Jurien Bay (Jetty & Marina Walls)

Jurien Bay is the north's answer to Busselton — a small coastal town built around a marine park, with a jetty that produces pink snapper off the end, marina walls that hold squid and tailor, and beaches that fire in autumn for salmon. The Marine Park status protects the good inshore reef and seagrass while leaving plenty of legal water to fish. Pink snapper are genuinely a land-based possibility here, which is rare anywhere south of Geraldton.

Fish the new jetty at dawn, dusk and after dark. Light baits and jigs at the inshore end for herring, skippy, whiting and tarwhine; heavier gear further out with whole mulies, mullet strips or bigger soft plastics for pink snapper, mulloway, samson and summer kingfish. Work squid jigs along the marina walls under the lights at night. The beaches either side of town fire in autumn for tailor and salmon schools — metal slugs and poppers retrieved through the wash.

Pink snapper (the headline — jetty, marina walls and bay-wide), mulloway and samson fish (jetty end), tailor and salmon (autumn beach runs), herring, skippy, whiting, squid and tarwhine (bread and butter), flathead on sand edges, and summer visitors: yellowtail kingfish and the odd Spanish mackerel just behind the reef.

Last fuel stop from Perth is Lancelin if you're coming straight up. Don't fish from the dolphin-watching boardwalks in the marina; signed and enforced. The new jetty fishes shoulder-to-shoulder on calm spring evenings — be respectful of lines.

Multiple sealed car parks at the new jetty, marina precinct and town foreshore. The new jetty is sealed and railed, mobility-friendly along its length — among the better destination jetties for accessibility. Public toilets, cafes, restaurants, supermarket, fuel and a tackle shop in town. Lighting on the jetty and marina is solid; head torches help with rigging. Caravan parks and accommodation in town. Drive from Perth is 2.5–3 hours; last fuel stop is Lancelin if heading straight up.

West-facing position with extensive offshore reef structure protected as marine park. The bay shelters the marina and beaches from worst SW swell. The new jetty extends well into deeper water; fishes through most weather. Off-shore easterly holds the surface clean for the morning window; afternoon onshore breezes blow up most days. The Leeuwin Current pushes warmer water through in summer, occasionally bringing tropical species. Water clarity is excellent year-round in the marine park; reduces only in winter storm aftermath.

Jurien Bay Marine Park has several no-take sanctuary zones — east of Boullanger Island, the shallow reef/seagrass between North Head and Sandy Point, and towards North Head from Sandy Point. Check the DBCA Marine Park Visitor Guide before casting anywhere near them. Boat-based recreational demersal fishing in the West Coast Bioregion is closed until spring 2027; from the jetty and rocks the fishery stays open on a 2-fish mixed demersal bag, with land-based spearfishing for dhufish the one exception. Big swell makes outer rock platforms unsafe. Bluebottles drift in during summer northerlies. Sharks transit the area but have not historically affected fishing safety.

Yes — Jurien Bay is one of the few places in WA where land-based pink snapper is a genuine target rather than a rare bycatch, and it stayed open when boat-based demersal fishing in the West Coast Bioregion closed until spring 2027. Shore anglers keep a 2-fish mixed demersal bag. Fish the deeper end of the new jetty with whole fresh squid or large bait fillets on heavy gear.

Boat-based recreational demersal fishing in the West Coast Bioregion — Kalbarri to Augusta — is closed until spring 2027, replacing the old mid-Oct to mid-Dec annual closure. It applies to boats and kayaks only. Land-based fishers can take demersals year-round on a 2-fish mixed bag, outside spawning closures like Cockburn Sound snapper; land-based spearfishing for dhufish is not permitted.

East of Boullanger Island, the shallow reef/seagrass between North Head and Sandy Point, and towards North Head from Sandy Point. Check the DBCA Jurien Bay Marine Park Visitor Guide before casting anywhere near these zones — they're no-take and clearly marked.

About 2.5–3 hours up the Indian Ocean Drive. Last reliable fuel is Lancelin if heading straight up. Caravan parks and accommodation in town make weekend trips practical; the marine park rewards multi-day visits.