Finucane Island (West Creek boat ramp)

Fish West Creek on the moving tide from the beach beside the Finucane Island ramp — threadfin are the land-based target here. It is the Town's public boat ramp at the western end of Finucane Island, with BHP's stockyards and berths between it and town, and since the Richardson Street ramp closed to the public in 2024 it is one of Port Hedland's two dedicated ramps, alongside Spoilbank. The ramp is a popular fishing spot in its own right, and by boat it opens up the mangrove creeks west of the port. The Town added a 100-metre rock groyne beside it in 2021 to deflect the tidal current that sweeps across the ramp, which says most of what needs saying about the water.

From the beach beside the ramp, work a float-rigged strip of mullet or a soft plastic through the current for threadfin, starting as the water begins to move rather than at slack. Keep lines and people well clear of the ramp lanes, because on a big tide every launch and retrieval squeezes into the same short window. The creek in front of the ramp is also a marked water-ski area, skied in an anticlockwise circuit when the tide allows, so watch for ski boats and never cast across their path. By boat, the mangrove creeks west of the port hold jack and threadfin. Anything heading east towards the harbour crosses the approaches to a working iron-ore port, where skippers must keep clear of commercial ships.

Threadfin are the land-based target, and the name covers two fish with different rules. King threadfin are 450mm minimum and two a day, while blue salmon — blue threadfin — have no minimum size and a bag of four. Mangrove jack work the snags and mangrove edges of the creek system and are 300mm minimum and two a day.

Launch and retrieve on the upper half of the tide — the Department of Transport warns that Port Hedland's big tides make some ramps unusable at certain times, so check the tide chart before every trip. Stay on the Finucane Island Access Road and Boat Ramp Road; the rest of the island is BHP's operation behind private roads and gates. Pick up Pilbara Ports' Port Hedland recreational vessel safety brochure before launching, because fishing in the port's waterside restricted zones is prohibited and straying into one can cost up to $8,500. Vessel Traffic Services listens on VHF channel 16, and the harbour will give the current tide height on request.

Drive in via Utah Point Road and the Finucane Island Access Road, then west along Boat Ramp Road to the ramp — the island sits about 4 km west of the West End across the harbour but is a long way round by road. The ramp area has parking, a shelter with a picnic table, an information board and toilets. The Town's upgrade programme for the site lists a walkway, lighting, CCTV and disability access ramps, so check with the Town which stages are finished before counting on step-free access to the water. Children can fish from the beach beside the ramp under close supervision and well back from the water's edge, but this is a working ramp on a fast tidal creek, beside a marked water-ski area and where a crocodile was reported in 2018, not a picnic spot — Spoilbank is the better pick with kids.

Fish the run-in and run-out — slack water is quiet, and the bottom of a spring low leaves a great deal of mud between the ramp and the channel. West Creek runs on a tide of around six metres on the springs and more than seven on the biggest, with a strong current across the ramp. Pilbara tidal streams can run at about 1.5 knots, which matters for fuel and drift as much as for the fishing. The dry season, about May to September, is the settled boating window, and the November-to-April cyclone season brings heat and storms.

Keep back from the edge and do not clean fish on the ramp: in November 2018 the Town of Port Hedland warned residents after a 2-metre crocodile was spotted, though not confirmed, here. The tide is the daily risk — springs of around six metres, more than seven on the biggest, and a strong cross-current make launching and retrieving the dangerous part of the day, and getting stranded on the mud at low water is easy. Out on the water, keep well clear of commercial ships, because a ship's blind spot can extend for hundreds of metres, and never anchor in a shipping channel. Stonefish turn up in Port Hedland's tidal pools — the Town warns about them at Pretty Pool — so wear solid footwear. Carry plenty of water, too: the ramp is a long drive round from town.

Yes. It is a Town of Port Hedland public ramp, and it stayed open to the public even while the Town built its groyne in 2021. With Richardson Street closed, the Town counts two dedicated boat ramps in Port Hedland — this one and Spoilbank Marina. Check the Town's news page for works closures before towing out.

Yes. Fish West Creek for threadfin from the beach beside the ramp on the moving tide, and keep clear of boats using the ramp. Stay on the public access roads, because the rest of the island is BHP's operation behind private roads and gates.

No. Pilbara Ports permanently closed the Richardson Street ramp to the public on 31 May 2024, because the ramp had deteriorated and sits within the main shipping channel. Use the four-lane Spoilbank Marina ramp, which the Town lists as open around the clock, or the Finucane Island ramp on West Creek.

The Department of Transport's Port Hedland guide says to keep clear of large commercial vessels at all times and to cross channels only when it is safe. Anchoring in shipping channels is illegal, fishing in the port's waterside restricted zones is prohibited, and unauthorised entry into a restricted zone can bring a penalty of up to $8,500. If unsure, call the Vessel Traffic Services Centre on VHF channel 16, and carry a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence for any fishing from a powered boat.