How the Score Works

Tailor are the poster fish for dawn/dusk feeding. They're aggressive pack hunters that move inshore at twilight to smash schools of whitebait and mulies. Night sessions on a bright full moon can be electric — schools seem more active in the moonlight.

Key factors: Dawn/dusk is the biggest driver. Moon phase matters more for tailor than most species. A rising tide pushing bait into the surf break is the classic setup. Moderate onshore wind can actually help by creating turbulent water that tailor thrive in.

Score accuracy: High — tailor behaviour lines up well with the factors in our model.

Herring are less fussy about timing than tailor. They feed throughout the day, especially when there's berley in the water. They tend to school around jetties and groynes where tidal current concentrates food.

Key factors: Tidal movement matters most — moderate flow past structure is ideal. They're less affected by moon phase. Water temperature is important: herring are more active in Perth's warmer months (Oct–Apr) when the water is above 18°C.

Score accuracy: Moderate — herring are reliable biters, so the score's "low" days might still produce fish if you use berley.

KGW are bottom feeders that forage over sand and weed beds, usually in calm, shallow water. They prefer clear conditions and are very sensitive to water temperature — they feed best in the 16–22°C range and go quiet in cold water.

Key factors: Water temperature and tidal movement are the biggest drivers. A rising tide pushing warm water over shallow sand flats gets them moving. They're less responsive to solunar windows and more to habitat conditions. Calm wind helps because they spook easily in turbid water.

Score accuracy: Moderate — our water temperature factor helps, but KGW are particularly habitat-specific. The score is a useful guide, not the full picture.

Snapper are one of Perth's most prized catches. They tend to feed more on the turn of tide, especially around reef structure. Bigger snapper are often more active at dawn/dusk and during the cooler months (May–Sep) when they move closer inshore.

Key factors: Tide turn is a strong trigger. Water temperature matters but in reverse to most species — Perth's snapper tend to fire up when winter storms cool the water and stir up the bottom. Moon phase can influence their depth positioning.

Score accuracy: Moderate for boat fishing, lower for shore-based — snapper are deeper-water fish where our shore-focused model is less precise.

Dhufish are WA's icon demersal species — territorial reef predators found from 3m to 50m depth. They feed on fish, squid, octopus, and crustaceans around limestone reef and caves. They can live over 40 years and grow past a metre.

Key factors: Dhufish are more influenced by habitat and current than by solunar windows. Moderate tidal flow over reef structure is key. Water temperature stability matters — sudden temperature changes put them off the bite. They're less affected by light transitions since they live in deeper water where light changes are gradual.

Score accuracy: Lower — our model is optimised for shore and jetty fishing. Dhufish fishing is mostly boat-based and depth-dependent, so use the score as a general guide rather than gospel.

Samson fish are powerful pelagic predators that patrol reef edges and drop-offs. They're most active when there's good current running — they use the flow to ambush baitfish being swept past structure.

Key factors: Tidal current is the number one factor. Stronger flow (which our model actually penalises slightly) is often better for samson fish. Moon phase and water temperature are secondary. Dawn and dusk can produce surface feeds, but they bite throughout the day when current is right.

Score accuracy: Lower — samson fish behaviour doesn't align perfectly with our shore-based model, especially around tide strength preferences.

Mulloway are Perth's trophy shore fish — big, powerful predators that patrol deep surf gutters, breakwalls, river mouths, and rocky headlands. They're ambush hunters that sit on current edges and structure, waiting for baitfish to be swept past. Bigger fish feed on schools of small shrimp-like euphausiids that gather just beyond the surf zone.

Key factors: Mulloway are primarily nocturnal feeders — they're most active after dark and during low-light periods, which is the opposite of what our daytime dawn/dusk weighting optimises for. The tide is critical: the hour either side of high tide is the prime window, and breakwall fishing fires when the tide pushes bait through channels. Moon phase is less important than many anglers think — they bite across all phases, though new moon (darker nights) can be slightly better. Best season is May through September.

Score accuracy: Lower — like squid, mulloway are mainly night feeders and our model weights daytime light transitions most heavily. The tide data on our chart is very useful for timing your session, but plan around darkness and high tide rather than the overall day score.

WA salmon are aggressive schooling fish that migrate up from the south coast around March–June, reaching the Perth metro by autumn. When a school pushes through, the fishing can be insane — they'll smash lures, bait, and pretty much anything that moves. They hunt in huge packs, herding baitfish (herring, garfish, mulies) into the surf zone.

Key factors: Salmon are more seasonal than most species on this list — if the schools haven't arrived yet, no amount of good conditions will produce fish. When they are around, dawn/dusk and a pushing tide into the beach are your best bet. They're less fussy about wind and will feed in rougher conditions. Moon phase has a minor effect.

Score accuracy: Moderate during season (Mar–Jun) — the score captures the dawn/dusk and tide factors well. Outside migration season, the score may suggest good conditions when salmon simply aren't around.

Snook are fast, aggressive predators found in sheltered bays and estuaries around Perth. They hang near seagrass beds and reef edges with sand patches, hunting schools of pilchards, anchovies, hardyheads, and garfish. They're surface-oriented and tend to be more active in low-light conditions.

Key factors: Dawn and dusk are the prime windows — snook are classic crepuscular feeders. Tidal flow past structure concentrates baitfish and triggers strikes. They prefer calmer conditions overall and can be put off by very rough water. Water temperature matters — they're more active in the warmer months when water is above 18°C.

Score accuracy: High — snook feeding behaviour aligns well with our dawn/dusk, tide, and temperature factors. One of the better-matched species for our model.

Garfish are surface feeders that school over shallow seagrass beds and around jetties. They eat a mix of seagrass, tiny crustaceans, and small fish bits. They're a staple for Perth jetty fishers — great eating and excellent live bait for bigger species like tailor and snook.

Key factors: Calm conditions matter most for gar — they feed near the surface and strong wind makes it tough to spot and present to them. They respond well to berley at any time of day, making them less dependent on dawn/dusk than predatory species. Moderate tidal flow helps concentrate them around structure. Water temperature has a moderate effect — they're more active in warmer months.

Score accuracy: Moderate — garfish are less tide-and-solunar-driven and more about calm conditions and berley. Our wind factor helps, but the score can't account for berley trails, which are often the real game-changer.

Giant trevally and golden trevally patrol reef edges, drop-offs, and sand flats around Perth's coast. Giants are powerful ambush predators that cruise structure looking for anything to smash. Goldens are often found around jetty pylons and shallow reef, where they use their protractile jaws to suck prey off the bottom.

Key factors: Tidal current is king for trevally — they use the flow to ambush baitfish being swept past structure. Dawn and dusk are productive, but trevally will feed aggressively throughout the day when current is running. Research shows giant trevally are highly site-attached to their home reef, with inter-reef movements sometimes linked to full moons. Water temperature matters — they're more active in the warmer months (Oct–Apr).

Score accuracy: Moderate — our tide and dawn/dusk factors capture the main triggers. Trevally are current-loving fish, so the tide factor is particularly relevant for them.

Squid are a bit different from fish — they're primarily nocturnal hunters that are strongly attracted to light. You'll find them around lit jetties, boat ramps, and harbours at night, darting into bright patches of water to snatch prey. During the day they hang over seagrass beds and patchy reef in shallow water (under 10m).

Key factors: Time of day is the biggest one — squid are most active after dark, which is the opposite of what our score optimises for (it weights dawn/dusk heavily). High tide is important, especially the hour either side of it. They avoid dirty water and freshwater runoff, so heavy rain can shut down a spot completely. Calm conditions help for spotting them.

Score accuracy: Lower — our model is built around fish behaviour, not cephalopods. Squid are nocturnal and light-driven, which doesn't map well to a dawn/dusk-weighted score. Use the tide information from our chart, but plan your squid sessions around darkness and lit structure rather than the overall score.

Black bream are Perth's favourite estuary target. The Swan and Canning rivers hold solid populations year-round. They're structure-obsessed — snags, fallen trees, jetty pylons, bridge pylons, and mussel banks are where you'll find them. In summer they push upstream, and in winter they drop back toward Fremantle as freshwater increases.

Key factors: The change of tide is the biggest trigger — bream feed most actively in the hour around the tide turn, which lines up perfectly with our tide turn bump. Dawn and dusk are productive, especially early mornings. Water temperature drives their seasonal movement up and down the river. They can be spooky in clear, calm water, so a light chop from gentle wind can actually help.

Score accuracy: High for timing — our dawn/dusk and tide turn factors match bream behaviour very well. The main limitation is that bream fishing in the Swan is highly location-specific (you need to find the snags), which no score can tell you.