Preston Beach is the southern end of Perth's day-trip fishing orbit — 45 minutes past Mandurah, hemmed in between the Indian Ocean and the Yalgorup lakes. It's one of the few WA beaches you can legally drive onto, and the mostly-modest swell means you can usually read the gutters and fish the white water without getting washed up onto your cooler. Salmon in winter, mulloway at night, and a famous local reputation for shovelnose if that's your idea of a good time.

Walk the beach (or drive south/north with deflated tyres) and read the water from a slight elevation — darker gutters between lighter sand banks are the fish highways. Cast metal slugs and poppers into the wash for tailor and autumn runs. Winter salmon come in schools through May–August; spin them with 40–85g slugs. For mulloway, fish the deeper gutters at dusk and into dark with a whole mulie or mullet. A berley trail brings in herring, skippy and garfish for the kids.

Tailor (autumn), Australian salmon (May–Aug, winter schools), mulloway (year-round, night prime), herring and skippy (berley-friendly), sand and yellowfin whiting (summer), garfish, and the local shovelnose shark reputation if that's your thing.

4WD on the beach requires deflated tyres (18–22 psi) and common sense — soft sand north and south of the main access will swallow unprepared vehicles. Yalgorup National Park borders the beach; Lake Clifton and Lake Preston are closed to fishing to protect the thrombolites and habitat. Free BBQs, toilets and fresh water at the main car park. Plan for no shops past 5pm — fuel up and buy bait in Mandurah on the way down.