Myalup Beach

Myalup is a long, open 4WD surf beach on the strip between Mandurah and Bunbury — one continuous run of sand from Tims Thicket in the north down to Binningup, with Preston Beach its nearest neighbour. It's a classic West Australian surf-fishing beach: drive on with the tyres down, find a gutter and fish the wash. Australian salmon are the autumn headline, tailor and herring keep the rod bent through the year, and mulloway prowl the deeper gutters after dark — which is most of the reason anyone packs a swag and stays the night.

Read the beach from a slight rise before you commit — the darker gutters between the lighter sand banks are where the fish hold. Cast metal slugs and surface poppers into the white water for tailor and the autumn salmon schools; spin 40–85g metals when the salmon are running tight through March–June. For mulloway, fish a deep gutter at dusk and into the dark with a whole mulie, fresh mullet or squid. A steady berley trail pulls herring, skippy and garfish into casting range for the kids while the bigger baits soak.

Australian salmon (autumn run, March–June into winter), tailor (autumn and summer evenings), herring and skippy on berley, sand and yellowfin whiting through summer, garfish on calm days, and mulloway from the deeper gutters at night — the prize that keeps people fishing past dark.

Fuel up and grab bait before you leave the bitumen — the beach kiosk is handy but stock and hours are limited. Drop your tyres at the access ramp, not halfway down the soft stuff. Keep clear of the marked swimming zone; the 4WD beach is open everywhere else.

Sealed access road and car park at the main Myalup Beach entrance, with 4WD access onto the beach straight off the ramp. A kiosk near the car park sells food and basic fishing bait. From the access point you can run north toward Preston Beach and Tims Thicket or south toward Binningup, tide and conditions permitting. No formal beach lighting — a head torch is essential for night sessions. The drive from Perth is around 90 minutes; bait and fuel are best sorted in Mandurah on the way down.

West-facing exposed ocean beach with moderate swell most of the year. Fishes best when the swell is workable — clean, defined gutters at around 1–2.5m. Mornings are calm before the afternoon sea breeze fills in from the south-west; cleaner-water easterly mornings produce the best salmon sessions in autumn. Gutters reshape after every significant swell event, so read the beach fresh each trip rather than fishing yesterday's spot.

Soft sand bogs vehicles fast — drop tyres to 18–22 psi and carry a recovery board, shovel and snatch strap; beach access is tide-dependent and the soft sections cut off on a big high. Big swell sets wash anglers out of low gutters; never turn your back on the sea and don't wade deep in the wash. Stingrays cruise the gutters — shuffle your feet if you wade. Mobile coverage is patchy on the outer beach. Snakes are present in the dunes through the warmer months.

Yes — Myalup is a legal 4WD beach with access straight off the main car park ramp. Drop your tyres to around 18–22 psi for the soft sand and carry recovery gear. Access is tide-dependent: soft and narrow sections can cut off on a big high, so check the tide before you head out and stay clear of the marked swimming zone.

It's a classic surf beach — Australian salmon in the autumn run, tailor, herring and skippy through the year, sand and yellowfin whiting over summer, garfish on calm days, and mulloway from the deeper gutters at night. Berley pulls the smaller fish into range while a big bait soaks for the mulloway.

March through June is the prime window, with schools lingering into winter. Spin 40–85g metal slugs or poppers into the white water as the schools push past, and fish cleaner-water easterly mornings for the best results.