Crab Creek (Man-galagun, Roebuck Bay north shore)

Crab Creek — Man-galagun to the Yawuru — sits on the mangrove-lined north shore of Roebuck Bay near the end of Crab Creek Road, and on the run-in it is threadfin water, with barramundi, queenfish and trevally working the shore as the tide floods. With Dampier Creek, it is one of the bay's key recreational and customary fishing areas. It is also where Roebuck Bay's mudflats and Broome's crocodiles are at their least forgiving — in 2018 two fishermen whose dinghy sank were winched off the mud here, chest-deep and 700 metres from shore. Come with a 4WD and a rising tide, fish from the shore while the water is in, and never follow it out onto the mud.

Fish the run-in from the shoreline and the small rocky points along Crab Creek Road: as the tide floods the flats, threadfin, barramundi, queenfish and trevally move in along the edge. Work hard-bodied lures and vibes through the bends and the mouths of the small feeder creeks for threadfin, or cast a prawn or mullet strip slowly to salmon you can see in the shallows. Mud crabs come from the mangrove creeks. Hooking them out of mangrove burrows puts you knee-deep in crocodile water, so drop nets lowered from firm ground are the lowest-risk way to take them — set and lift each net quickly and stand well back from the edge in between. When the water starts to leave, stop — Roebuck Bay's flats run out a kilometre or more here and up to 13km in places, and the mud between you and the water is the trap.

Threadfin are the headline — king (giant) and blue threadfin both work the bay's creeks and channels, and Crab Creek is one of the spots that holds them. Barramundi, tripletail and black jewfish come from the same creeks, and queenfish and trevally hunt the shore on the flood. Green mud crabs must be 150mm across the carapace and brown 120mm, with a combined daily bag of 5 and berried crabs totally protected; barramundi must be 550–800mm, bag 2, landed whole, king threadfin 450mm, bag 2, and blue threadfin no minimum size, bag 4. Sawfish live in Roebuck Bay and are totally protected — release one immediately, in the water.

Get there an hour or two before the top of the tide and work the small rocky points as the water floods in; once it turns, pack up. East of Dampier Creek, the shore toward Fall Point is the Kunin special purpose zone (cultural heritage): fishing is allowed, but visitors are asked to respect Yawuru people's privacy when cultural activities are under way, and some tracks off the road are restricted to authorised vehicles. The marine park plan rules out vehicle access and boat launching at Man-galagun itself, so launch at the Gurlbinwila (Dog Rock) beach ramp at high tide instead, with a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence. Vehicles and dogs are only allowed in designated areas of the marine park, and the bay's northern shores are prime shorebird feeding and resting ground, where disturbing the birds can carry heavy penalties. A cast net for bait needs a Recreational Net Fishing Licence.

Crab Creek Road runs east of town as an unsealed dirt track along the north shore of Roebuck Bay; DBCA says a four-wheel drive is required for the Crab Creek precinct, and access is limited in the wet season — the Shire of Broome lists Crab Creek Road on its unsealed-road condition report, which shows whether it is open, so check it before driving out. The track passes the Broome Bird Observatory and ends at a small car park above the bay; the vehicle tracks beyond the end of the formed road toward the creek were cut by drivers chasing closer access, and vehicle access there is not permitted. There are no facilities at the creek and no camping in the Yawuru parks; the Bird Observatory, which offers accommodation and camping, is the nearest bed. The ground is rough pindan and soft mud, so the spot is not mobility-friendly, and the mud and crocodiles make it a poor choice for small children.

This is the inside of Roebuck Bay: flat, muddy, mangrove-fringed and run by spring tides of up to 9–10 metres that drain the northern flats a long way and refill them fast. The shore fishes from the run-in to the top of the tide and goes dead once the water leaves the edge. The north shore faces south across the bay, away from the open ocean, so the tide matters more than the wind here. The dry season, May to October, is when the track is dependable; the wet brings heat, storms, cyclone risk and limited access.

Crab Creek lies east of Fall Point, outside Broome's crocodile control zone, so crocodiles here are not part of the town's monitor-and-remove program. Never walk out onto the flats — the two men stuck chest-deep here in November 2018 only got out by helicopter winch as the tide turned and the light went. Don't wade, and don't stand at the edge to land or clean fish. Irukandji and box jellyfish are mostly reported from November to June with cases in every month, and the heat can pass 40°C, so carry at least a litre of water per person per hour. Help is a long way off on a 4WD-only track, so tell someone your plan before you go.

Yes. DBCA says a four-wheel drive is required for the Crab Creek precinct, which is reached on dirt tracks off Crab Creek Road past the Broome Bird Observatory, and access is limited in the wet season. Stay on the formed road: vehicle access beyond it toward the creek is not permitted under the marine park plan.

Yes. Crab Creek is east of Fall Point, outside Broome's crocodile control zone, so crocs here are not monitored and removed the way they are off the town beaches. Mud and crocodiles together are the danger here: in 2018 two men stuck chest-deep on the flats had to be winched out by helicopter. Don't wade, don't fish or clean fish at the water's edge, and never walk out onto the flats.

Green mud crabs must be at least 150mm across the carapace and brown mud crabs 120mm, with a combined daily bag of 5 and a boat limit of 10 when at least two licensed fishers are aboard. Berried crabs are totally protected. You can take crabs by hand, blunt wire hook, drop net no wider than 1.5m, up to 10 per person or 10 per boat however many are aboard, or rigid scoop net; traps and pots are illegal. Crabbing from a powered boat needs a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence.

Not at the creek itself — the marine park plan bars vehicle access and boat launching at Man-galagun. Launch at the nearby Gurlbinwila (Dog Rock) beach ramp at high tide instead, or from the Entrance Point or Town Beach ramps in town. Fishing from a powered boat needs a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence.