Hillarys Boat Harbour

Hillarys is the biggest marina in Perth's northern suburbs, and the breakwater walls create a huge amount of fishable structure. When the Freo Doctor blows out the open coast in the arvo, Hillarys stays protected. The channel entrance funnels water and bait on the tide, and the rock walls hold squid, herring, and skippy year-round. It's also a rare metro spot where summer kingfish push through the entrance on warm-water days.

Fish the breakwater walls and channel edges, casting parallel to the rocks rather than straight out. The entrance is the prime zone — current concentrates here on tide changes and fish stack up. Squid jigs work well along the walls after dark, particularly under the parking-lot lights that spill onto the water. For herring, float a light rig along the pylons; for tailor and the occasional kingfish, work metals across the entrance bowl on dusk. The north wall is the calmest, most sheltered stretch — it's the pick for families and for bream and whiting fished light over the sand patches, with easy footing and room for kids.

Herring, skippy, squid (good numbers along the walls at night), tailor around the entrance, and bream tucked in along the rock edges. Garfish in the calmer corners. King George and sand whiting come over the cleaner sand patches, best on light gear off the north wall. Yellowtail kingfish push through the entrance on hot summer days but are inconsistent.

Busy public area with restaurants and foot traffic — be mindful of pedestrians and keep casts away from walkways. Light gear and finesse presentations work best in the clear, calm water inside the harbour. The boardwalks right alongside the outdoor dining are signed no-fishing and waitstaff will move you on, but the north wall, the rock walls and the jetty stretches away from the restaurants are all fair game.

Multiple car parks across the marina precinct; the closest to the productive walls are at Sorrento Quay and the boat ramp. Sealed paths run along most of the foreshore — among the more mobility-friendly options on this list. Public toilets, cafes, restaurants and a tackle shop are within a 5-minute walk of any productive spot. Lighting is excellent across the precinct, so evening sessions don't strictly need a head torch. The car parks fill fast on weekends; arrive early or pick a weekday.

The breakwater faces W to NW so it shelters the harbour from the prevailing afternoon SW seabreeze. Inside the harbour the water stays fishable in almost any wind. The entrance bowl gets choppy with strong NW or N winds and on big swell when sets push past the outer wall. Tide changes pull water through the channel and that's when the squid, tailor and kingfish sessions fire. Water clarity is generally good outside the days following a winter storm.

Slippery rocks on the breakwater after rain or in the early morning dew; grippy footwear matters. Boat traffic in and out of the channel is constant during the day — keep lines clear of the navigation channel. Pedestrians, cyclists and prams move close to the walls along the foreshore path; back-cast carefully. Bluebottles drift in during summer northerlies.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.