Can you fish at Hillarys Boat Harbour any time?

Yes — public access to the breakwater walls and most of the foreshore is unrestricted. Some boardwalks adjacent to outdoor dining are signed no-fishing; stay off those and you're fine.

What's the best time for squid at Hillarys?

Late afternoon into evening from August through February. The lights along the foreshore concentrate squid after dark, especially on calm nights with a moving tide.

Is Hillarys Boat Harbour kid-friendly for fishing?

Yes — sealed paths, lighting, toilets, cafes, calm water and easy access to the walls make it one of the better family options in Perth's north. Light tackle and small hooks suit the resident herring and skippy.

Where do you fish for kingfish at Hillarys?

The entrance bowl is the spot when kingfish push through on hot summer days. They're inconsistent — fish dawn and dusk on heavy spin gear with live or fresh-dead bait, and don't expect them every session.

Do you need a fishing licence to fish at Hillarys Boat Harbour?

No — shore-based line fishing in WA doesn't need a recreational fishing licence, so the walls and jetties at Hillarys are licence-free. A Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence is only required if you're fishing from a powered boat, and separate licences cover rock lobster, abalone, marron, net and freshwater fishing. Standard size and bag limits still apply — check current DPIRD rules before you go.

Can you catch snapper at Hillarys Boat Harbour?

Pink snapper turn up from the deeper rock-wall and channel edges, but they're an incidental catch from shore here — it's mostly an offshore boat fishery. Usefully, the West Coast boat-based demersal closure that runs to spring 2027 does not apply to land-based anglers, so a snapper you land off the wall is yours to keep within the standard size and bag limits. Check current DPIRD rules before keeping one.

Bite Compass

Bite Forecast

Hillarys Boat Harbour

Wed 22 Jul 2026 · Australia/Perth

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📍 Hillarys Boat Harbour

first quarter · 50%

Weather: Sunny Wind: E 94° · 14 km/h

★★★☆☆

Medium Fish Activity

▸ Why this score?

Wind E 14 km/h — Light

Solunar Major window active

Water Temp —

Moon Phase first quarter — 50%

Learn how the score works →

Activity Forecast

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

5:30 pm → 8:00 pm

2h 30m

First light

6:46 am

Last light

6:00 pm

Sunrise

7:12 am

Sunset

5:35 pm

Moonrise

11:44 am

Moonset

12:50 am

Hourly Wind

High Bite Hours Highlighted

8am

☀️

9°

→︎

106°

12 km/h

9am

☀️

8°

→︎

100°

13 km/h

10am

☀️

8°

→︎

96°

13 km/h

11am

☀️

8°

→︎

95°

13 km/h

12pm

☀️

7°

→︎

94°

14 km/h

1pm

☀️

7°

→︎

93°

14 km/h

2pm

☀️

7°

→︎

93°

14 km/h

3pm

☀️

7°

→︎

93°

14 km/h

4pm

☀️

7°

→︎

92°

14 km/h

5pm

☀️

8°

→︎

91°

14 km/h

6pm

☀️

9°

→︎

89°

14 km/h

7pm

☁️

11°

→︎

88°

13 km/h

8pm

☁️

12°

→︎

86°

12 km/h

9pm

☁️

13°

→︎

84°

12 km/h

10pm

☁️

14°

→︎

83°

11 km/h

11pm

☁️

14°

→︎

82°

11 km/h

12am

☁️

14°

→︎

81°

11 km/h

1am

☁️

13°

→︎

81°

12 km/h

2am

☀️

12°

→︎

80°

12 km/h

3am

☀️

11°

→︎

81°

12 km/h

4am

☀️

11°

→︎

81°

12 km/h

5am

☀️

10°

→︎

82°

11 km/h

6am

☀️

10°

→︎

84°

11 km/h

7am

☀️

9°

→︎

87°

10 km/h

Wind Map

Wind data (text)

Now: 14 km/h E (94°).

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

Open in the full fishing map (beta) →

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

5:30 pm → 8:00 pm

2h 30m

First light

6:46 am

Last light

6:00 pm

Sunrise

7:12 am

Sunset

5:35 pm

Moonrise

11:44 am

Moonset

12:50 am

Nearby spots

Species at this spot

Weekly Bite Forecast

Hillarys Boat Harbour + nearby Perth spots. Thursday 6pm — top windows, conditions, what's biting.

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