Tide times at Murchison River (Kalbarri)

About Murchison River (Kalbarri)

The Murchison is the second-longest river in WA, and after 800-odd kilometres of inland nothing it finally meets the Indian Ocean at Kalbarri — a tannin-stained estuary running through the middle of town.

Tide character & fortnight outlook

Today's tides at Murchison River (Kalbarri) sit in the neap band — peak-to-trough range about 0.43 m (moon 48% illuminated).

Across the next 7 days at Murchison River (Kalbarri), the average peak-to-trough tide range is about 0.68 m. The biggest swing this week falls on Tuesday (~0.85 m).

Across the next fortnight, the biggest spring tides at Murchison River (Kalbarri) peak around Tuesday 11 Aug at about 0.85 m, and the smallest neap tides fall around Friday 14 Aug at about 0.24 m.

Best tide state to fish Murchison River (Kalbarri)

The estuary is tannin-tinted and largely sheltered — the town foreshore stays fishable in most winds, with the morning land breeze flattest before the afternoon southerly fills in. Tidal range is small but enough to move fish; a making tide into dawn or dusk is the prime window at the mouth. Heavy inland rain can send a brown freshwater flush down the river that puts the estuary fish off for days. The river mouth itself is exposed to ocean swell and the bar shifts — conditions there can be calm one hour and dangerous the next.

What anglers target here

Anglers fishing Murchison River (Kalbarri) typically time sessions around the tide for black bream, mulloway (jewfish), tailor, yellowfin whiting (sand whiting), and flathead.