Esplanade; widened fishing sections, lower platforms and a fish-cleaning station.
What's good here: Peak in October: King George whiting. Also in season: Australian herring, southern calamari, silver trevally and samsonfish.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Northerly to westerly winds (offshore here). Faces SSE.
Note: The 415 m concrete-and-timber jetty that replaced the old Tanker Jetty: herring, whiting, squid and skippy along its length, samsonfish at times. Coordinate is the gazetted Tanker Jetty.
Safety: Wire traces banned within 200 m of the jetty. Divers and swimmers use the lower platforms.
Zone: No-take zone nearby. A 1997 order bans all fishing in a defined area off the seaward end of the old Tanker Jetty alignment, about 200 m from this point. Outside the Wudjari Marine Park. Guide only, not for navigation: check wa.gov.au map (PDF).
Map: -33.85330, 121.90560 · Open in Google Maps (position: Tanker Jetty, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

6. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour

Type: Breakwall · bay, estuary or river
Access: Land-based. Harbour car park east of town; main boat ramp.
What's good here: Peak in October: King George whiting. Also in season: Australian herring, southern calamari and silver trevally.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Northerly winds (offshore here). Faces S.
Note: Productive harbour walls east of town with the same mix as the town jetties, and King George whiting a particular target.
Safety: Rock walls are slippery. Busy ramp and harbour entrance.
Zone: Outside the Wudjari Marine Park in the Esperance town area. Guide only, not for navigation: check dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -33.83080, 121.93420 · Open in Google Maps (position: Bandy Creek Boat Harbour, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

7. Wylie Bay

Type: Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
Access: Land-based. East of Bandy Creek; parts reachable by conventional vehicle, beach driving further east.
What's good here: Peak in October: King George whiting. Also in season: Australian herring and Western Australian salmon.
Best tide: Not confirmed for this spot yet.
Best wind: Northerly winds (offshore here). Faces S.
Note: Long beach east of town where soaked baits take herring and King George whiting, and salmon come through in the run.
Safety: Soft sand if driving on the beach. Surf and rips.
Zone: Outside the Wudjari Marine Park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dbca.wa.gov.au.
Map: -33.83230, 121.99090 · Open in Google Maps (position: Wylie Bay, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
Forecast: Forecast for this spot

Boat ramps

2 public boat ramps are listed for Esperance, 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: Esperance
Ramp	Notes	Position
Town Beach boat ramp	Sealed, 2 lanes, 1 finger jetty, beside Taylor Street Jetty (DoT data).	-33.86353, 121.89359 Google Maps
Bandy Creek boat ramp	Sealed, 1 lane, 1 finger jetty, inside the boat harbour (DoT data).	-33.83098, 121.93207 Google Maps

What's biting here in October?

In peak season at Esperance in October: King George whiting, mulloway and black bream. Of the 20 species our WA South Coast list has for this part of the coast, 3 peak in October 2026 and 15 more are in season.

Peak in October: King George whiting, mulloway and black bream.

Also in season: Australian herring, silver trevally, Western Australian salmon, southern calamari, southern bluespotted flathead, samsonfish, tailor, yellowfin whiting, school whiting, tarwhine, yellowtail kingfish, pink snapper, WA dhufish, queen snapper and bight redfish.

Out of season in October: blue swimmer crab (best Mar–May); southern bluefin tuna (best Jan–Apr).

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 Esperance

Esperance Jetty: wire traces banned within 200 m of the jetty and within 800 m of shore there; a 1997 order bans fishing off the seaward end of the old Tanker Jetty alignment.
South Coast demersal limits (from 1 June 2026): 4 demersals a day incl. max 1 dhufish and 2 pink snapper (45 cm minimum).
Wudjari Marine Park (South Coast Marine Park) zoning takes effect late 2026: sanctuary zones such as Moort (Woody Island) and Mandooweernup (Cape Le Grand) will be no fishing; the Woody Island jetty stays open to fishing.
South Coast crab bag 20.

Marine parks and no-take zones

The zone notes here name Wudjari Marine Park. A no-take zone starts close to Esperance Jetty: its zone note says where. Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.

Safety at Esperance

Weather on the south coast changes fast: rock fishers should wear a lifejacket and grippy footwear and watch the sea.
White sharks are present, especially around the islands and salmon schools.
Recherche Archipelago trips need a capable boat and local knowledge.

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

Albany (about 384 km west)
Bunbury (about 579 km west)
Mandurah and the Peel-Harvey (about 591 km west)
Rockingham and Cockburn Sound (about 601 km 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 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: recfishwest.org.au (Esperance spot knowledge: Taylor Street Jetty, Bandy Creek, Twilight Beach Road beaches, Wylie Bay, islands); recfishwest.org.au (New Esperance Jetty opening and fishing features); esperance.wa.gov.au (Shire of Esperance: new jetty length (415 m) and design); wa.gov.au (Prohibition on Fishing (Esperance Jetty) Order 1997); dbca.wa.gov.au (DBCA South Coast Marine Park: zoning in operation late 2026, Esperance port area excluded, sanctuary zones away from jetties and ramps); dbca.wa.gov.au (Wudjari Marine Park management plan 2024: sanctuary zones (Moort, Mandooweernup etc.), Woody Island jetty fishing allowed); google.com (DBCA South Coast Marine Park interactive map data (KML) used for the zone distance check); wa.gov.au (Prohibition on Fishing (Wire Trace) Order 2024: metro, Busselton Jetty and Esperance Jetty zones); 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.