Pemberton / Donnelly River

Pemberton is the only entry on this site that is built around a forest freshwater fishery as much as a saltwater one. The Donnelly, Warren and Lefroy systems run through karri country and hold the rare WA trout fishery — rainbow and brown trout stocked by DPIRD into specific upper reaches, plus brook trout in the cold headwaters of the Donnelly. Drop down to the lower river systems and the Donnelly mouth and you pick up black bream, estuary perch country, and an exposed Southern Ocean surf beach that fires for salmon and tailor in autumn. It's a fundamentally different style of fishing from anywhere else on the coast list.

Trout in the upper Donnelly, Lefroy Brook and Warren tributaries are a small-stream walk-and-cast fishery — light spin gear with small spinners and minnows, or fly tackle on the slower runs. The lower Donnelly and Warren hold black bream around fallen timber and snag country; small soft plastics, hardbodies and prawn baits worked tight to structure are the standout method. Donnelly Boat Landing is the practical launch into the lower river, and the mouth itself opens onto a surf beach that takes ganged-hook mulies and metals for salmon and tailor through autumn. A river-mouth night session with whole baits puts mulloway on the cards.

Black bream through the Donnelly and Warren lower systems, Australian salmon and tailor at the Donnelly mouth in autumn, mulloway at the river mouth after dark, herring on the lower river flats and surf gutters, southern calamari around the south coast inlets nearby, garfish, cobbler in the deeper estuary holes at night, and sand whiting on the surf beach. Freshwater trout hold in the upper streams and through the lower Donnelly — DPIRD-stocked rainbow and brown, plus the small brook-trout population in the headwaters.

The trout, redfin perch and freshwater cobbler fisheries here sit under the South-West Freshwater Angling Licence — separate from the marine recreational licence and required for inland waters. Marron are not covered by it: they need their own Recreational Fishing for Marron Licence, and while the Donnelly and Warren are ordinary marron waters where drop nets are legal, Big Brook Dam is snare-only — a pole snare is the only legal gear there. The freshwater bag limits are not the same as marine — 4 trout and cobbler combined, 300mm minimum on trout. The Donnelly mouth is a long-day commitment from Pemberton on unsealed roads; set up to be self-sufficient. Bream fishing in the snags rewards a slow, patient approach far more than covering water; pick a snag, work it from three angles, then move on.

Drive from Perth is roughly 3.5 hours: South West Hwy through Donnybrook and Manjimup, then on to Pemberton townsite. Lefroy Brook and the Pemberton trout pool are walking-distance from town. The upper Donnelly tributaries are 20–40 minutes by sealed and gravel forest roads. Donnelly Boat Landing is around 45 minutes south-west of Pemberton on sealed and good-condition unsealed road. The Donnelly mouth itself is 11km downstream from the boat landing, and is most readily accessed by small boat or kayak from there — direct vehicle access to the surf beach at the mouth is limited and seasonal. Mobile reception is patchy in the forest; have a paper map or offline GPS.

Forest streams are clearest and best-flowing through spring and into early summer as the winter rainfall works through the system. The lower Donnelly and Warren run cooler and clearer than coastal estuaries and water clarity holds well outside flood events. The south coast at the river mouth is exposed Southern Ocean — strong swells and southerly fronts close it down regularly through winter, and even summer sessions need a clean weather window. Fire restrictions through summer affect access to forest tracks; check DBCA closures before driving into the national parks.

Forest tracks are slippery and rutted after rain — getting stuck 30km up a fire road is a real prospect for the unprepared. The south coast surf at the mouth is exposed and unforgiving; rip currents and shore dumps shut down wading regularly. Snakes are active through the warmer months around the river edges. Always carry water, a charged phone with offline maps, and tell someone where you're going before driving into the karri country. The river mouth is seasonally closed to motorised access at times — check signage.

Yes — the south-west forest streams around Pemberton are the heart of the WA trout fishery. DPIRD stocks rainbow and brown trout into specific waters including the upper Donnelly, Warren tributaries and Lefroy Brook, and a small brook-trout population persists in the colder headwaters. It is the only meaningful freshwater trout fishery in the state.

Yes — but it is the general South-West Freshwater Angling Licence, not a trout-specific one, and it covers trout, redfin perch and freshwater cobbler alike in waters south of Greenough. It is separate from the marine recreational rules that cover most of the rest of this site. There is no closed season for trout; the daily bag is 4 trout and cobbler combined, with a 300mm minimum size on trout.

The mouth is 11km downstream of Donnelly Boat Landing and most reliably accessed by small boat or kayak from there. The surf beach at the mouth fires for Australian salmon and tailor through autumn on ganged-hook mulies and metals, and mulloway on whole baits after dark. Direct vehicle access to the beach itself is limited and seasonally restricted.

Spring and early summer for trout in the forest streams, autumn for salmon and tailor at the Donnelly mouth, and year-round for black bream in the lower Donnelly and Warren. Mid-winter is cold and wet but holds bream for those who like quiet water; mid-summer needs care around fire restrictions and forest closures.