Ammo Jetty (Ammunition Jetty, Woodman Point)

Ammo Jetty is Perth's go-to squid spot, and right now it is closed. Storm damage over the WA Day long weekend in June 2026 shut the heritage WWII jetty ahead of its planned replacement, and a $17.3 million rebuild is scheduled to start on site in spring 2026 with roughly a year of construction to follow. What made it famous is not going anywhere — weed beds in Cockburn Sound loaded with calamari, lighting that draws bait after dark, and depth alongside the pylons that you would normally need a boat for. The new jetty keeps the original 1939 piles in the water and adds a 50-metre T-head that more than doubles the deep-water fishing space, so the wait should be worth it.

For squid, work jigs slowly over the weed beds either side of the jetty — the lights concentrate them at night. Cast a few rod-lengths out and let the jig sink, then twitch it back along the bottom. For herring and tailor, float baits along the pylon line and fish the tide changes. Cast tight to the structure rather than out into open water; the pylons hold the bait.

Southern calamari (Aug–Feb, the main draw), herring, skippy, tailor off the end, and occasional salmon or kingfish when schools push through Cockburn Sound. Snook turn up on squid jigs and small surface lures. Garfish work the surface in the calmer corners.

When it reopens this is one of the busiest fishing spots in Perth — especially on calm evenings when the squid are on. Keep rigs tidy and casts controlled. Bring a squid spike and a headlamp. The pylons will cost you jigs, so bring spares. Don't fillet on the jetty boards; the gulls will have it before it's bagged.

There is currently no access — the jetty is closed to the public for the rebuild, and the waters under and beside it are off-limits too. For reopening day: the Woodman Point Recreation Camp car park on the eastern side is the entry point, with a sealed 200m path to the jetty and public toilets at the car park. The new design adds lighting, shelter, seating and emergency ladders on the deck, plus a low-level platform and ramp for swimmers and divers. Parking filled extremely fast on calm spring evenings at the old jetty — there is no reason to expect the new one to be different.

The jetty is closed to the public — storm damage over the WA Day long weekend in June 2026 finished what age had started, and the closure runs until its replacement is built. The State Government awarded a $17.3 million construction contract in May 2026, on-site works are scheduled from spring 2026, and the build is expected to take around 12 months — so the official line is ready to fish by summer 2027. The closure also covers the waters immediately under and beside the jetty: no swimming, SCUBA diving, freediving or snorkelling around the structure while the work runs. For anglers the replacement is a genuine upgrade — a 50-metre, three-metre-wide T-head more than doubles the deep-water fishing space, the main deck is wider, and lighting, shelter, seating, rubbish bins and emergency ladders are all in the design — while the original 1939 piles stay in the water, so the structure that holds the bait and squid stays put. Check Transport WA's New Woodman Point Ammo Jetty project page for current status before planning a first session back.

Sheltered position inside Cockburn Sound means the jetty fishes through almost any conditions short of a strong westerly or NW gale. The afternoon Fremantle Doctor blows directly across the sound; the jetty stays fishable but baits get pushed sideways. Tide changes are the productive windows for squid and tailor — slack water is slow. Water clarity is generally good in the sound; reduces after winter storms or strong northerlies that stir up the seagrass beds.

Nothing here is fishable while the rebuild runs — the deck is fenced and the water under and beside it is closed to swimming, diving and snorkelling. For the jetty that comes back: the pylon line will still snap leaders and eat squid jigs, so bring spares; the outer end sits over open Cockburn Sound and gets uncomfortable on heavy swell or a strong westerly; bluebottles drift in on summer northerlies and collect against the pylons; and boat and dive traffic works the surrounding water, so keep long casts clear of moving vessels.

No — Ammo Jetty has been closed to the public since storm damage over the WA Day long weekend in June 2026, and it stays closed while its replacement is built. On-site construction is scheduled from spring 2026 and expected to take around 12 months, so the official line is ready to fish by summer 2027. The waters directly under and beside the jetty are closed to swimming, diving and snorkelling too.

Better than the old one — a 50-metre, three-metre-wide T-head more than doubles the deep-water fishing space, the main deck is wider, and the design adds lighting, shelter, seating, rubbish bins and emergency ladders. The original 1939 piles stay in the water, so the structure that holds bait and squid remains.

Not at Woodman Point Jetty — that is the same structure under a different name, and it is closed too. Palm Beach Jetty and Rockingham Jetty, both in Mangles Bay, are the closest open lit jetties over comparable weed. South Mole, 15 minutes north, gives similar squid water off rock structure and fishes the same August–February season.

It sits over the weed beds in Cockburn Sound that hold calamari year-round, and the permanent lighting concentrates them after dark. The combination of structure, weed and lighting makes it the most consistent land-based squid spot in metro Perth.

Cast slightly outside the pylon line and retrieve back across the weed rather than straight up the structure. When you do snag, point the rod directly at the jig and pull steadily; jerking usually drives the jig deeper into the timber.