Catch!

Recreational fishing news

Warm conditions to persist in WA waters

Image courtesy of Shannon Conway

Off the coast of Western Australia, 2025 is shaping up to be the warmest year to date. This was driven by an intense heat wave event that began in September of 2024 and lasted until July of this year.

Waters throughout winter have remained at a warm baseline due to high levels of heat lingering in the subsurface.

The Central Pacific Ocean has cooled down and a weak La Nina is currently underway but predicted to be short-lived. Typically, a La Nina phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) strengthens the southward flowing Leeuwin Current. If this occurs over the warmer months, this can facilitate and enhance MHW conditions for the West and South Coast bioregions.

Coupled with a strong negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event currently underway in the Indian Ocean, a combination that last occurred over 2021-22 summer, this summer’s MHW outlook is of high likelihood. Forecasts of MHW conditions around Australia is now available on the Bureau of Meteorology’s seasonal outlook page.

Lastly, with tropical cyclone season kicking off last month, and SSTs remaining above average around all of WA, we’re predicted to see a greater proportion of severe tropical cyclones around Category 3 or higher due to the fuel that warmer oceans provide for the systems to develop.

Updated demersal fishing reforms now in effect

All demersal species, including pink snapper, are off limits for recreational boat fishing until Spring 2027.

Earlier this month, the government introduced stronger measures to protect at-risk demersal fish resources across the State.

This decision follows the latest stock assessments showing that several resources are under serious threat from continued fishing pressure. Input from all sectors of the WA fishing community played an important role in shaping these management actions.

The closure of boat-based recreational fishing for demersals in the West Coast bioregion has now commenced. This area, stretching from Kalbarri to Augusta, will reopen in Spring 2027 exclusively as a recreational and marine tourism zone.

Charter fishing for demersal scalefish in the Perth metropolitan area closed on December 16 2025. However, charter fishing for demersal scalefish will continue in the remainder of the West Coast bioregion under the tag system and a reduced annual catch limit of 25 tonnes. In addition, the West Coast bioregion will be permanently closed to commercial demersal fishing for demersal scalefish from 1 January 2026.

Explore FADs across Western Australia with a new interactive map

The interactive map gives users the ability to find a FAD across WA.

You may notice a new addition to the Fishing aggregating devices webpage.

Users can now take advantage of an interactive map. These include deployment locations (actual FAD locations vary based on wind speeds and currents).

The map shows reef coordinates, depth and module type (i.e mixed concrete, Lattice Steel etc).

Finally, users can see the locations of public boat ramps and how close the nearest FAD/artificial reef is from it.

Western rock lobsters on the move!

Image courtesy of Sandy Clarke

The annual whites run has kicked off!

The yearly migration sees millions of three year-old rock lobsters moulting from their red shell to a light link to white shell, enabling them to blend in more with the sand on the seafloor as they walk out to offshore grounds.

The lobsters use the Earth’s magnetic field to all head in the same direction out to sea, with the migration starting around Two Rocks, then spread north and south along our coast.

The whites run is a great opportunity for rec fishers to switch your fish, as good catches usually continue until late December, just in time for Chrissie lunch!

Snippets

• Sea Change Australia is running a national call for questions about climate change from anyone connected to fishing and aquaculture. You can submit a question if you are a commercial fisher, recreational fisher, aquaculture operator, processor, supplier or part of related business in the seafood supply chain.
  Asking a question might seem simple, but it’s a powerful way to help the seafood sector adapt to climate change. Your questions tell us what people in the industry care about, where the knowledge gaps are, and how we can better support action on the water and in the community.
  The Q&A portal is open year-round, but questions sent in before the end of the year are in with the opportunity to win some great prizes.

• Bird and wildlife entanglements can be a sad and frustrating end to a day of fishing. It’s your responsibility to be a good steward, know how to fish in a way that minimises the chance of losing your fishing rig or entangling wildlife, and what to do if you find an animal entangled. Download our catch care guide to read our tips.

Seasonal notes

• Following recent management changes, boat-based recreational fishing for demersal scalefish in the West Coast bioregion did not re-open on 16 December 2025 and will remain closed until Spring 2027. Land based fishers are still permitted to fish for demersal scalefish outside of existing spawning closures, but land-based spearfishers cannot fish for WA dhufish.
• The West Coast region is open for blue swimmer crabs until 1 September 2026. Some crabs are still undersize, so remember to take a gauge and only keep crabs over 127 mm carapace width.
• Marron fishing opens 8 January at 12 noon, and closes 12 noon, 5 February. It's a short but exciting season so make sure you plan early and stick to the rules!
• 2025/26 abalone season - the last 3 sessions for the year from 7-8am on: 10 January 2026, 7 February 2026, and 21 February 2026. The Southern Zone remains open until 15 May.
• Print a copy of our 2026 recreational fishing season calendar so you're always up-to-date on the rules.

Caught out! 

• A 30-year-old Wickham man has been fined $1,994 in Karratha Court this week after being caught spearfishing in a sanctuary area and exceeding the bag limit for Barcheek Coral Trout.
• Also heard at the Karratha Court a 51-year-old Canning Vale man was ordered to pay $994 for obstructing Fisheries officers.
• At the South Hedland Magistrates Court, a 50-year-old Queensland man was found guilty of using illegal fish traps at Finucane Island.
• Meantime an 85-year-old man and an 80-year-old woman from Ravenswood have been ordered to pay almost $7,000 for exceeding the possession limit of finfish fillets after an inspection by officers at Eighty Mile Beach in May.
• Three men from Perth have been penalised more than $4,000 each in Carnarvon Magistrates Court for for jointly exceeding the bag limit for demersal scalefish. 
• A 50-year-old Doubleview man pleaded guilty for breaching the finfish possession limits in May and was issued a penalty of $5,396.
• A 59-year-old man from the Perth suburb of Alexander Heights has been ordered to pay $929 in Karratha Court for the possession of 12 litres of ark shells, five times over the allowable limit.
• Make sure you know the rules before you go fishing so you don't get caught out. Search for recreational fishing rules on our website.

Stay SharkSmart this summer

As the weather warms up and beach activity increases, it’s important to remember that our beautiful coastline is shared by recreational fishers, swimmers, surfers, snorkellers and divers.

Everyone has a responsibility for their own safety when using the water. To help keep other water users safe this summer, report all shark sightings to Water Police on 9442 8600. The ‘Report’ function in the SharkSmart WA app uses location services to provide information about your nearest coastal feature or Beach Emergency Numbers (BEN) sign. Keep an eye out for your closest green and red BEN sign when heading onto the beach too.

FishWatch - 24 hour reporting 

If you see something that looks a bit fishy, please report it so we can investigate.

The 1800 815 507 FishWatch phone line provides the quickest and most efficient way to report sightings or evidence of:

• illegal fishing
• aquatic pests and diseases
• fish kills.

You can also submit illegal fish reports on the Crime Stoppers website. Please note that reports to Crime Stoppers are not monitored outside normal working hours or at weekends.

You can also report ornamental or pest species to Aquatic.Biosecurity@dpird.wa.gov.au. Please do not release any ornamental or pest species into the water. 

Contact us

This inbox is not monitored. If you have a query, please get in touch with us by emailing enquiries@dpird.wa.gov.au or by calling 1300 374 731 (1300 DPIRD1).

Important disclaimer 
The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.

Copyright © State of Western Australia (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development), 2025.