Margaret River Mouth (Prevelly)

Margaret River Mouth sits at Prevelly where the river meets the Indian Ocean, with Surfers Point on the headland just north — the same Surfers Point that hosts the WSL Margaret River Pro. The lower river holds black bream year-round in brackish water above the bar, the beach and rocks either side of the mouth fish for tailor, salmon and the occasional mulloway, and the whole package fits inside a single car park. Two distinct fisheries, a famous surf break, and one of the more characterful river-mouth setups in WA.

Above the bar, the lower river is bream water — small soft plastics, hardbody minnows or prawn baits worked along the snags and rocky banks, especially around dawn and dusk. The mouth itself fishes well when the bar opens after winter rains: tailor and mulloway hold in the deeper gutter, mulies on ganged hooks at dusk into dark. The beach immediately south of the mouth (Rivermouth Beach, Prevelly Beach) takes salmon and tailor through autumn on metal slugs cast into the wash. Surfers Point and Riverlea ledges are honest rock platforms — fish them in moderate swell only.

Black bream year-round in the lower river above the bar, mulloway and tailor at the mouth and surrounding gutters with peaks at dusk and dawn, Australian salmon and tailor along the beach and rocks during the autumn migration (Mar–May), herring, skippy, snook and squid as the year-round bread-and-butter, samson fish off the rock ledges in moderate swell.

Don't dig out the sandbar. It seems harmless until the river drops a metre overnight and strands the upstream fish. The bar opens with winter rains and stays open intermittently through spring; check the state before committing to mouth fishing. Surfers Point parking fills with surfers and tourists most days — early starts are the only sane option. Buy bait and fuel in Margaret River township; Prevelly has a small store but no tackle.

Sealed access via Wallcliffe Road from the Margaret River township, with the main car park at the river mouth and Surfers Point. Public toilets at the foreshore. The river mouth itself is a short walk on sand and rock — partial mobility access, but the rocky platforms either side are not. Riverlea and the upstream bream water are accessed via Surfers Point Road and a few short walking trails. No fuel and limited shop in Prevelly; closest tackle and fuel are Margaret River township (10 minutes inland). The drive from Perth is around 3.5 hours.

Surfers Point and the river mouth face SW and take Indian Ocean swell head-on — the surf break that built the town's reputation also dictates which days are fishable from the rocks. The mouth area works best in the early morning before the seabreeze, and the bar dynamics change with rainfall and swell direction. The lower river sits brackish above the bar most of the year and fully fresh after sustained winter rain. The Leeuwin Current keeps water mild and brings the autumn salmon migration through on a tight Mar–May window. Easterlies clean the water; SW winds dirty it.

The Margaret River region has had multiple white shark incidents — including the fatal South Point attack at Gracetown in 2010, plus the non-fatal 2018 attacks at Cobblestones and Lefthanders inside Cowaramup Bay at Gracetown to the north — so this isn't shark-free water. Surfers Point and the rock platforms are exposed to full Indian Ocean swell; large sets wash low ledges without warning. Don't dig the sandbar. Ngari Capes Marine Park sanctuary zones cover parts of this coast — verify boundaries on the DBCA visitor guide before fishing unfamiliar sections. Mobile coverage at the mouth is workable but patchy in the river upstream.

The bar usually breaks with sustained winter rainfall — typically June or July through to spring — and closes again as summer flow drops. The mouth fishery for mulloway and tailor is most consistent when the bar is open and the tidal exchange is running. Check the state of the bar before committing; the lower river above a closed bar still fishes well for black bream.

Yes — the lower brackish river above the bar holds bream year-round, with the better sessions on small soft plastics, hardbody minnows or prawn baits worked along snags and rocky banks at dawn and dusk. Late summer and autumn before the bar opens are the prime months. The river fishes catch-and-release-friendly; bream stocks here aren't large.

The rock platforms at Surfers Point and Riverlea are honest exposed-coast ledges — fishable in moderate swell with grippy footwear, dangerous in heavy swell. The wider Margaret River region has a known white shark population and a history of incidents. Check Sharksmart and the swell forecast before each session, never fish low ledges in big seas, and never alone after dark.

Around 3.5 hours via the Forrest Highway, Bussell Highway and Caves Road into Prevelly. Multi-day trips are the norm; combining Margaret River Mouth with Gracetown to the north and Hamelin Bay or Augusta to the south covers the south-west coast's main land-based fisheries in a single weekend.