Hangover Bay (Nambung National Park)

Hangover Bay is the photogenic one — a white-sand crescent tucked inside Nambung National Park, twenty minutes south of Cervantes off Indian Ocean Drive. It is a Jurien Bay Marine Park swimming and snorkelling beach first and a fishing spot second, but the two coexist if you pick your moment. The bay is partly sheltered from the southerly, the shallows drop into blue holes over patchy reef, and a beach launch lets small boats slip out to the inshore lumps. Herring, tailor and whiting come off the sand, skippy hold on the reef edges, and the autumn salmon schools push through the gutters. Most people come for the dolphins and the Pinnacles — you can come for the fish.

Fish the edges of the day. Herring and skippy take small baits and metal slices over the reef patches and blue holes, best at dawn and dusk before the swimmers arrive. Tailor and the autumn salmon schools want ganged mulies or larger metals cast into the deeper gutters at first and last light. Whiting come off the clean sand on the rising tide with bloodworm, prawn or small surf poppers. The bay turns over after dark — that is when to soak a big bait in a gutter for a mulloway, and when you have the place to yourself. Beach-launched tinnies run the inshore reef in a settled forecast — but this is the West Coast Bioregion, where boat-based demersal fishing is in recovery closure to September 2027, so pink snapper, dhufish and the rest of the demersals must not be targeted by boat at all, not even catch-and-release; samson fish and the pelagics are the keepers from a boat. Land-based take of pink snapper and dhufish off the beach and rocks stays open year-round (bag 2) outside spawning closures. Verify current rules with DPIRD before targeting any demersal.

Australian herring, tailor, sand and yellowfin whiting off the beach; skippy on the reef edges; autumn salmon through the gutters; a chance at mulloway after dark, with samson fish for beach-launched boats offshore — but boat-based demersal (pink snapper, dhufish) must not be targeted at all while the West Coast closure runs to September 2027, though land-based take off the beach and rocks stays open (bag 2).

The reef and rock margins take real Indian Ocean swell — never turn your back on the water and stay off wet rock on a building sea. This is a popular swimming, snorkelling and dive beach, so keep casts and rigs well clear of other users and fish the quiet ends or the edges of the day. Mind the beach launch in any wind chop.

From the beach you will find Australian herring, tailor, sand and yellowfin whiting, skippy (silver trevally) over the reef patches, and the autumn salmon schools that run the gutters. There is a chance at a mulloway after dark. Boats launched off the sand reach inshore reef holding samson fish and pelagics in settled weather — note that this is the West Coast Bioregion, so boat-based demersal fishing is in recovery closure to September 2027 and pink snapper, dhufish and other demersals must not be targeted by boat at all, not even catch-and-release. Land-based take of pink snapper and dhufish off the beach and rocks continues year-round (bag 2) outside spawning closures. Check current DPIRD rules before targeting any demersal.

Both, if you time it right. It is primarily a Jurien Bay Marine Park swimming and snorkelling beach and gets busy with families and divers through the middle of the day. Fish the quieter ends and the edges of the day — dawn, dusk and after dark — and keep well clear of swimmers. Early and late is when the bay fishes best anyway.

Locals beach-launch small tinnies off the sand to reach the inshore reef for samson fish and pelagics, but boat-based demersal (pink snapper, dhufish) cannot be targeted at all while the West Coast boat-based demersal closure runs to September 2027 — not even catch-and-release; land-based take off the beach and rocks stays open year-round (bag 2). It is a soft-sand, swell-exposed launch with no ramp, so pick a settled forecast and a light wind, and only attempt it if your rig and your skills are up to a beach launch. Larger trailer boats are better off launching from Cervantes or Jurien Bay.