Emu Point (Albany)

Emu Point is the narrow channel where Oyster Harbour empties into King George Sound, and every fish here is working the tidal flow through that gap. Bait funnels through it on every tide change, and King George whiting, garfish, squid and herring stack up in the current behind the groynes and jetty structures. It is the sheltered, family-facing half of Albany's land-based fishing — protected water, a swimming beach, a boat ramp and a café within sight of the rod holders. Anglers who want weather and consequence drive thirty-five minutes south to Salmon Holes instead.

Fish the channel edges on a running tide — that is where the current does the work for you. King George whiting come off the sand and weed margins on small baits fished close to the bottom, best on the last of the run-in. Garfish and herring sit higher in the water column and respond hard to berley: a steady trail holds a school in the channel for as long as you keep feeding it. Squid jigs worked over the weed on either side of the channel produce year-round, and the jetty lights make an evening session genuinely productive. Bream hold further back inside Oyster Harbour around structure.

King George whiting built the reputation and still carry it, feeding over the sand and weed edges through spring and summer. Southern calamari are year-round and reliable. Garfish, herring and skippy come readily to berley in the channel. Sand whiting appear over the shallow sand in summer, flathead sit on the bottom of the channel edges, and black bream hold back inside the harbour.

Berley is not optional here — garfish, herring and skippy all respond to a steady trail and will hold in the channel while it lasts. The clock matters less than the tide here — the last of the run-in and the first of the run-out push the most bait through the gap. Evening sessions under the lights work well for squid. The channel carries boat traffic in and out of Oyster Harbour, so keep casts out of the fairway and expect to wind in periodically without complaint.

Sealed car parking, a boat ramp and slipway, and barely 30m of flat ground between the bitumen and the water make this the easiest land-based access in Albany. Toilets, a café and an enclosed swimming area with its own jetty sit alongside, and the flat sealed approach means much of the fishable frontage is reachable with limited mobility. The protected channel water, the amenities and the low-consequence surroundings make it the obvious choice for fishing with children in the Albany area. Parking fills through summer holidays.

Sheltered water inside King George Sound, protected from the southerly swell that dominates the open coast — this fishes on days when Salmon Holes and the south-facing beaches are out of the question. The tide is the variable that matters: flow through the narrow channel concentrates bait and fish, and slack water is noticeably slower. Clarity is generally good and drops after heavy rain pushes tannin water out of Oyster Harbour and the Kalgan River. Wind is manageable here in most directions, which is much of the appeal in a region where it usually is not.

The channel runs a strong tidal current — it is not a place to wade across or swim outside the enclosed swimming area, and children need watching near the edge. Boat traffic through the narrow gap is constant in summer and the fairway is not a place to leave a bait sitting. Slippery growth on the ramp, groyne and jetty structures near the waterline catches people out.

King George whiting are the headline, best in spring and summer over the sand and weed edges, alongside year-round southern calamari. Garfish, herring and skippy come readily to a berley trail in the channel, and sand whiting, flathead and black bream fill out the mix. It is a light-tackle spot with a lot of variety.

It is the best option in Albany for it. Sheltered channel water, sealed parking, a short flat walk, toilets, a café and an enclosed swimming area alongside, plus a fishery that actually produces on light gear. Watch children near the edge — the channel runs a strong tidal current even though the water looks calm.

A running tide, and particularly the last of the run-in and the first of the run-out. The channel is narrow, so flow concentrates bait through the gap and fish stack up behind the structures to feed on it. Slack water is noticeably slower going.

No. Albany sits in the South Coast Bioregion, which has its own rules, and the boat-based West Coast demersal scalefish closure running to spring 2027 covers Kalbarri to Augusta only. Check current bag and size limits in the DPIRD recreational fishing guide before you go regardless.