How do you get to the Fortescue River mouth?

Turn off the North West Coastal Highway onto Fortescue River Road and follow it about 23km to the river, around 100km and two hours from Karratha. The City of Karratha listed the road open to all vehicles at its 31 July 2026 update, but a small creek crossing floods on spring tides, so take a 4WD. Check the City's road-condition page after rain.

Can you camp at the Fortescue River mouth?

It is not one of the City of Karratha's designated camp grounds. The City allows coastal camping only at Cleaverville and 40 Mile (Gnoorea Point), plus caravan parks, and issues on-the-spot $100 fines for camping elsewhere. Ask City Ranger Services on (08) 9186 8555 before staying overnight, or base yourself at 40 Mile, about 57km away.

What can you catch at the Fortescue River mouth?

Mangrove jack, threadfin and black jewfish are the mainstays, with trevally, queenfish and flathead around the shallow mouth and the occasional barramundi up the pools in the warmer months. The deep hole near the launch suits a floated live bait for jewfish, and the tide-isolated pools upstream suit hardbodies for jack.

Do you need station permission to fish the Fortescue River mouth?

Not to reach the mouth on the public road. The land at the mouth is unallocated Crown land and a public-purpose reserve, subject to native title, and Fortescue River Road is a City road rather than a station track. Stay on the formed road: the mainland beside the river is covered by mining tenements around CITIC Pacific's Sino Iron operation, whose site roads are private, and the Mardie pastoral lease adjoins this coast. Respect any signage from the City, the mine or Traditional Owners.

Are there crocodiles at the Fortescue River?

Treat it as croc country. The Department of Transport warns that saltwater crocodiles inhabit Pilbara coastal waterways, and Parks and Wildlife confirmed more sightings on the Pilbara coast in 2024 than in the previous decade combined. Don't wade the river or the mangroves, keep back from undercut banks, and clean fish well away from the water.

Bite Compass

Bite Forecast

Fortescue River Mouth (Mardie / Fortescue River Road)

Thu 29 Oct 2026 · Australia/Perth

Forecast updated 4:38pm AWST

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29 Oct

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Today Tomorrow Sat 7 Nov

📍 Fortescue River Mouth (Mardie / Fortescue River Road)

waning gibbous · 90%

Weather: Sunny Wind: W 286° · 18 km/h Swell: flat Water: 24.9 °C Pressure: 1015.0 hPa ↓ falling Faces north · Offshore: SE, S, SW · Onshore: NW, N, NE · Forecast wind: onshore

★★★☆☆

Medium Fish Activity

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▸ Why this score?

At the day's peak · 6:30 pm

Solunar Between windows

Time of day Dusk

Tide Moving

Wind W 20 km/h

Moon waning gibbous all day

Water temp 24.9 °C all day

Learn how the score works →

Activity Forecast

Day Timeline

Major Minor Tide Twilight

First light 5:12 am Last light 6:47 pm

Low 6:38 am High 12:38 pm Low 6:35 pm

Drag or use arrow keys to explore

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

6:00 pm → 8:00 pm

Good

4:30 am → 8:00 am

3h 30m

Good

2:00 am → 3:30 am

1h 30m

First light

5:12 am

Last light

6:47 pm

Sunrise

5:34 am

Sunset

6:24 pm

Moonrise

9:59 pm

Moonset

7:46 am

Low tide

6:38 am

High tide

12:38 pm

Low tide

6:35 pm

Hourly Wind

High Bite Hours Highlighted

12am

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21°

←︎

255°

13 km/h

1am

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21°

←︎

249°

12 km/h

2am

☀️

20°

↙︎

232°

10 km/h

3am

☀️

19°

↙︎

219°

10 km/h

4am

☀️

19°

↓︎

199°

10 km/h

5am

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18°

↓︎

191°

10 km/h

6am

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18°

↓︎

197°

11 km/h

7am

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20°

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204°

11 km/h

8am

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23°

↙︎

211°

11 km/h

9am

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25°

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234°

10 km/h

10am

☀️

27°

←︎

255°

11 km/h

11am

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28°

←︎

276°

13 km/h

12pm

☀️

27°

←︎

286°

18 km/h

1pm

☀️

27°

←︎

288°

22 km/h

2pm

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28°

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282°

23 km/h

3pm

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27°

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280°

23 km/h

4pm

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26°

←︎

277°

23 km/h

5pm

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25°

←︎

273°

21 km/h

6pm

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23°

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271°

20 km/h

7pm

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22°

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266°

17 km/h

8pm

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22°

←︎

264°

16 km/h

9pm

☀️

22°

←︎

260°

15 km/h

10pm

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22°

←︎

257°

16 km/h

11pm

☀️

21°

←︎

251°

16 km/h

Hourly Swell

Flat all day

12am

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6am

Calm

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1pm

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2pm

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3pm

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6pm

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11pm

Calm

Wind Map

Wind data (text)

Now: 18 km/h W (286°).

Wind map data: ECMWF HRES (operational), updated every 6 hours. Not for navigation.

Open in the full fishing map →

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

6:00 pm → 8:00 pm

Good

4:30 am → 8:00 am

3h 30m

Good

2:00 am → 3:30 am

1h 30m

First light

5:12 am

Last light

6:47 pm

Sunrise

5:34 am

Sunset

6:24 pm

Moonrise

9:59 pm

Moonset

7:46 am

Low tide

6:38 am

High tide

12:38 pm

Low tide

6:35 pm

Nearby Spots

Forty Mile Beach (Gnoorea Point / 40 Mile camp) 31.8 km

Species at This Spot

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