Cervantes (Jetty / Hangover Bay / Thirsty Point)

Cervantes is the closest town to the Pinnacles and the working hub of WA's western rock-lobster fleet — a small coastal settlement built around the jetty, the marina and the long sand beaches that run north and south of Thirsty Point. Hangover Bay, twelve minutes south inside Nambung National Park, is the standout open-beach option. The Lobster Shack is the local landmark; the public jetty fishes; and the bread-and-butter mix is what you'd expect halfway between Lancelin and Jurien Bay.

Cervantes jetty: light baits and prawn rigs for herring, skippy, garfish and whiting through the day; squid jigs along the lit sections after dark; heavier gear with mulies, mullet strips or soft plastics off the deeper end for tailor, mulloway, samson and the odd cooler-months pink snapper. Hangover Bay: classic beach spin — metal slugs for tailor and salmon, paternoster baits for whiting and herring, fresh mullet or tailor strips in the gutters at night for mulloway. Thirsty Point: rock spin and spinning between the limestone outcrops for tailor, herring and skippy.

Tailor and salmon (summer through autumn — beach and jetty), herring, skippy, sand whiting, tarwhine and garfish (year-round bread-and-butter), squid around the marina and jetty under lights at night, mulloway in the deeper gutters and off the jetty, plus jetty ambition targets: pink snapper, samson fish.

The Cervantes jetty is a working fishing-port jetty; respect commercial vessel movement and don't cast across moored boats. Hangover Bay parking fills on long weekends; arrive early. No dogs on Hangover Bay. Last reliable fuel south of town is Lancelin if heading back to Perth.

Sealed Indian Ocean Drive from Perth (around 2 hours) into Cervantes townsite. The public jetty has a sealed approach, low-level landing and ramped pedestrian access — among the better mid-coast jetties for mobility. Sealed car parks at the marina, the foreshore and Thirsty Point. Hangover Bay is a sealed turnoff inside Nambung National Park (national park entry fee applies) with toilets, barbecues and a short sand walk to the beach. Cafes, fuel, a small supermarket and accommodation in town; the Lobster Shack is the local landmark. Closest tackle is in Jurien Bay or Lancelin.

West-facing position with offshore reef and a string of low islands breaking the worst incoming swell; the Cervantes jetty fishes in conditions that close down more exposed beaches further south. Easterly mornings are calmest. Strong southerly afternoon sea breezes blow most days through summer. Hangover Bay sits inside a partially sheltered embayment and fishes through more weather than the open beaches. Water clarity is excellent year-round; reduces only in winter storm aftermath.

Cervantes jetty is a working commercial port; watch for vessel movement and don't cast across the cray-boat moorings. Big swells make the Thirsty Point rocks unsafe; grippy footwear, watch sets, don't fish alone at night. West Coast Bioregion demersal closures apply to land-based pink snapper; verify before targeting. Hangover Bay sits inside Nambung National Park — entry fee applies and dogs are not permitted. Bluebottles drift in during summer northerlies. Sharks transit the area but have not historically affected fishing safety.

Yes — the new public jetty has ramped pedestrian access and fishes for the standard mid-coast mix: herring, skippy, garfish, whiting, squid and tailor, with mulloway and the occasional pink snapper or samson off the deeper end. It's a working fishing-port jetty, so respect commercial vessel movement and keep clear of moored cray boats.

Yes, especially for tailor at dawn or dusk and for mulloway in the gutters at night. It's twelve minutes south of Cervantes inside Nambung National Park (entry fee applies), partially sheltered from southerly winds, and quiet on weekdays. No dogs, but barbecues and toilets are on site.

Boat-based recreational demersal fishing in the West Coast Bioregion (Kalbarri to Augusta) is in extended recovery closure to September 2027. Land-based rules and species closures continue to evolve; verify with DPIRD before targeting pink snapper, dhufish or other demersals from the jetty or rocks.

About 2 hours up the Indian Ocean Drive. Last reliable fuel before Cervantes is Lancelin. Caravan parks and accommodation in town make weekend trips practical, and the Pinnacles, Lake Thetis and Hangover Bay turn it into a family-friendly destination.