Where do you launch a boat at Karratha?

The Karratha boat ramp on Nickol Bay is the main sealed launch, with parking, giving access to the Nickol River mouth and the inshore creeks. Part of Hearson's Cove on the Burrup is closed to motorised vessels, so the Burrup's beach launch is Withnell Bay on the western side, and Cleaverville to the north-east has a creek ramp. Time launch and retrieval to the tide — the Karratha ramp needs at least 2.4 metres of tide for most boats, and the four-to-five-metre range strands boats on the mud at the bottom of a big low.

What can you catch at Hearson's Cove?

Hearson's Cove is a sheltered, family-friendly beach more than a fishing hotspot — it fishes lightly for queenfish and small trevally on the run-in across the flats. The better fishing is by boat in Airport Creek, which holds threadfin and mangrove jack, and in the Nickol River and Cleaverville creeks nearby. Wear reef shoes for stonefish and stingrays on the flats.

Is the fishing at Karratha different to Dampier?

Yes — Karratha is the inshore, land-based and small-boat side: Nickol Bay, the town creeks and Hearson's Cove, with threadfin, queenfish, mangrove jack and flathead on the tide. Dampier, 20 minutes west at Hampton Harbour, is the gateway to the Dampier Archipelago and the offshore reef fishery for emperor, coral trout and mackerel. Many anglers base in Karratha and fish both.

Are there crocodiles around Karratha?

Occasionally. Saltwater crocodile sightings are recorded across the Pilbara, including the Karratha creeks and Nickol River, and the resident population is slowly expanding. Numbers are far lower than Broome, but the mangrove creeks and tidal water should be treated as potential croc habitat — don't wade the creek edges and don't clean fish at the water's edge. Check City of Karratha and DBCA alerts before fishing.

Bite Compass

Bite Forecast

Karratha (Nickol Bay / Hearson's Cove)

Wed 04 Nov 2026 · Australia/Perth

Forecast updated 2:00am AWST

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📍 Karratha (Nickol Bay / Hearson's Cove)

last quarter · 33%

Weather: Sunny Wind: SW 237° · 12 km/h Swell: flat Water: 26.3 °C Pressure: 1011.9 hPa Faces east · Offshore: SW, W, NW · Onshore: NE, E, SE · Forecast wind: offshore

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High Fish Activity

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At the day's peak · 7:00 pm

Solunar Major window

Time of day Dusk

Tide Moving

Wind W 17 km/h

Moon last quarter all day

Water temp 26.3 °C all day

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Activity Forecast

Now

Day Timeline

Major Minor Tide Twilight

First light 5:06 am Last light 6:47 pm

High 5:50 am Low 12:20 pm High 7:25 pm

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Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

6:00 pm → 9:00 pm

Good

4:30 am → 9:00 am

4h 30m

Good

12:00 pm → 2:00 pm

Good

2:00 am → 2:30 am

30m

First light

5:06 am

Last light

6:47 pm

Sunrise

5:28 am

Sunset

6:24 pm

Moonrise

2:03 am

Moonset

2:00 pm

High tide

5:50 am

Low tide

12:20 pm

High tide

7:25 pm

Hourly Wind

High Bite Hours Highlighted

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237°

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Hourly Swell

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Water Temp (°C)

↗ warming — up 0.6° over the last 3 days

Sun

1 Nov

25.7°

Mon

2 Nov

25.8°

Tue

3 Nov

25.9°

Wed

4 Nov

26.3°

Thu

5 Nov

26.5°

Fri

6 Nov

26.9°

Sat

7 Nov

27.2°

Sun

8 Nov

27.6°

Mon

9 Nov

27.8°

Tue

10 Nov

27.8°

Wind Map

Wind data (text)

Now: 12 km/h SW (237°).

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

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Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

6:00 pm → 9:00 pm

Good

4:30 am → 9:00 am

4h 30m

Good

12:00 pm → 2:00 pm

Good

2:00 am → 2:30 am

30m

First light

5:06 am

Last light

6:47 pm

Sunrise

5:28 am

Sunset

6:24 pm

Moonrise

2:03 am

Moonset

2:00 pm

High tide

5:50 am

Low tide

12:20 pm

High tide

7:25 pm

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