Harvey Dam Fishing Guide
Most Perth fishing happens with sand underfoot and salt in the air. Harvey Dam is the antidote — a freshwater impoundment in the jarrah forest about an hour and a half south, where the targets are trout, redfin perch, and marron rather than tailor and whiting. It’s one of the better freshwater fisheries in the state, and a genuine change of pace for anyone who’s worn a groove between their car and the same metro beach.
Here’s what swims in Harvey Dam, when to chase it, and the licences you’ll need first — including the part that trips people up, the snare-only marron season.
What’s in Harvey Dam
Three things worth catching, and they fish nothing alike.
- Stocked trout (rainbow and brown). DPIRD stocks Harvey most years out of its Pemberton hatchery, and it’s regularly named among the better trout impoundments in the south-west. Rainbows dominate the releases, including ex-broodstock fish that go in at a serious size; browns are present but harder won. The trout fishery fires in the cooler months.
- Redfin perch. An introduced European predator that’s bred into a strong population. Redfin are a declared pest in WA — voracious on native fish, marron, and trout fry — which is why you can’t put them back. They school hard, pull above their weight on light gear, and happen to be among the best-eating freshwater fish in the country.
- Marron. WA’s south-west endemic freshwater crayfish, taken in a short licensed summer season. Harvey is one of the long-running marron impoundments, restocked in recent years alongside Waroona and Logue Brook.
When to Go
The dam splits neatly by season:
- Autumn through spring (roughly April–October): trout time. Cool water brings the stocked fish on, and freshly released fish bite freely for the first few weeks after a stocking.
- Warmer months: redfin take over, with the schools becoming the main event for kayak anglers sounding the deeper water.
- High summer (January–February): marron season — a few licensed weeks only, by night, by snare.
No real off-season here, then, just a rotating cast. First and last light are prime for trout and redfin; marron move out to feed after dark.
Licences and Rules — Read This Before You Drive Down
Harvey sits south of Greenough, so a South-West Freshwater Angling Licence is required to fish for trout and redfin. There’s no on-water grace period — buy it online first. A few specifics:
- Trout: rainbow and brown trout carry a 300mm minimum size and a combined bag limit. Bag numbers for trout have been adjusted between seasons, so check the current figure on the DPIRD recreational fishing rules page rather than trusting an old guide.
- Redfin: declared pest — no bag limit, no minimum size, and they must not be returned alive to the water. Dispose of them in a bin or take them home to eat; don’t leave them on the bank.
- Marron: a separate Recreational Marron Licence is required on top of the freshwater angling licence, and it’s only valid for the short open season. More on that below.
Always confirm the current rules with DPIRD — freshwater regulations and stocking arrangements change from year to year.
The Marron Season — Snare Only
Marroning is the south-west’s great summer tradition: families camp out, head down after dinner, and work the margins by torchlight. Harvey is part of that tradition, but with one rule that catches out newcomers.
Harvey Dam is snare-only. Drop nets and scoop nets — legal in plenty of other WA marron waters — are not permitted here. A snare is a baited cord with a noose; you spot the marron in the shallows and ease the loop over it from behind. It’s slower and more hands-on, and it’s the only legal method on this dam.
The rest of the framework, for the 2026 season:
- Season: 12 noon on 8 January to 12 noon on 5 February in 2026. Fishing is prohibited at all other times, and the dates are reset by DPIRD each year — confirm before you commit a long weekend to it.
- Licence: a Recreational Marron Licence, separate from the freshwater angling licence.
- Trophy-water limits: Harvey is a designated trophy water — a tighter bag of 5 marron and a larger 90mm minimum carapace length (measured eye socket to back of shell). General waters run to 8 marron at 80mm; Harvey is the stricter regime.
- Berried (egg-carrying) females must be released. Buy a marron gauge and measure on the bank — eyeballing size is how people end up fined, and officers patrol the dams hard during the season.
See the full marron species guide for snaring technique, bait, and how to keep your catch alive.
Access and How to Fish It
Harvey is easy to reach and easy to fish, with a boat ramp and several kayak and canoe launch points along the southern side. Vehicle access is good at numerous spots, though the banks can be soft after rain. A kayak is the most productive way to fish it, and how most of the better catches come.
From the bank: light tackle is all you need — a 1.8–2.1m casting rod, a small 2000–2500 spinning reel, 4–6lb mono or 8lb braid with a light fluorocarbon leader. Fish the shallow margins late in the afternoon, working small lures along weed edges and drowned timber.
By kayak or boat: troll bibbed minnows for trout, weave between the submerged trees at the eastern end, and use a sounder to find the redfin schools in deeper water, then drop soft plastics and small vibes into them.
Gear and Technique
Trout. Small spinners (Celta, Mepps Aglia), small hardbodies (Rapala CD-3, Daiwa Double Clutch), or 2–3” soft plastics on 1/16–1/8oz jigheads. Bait anglers use scrubworms, mudeyes under a float, or PowerBait dough near the inflows; fly anglers run 4–6 weight outfits with streamers — Woolly Buggers, Mrs Simpsons — along the margins at last light. Overcast and drizzle outproduce bright sun.
Redfin. Small soft plastics (2–3” curl- or paddle-tail) on 1/8–1/4oz jigheads, small vibes, minnows, or Celta-style spinners; scrubworms, yabbies, or prawn on bait. Find one and there are usually more — they hold in tight schools, so work the area thoroughly once you’ve hooked up. Bring an esky with ice; you can’t release them, so plan to keep what you catch.
Make a Day of It
Harvey Dam is as much a family and camping draw as a fishery — scenic jarrah forest, an easy drive, and enough variety that someone’s usually catching something. It also slots into a wider south-west run. The coast isn’t far: Preston Beach, the Leschenault Estuary, and Bunbury back beach are all within reach for a saltwater session on the same trip, with Busselton Jetty an easy extension further south.
If freshwater suits you, the other south-west impoundments are worth a look — Wellington Dam near Collie holds the bigger trout and redfin, and Waroona Dam (with Drakesbrook Weir) is the other classic family marron-and-trout water.
Frequently Asked
What fish are in Harvey Dam?
Stocked rainbow and brown trout, a strong redfin perch population, and marron. DPIRD restocks trout most years, redfin breed up on their own as a declared pest, and marron are taken only in the short licensed summer season by snare.
Do you need a licence to fish Harvey Dam?
Yes. A South-West Freshwater Angling Licence is required for trout and redfin. Marron need a separate Recreational Marron Licence on top of that, valid only for the brief January–February season.
Do you need a licence for marron in WA?
Yes — a separate Recreational Marron Licence, in addition to the freshwater angling licence. The 2026 season ran from 12 noon on 8 January to 12 noon on 5 February; exact dates are set by DPIRD each year.
Can you keep redfin from Harvey Dam?
You must. Redfin are a declared pest and cannot be returned alive to the water — no bag limit, no minimum size. They eat very well, so it’s no hardship.
How do you catch marron in Harvey Dam?
By snare only. Drop nets and scoop nets aren’t permitted here. Walk the bank after dark, spot the marron in the shallows, and ease a baited noose over it from behind.
How far is Harvey Dam from Perth?
About 1.5 hours south, near the town of Harvey, in jarrah forest country — an easy day trip or weekend base.
Harvey Dam is the freshwater break a lot of Perth anglers don’t realise is on their doorstep — trout in the cool months, a redfin glut in the warm, and a marron season worth planning a summer night around. Check the rainbow trout and redfin perch species guides for rigs and handling, confirm the current rules with DPIRD, and check conditions on BiteCompass before you point the car south.