Ivanhoe Crossing (Ord River causeway)

Ivanhoe Crossing is land-based barramundi fishing from the bank where the Ord River pours over and through a 540-metre concrete causeway, about 10–12km north of Kununurra. Since the Ord irrigation scheme the river runs all year, so water spills across the concrete and through its culverts every day, and the barra sit in the fast water and the seams below it. It is one of the East Kimberley's most popular fishing spots, and it keeps producing good numbers of barra in a range of sizes despite the pressure. It is also a place where people have drowned and saltwater crocodiles live, which is why the fishing is done from the bank.

Cast shallow hardbodies and paddle-tail soft plastics into the fast water below the causeway and along the snags and rock bars either side, from the bank and well back from the edge. Work the seams where fast water off the concrete meets slower water, where barra wait for bait to be washed past. Expect to lose lures to the rock and timber under the water. Guided boat trips from Kununurra open up more of the lower Ord, and any boat should keep well clear of the causeway, where water is drawn through the culverts.

Barramundi are the reason to come, from plenty of small fish to the occasional big one. Barra must measure 550–800mm, with a daily bag of 2, so a fair share of what comes off the bank goes back. In rivers they must be carried and landed whole, and away from home the possession limit is 2 whole fish or 4 fillets. Bycatch varies with the water level; ask at a Kununurra tackle shop what has been biting. No licence is needed to line-fish from the shore here, because the freshwater angling licence only applies south of 29°S, but a throw net needs a Recreational Net Fishing Licence.

Fish from the bank at the Kununurra end — the barra fishing doesn't need the crossing open. Check the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley road condition report before going: the causeway closes to vehicles in the wet and whenever releases lift the water above a safe crossing depth, and the Shire has put barriers across both ends when it does. Release undersize and oversize barra quickly with a lip-grip or net, and keep hands out of the water while doing it. Camp in town, not by the river.

The fishing bank is at the Kununurra end of the causeway, about 10–12km north of town on Ivanhoe Road, and a 2WD gets there; driving across the causeway takes a 4WD and only happens when the Shire has it open. The Shire's safe limit for traffic is 300mm of water over the concrete, with a 15-tonne load limit. Plan on no toilets, water or shade at the crossing, and stock up in Kununurra, which has fuel, supermarkets and tackle shops. The bank is uneven rock and dirt beside fast water, so this is not a spot for small children or anyone unsteady on their feet — keep kids well back from the water.

This is a river fishery run by dam releases and the wet season, not by tides — the flow over the causeway sets where the barra sit and how fishable the bank is. Water runs over the concrete all year; in the dry it is often, but not always, low enough for the Shire to open the crossing to traffic, and in the wet the river rises, the crossing closes and the flow becomes dangerous. Releases and rain lift and colour the water quickly. The dry season is the comfortable window, with average maximums of about 31–33 degrees from May to August; by September and October they average 37–39 degrees, and the build-up stays that hot into the wet.

Fish from the bank, well back from the water: saltwater crocodiles live at Ivanhoe Crossing, DBCA signs there warn against entering the water, swimming, approaching the water, cleaning fish or camping near it, and croc numbers in the area are rising. The causeway is drowning country too — water runs over it all year, the concrete gets slippery, and the Shire's 2016 measurements put about two-thirds of the dry-season flow through its culverts, which can trap a person. A six-year-old girl drowned here in 2016, two boys were swept through the drain pipes the same year and pulled out alive, and a woman drowned in 2021. Don't walk onto the causeway at all, never wade, and never drive past the Shire's barriers. The heat is severe for much of the year, so carry water.

Yes — it is one of Kununurra's most popular barramundi spots, and in 2021 the Shire said it had no plans to fence off public access. Fish from the bank, well back from the water, rather than standing on the causeway. No licence is needed to line-fish from the shore in the Kimberley, and barramundi must be 550–800mm with a daily bag of 2.

It depends on the water. The causeway closes to vehicles through the wet season and whenever dam releases push the flow above a safe crossing depth, and the Shire puts barriers across both ends when it does. Check the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley road condition report or the Kununurra Visitor Centre before relying on it as a route. A 2WD can reach the river; crossing it needs a 4WD.

Yes. Large saltwater crocodiles live around the crossing, and DBCA signs there warn against swimming, entering or approaching the water, cleaning fish or camping near it. Don't wade, don't swim and don't clean fish at the water's edge.

Water runs over the concrete all year and the surface gets slippery, and most of the dry-season flow is drawn through its culverts, which can trap a person. A six-year-old girl drowned there in 2016 and a woman in 2021, and two boys were swept through the pipes in 2016 and rescued. Add saltwater crocodiles and the rule is simple: never walk onto the causeway, and never enter the water.

About 10–12km north of town along Ivanhoe Road — a short drive in a 2WD to the river. Driving across the causeway needs a 4WD and only happens when the Shire has it open.