Salmon Holes (Torndirrup)

Salmon Holes in Torndirrup National Park is one of the best salmon spots in Western Australia and the most dangerous piece of land-based fishing water in the state. Both of those things are true at once and neither cancels the other. The autumn run brings schools into a deep bay backed by granite, and anglers have fished the rock platform for it for generations. Thirteen people have died here. Life jackets are legally mandatory on the rocks, which is the single most important sentence on this page.

The beach is the sane option and it catches fish: work the gutters with 40g metals or ganged mulies when the schools push in during autumn, and let the birds tell you where to stand. On the rocks, cast into the wash where salmon hunt along the granite edges — but only in a life jacket, only with someone else present, and only after a full set cycle of watching the water first. Herring and skippy come off both beach and rock on lighter gear. Bronze whalers and gummy sharks follow the salmon schools and are caught by people fishing heavy from the sand.

Australian salmon from March to May are the reason the place has a name, and the schools that come through are the ones that built the local reputation. Herring and skippy are the year-round support and take small baits and lures anywhere along the bay. Bronze whalers move in behind the salmon in autumn and gummy sharks are caught year-round from the beach. Nothing else here matters much next to the salmon run, and nothing here is worth what people have paid for it.

Fish the beach rather than the rocks. That is not a soft recommendation — the fatalities here are almost entirely from the rock platform, and the sand catches salmon during the run anyway. If you go onto the rocks, wear the life jacket because it is the law and because compliance is high — 432 of 449 rock fishers observed during the trial had one on. Watch the water for a full set cycle before committing to a position, never fish alone, and pick a spot you can retreat from. Check the swell forecast, not just the wind.

Sealed road through Torndirrup National Park to a car park about 20 minutes south of Albany, then a long, steep set of stairs and a sand track down to the beach. The drop is roughly 35m and the climb back out with gear is harder than it looks — this is not a mobility-accessible spot and not a good one to carry a child down. There are no toilets at Salmon Holes — the nearest are at Frenchman Bay, 3.6km by road — and no other facilities of any kind. The car park is sealed with 12 bays, none signposted as accessible. The rock platform is reached from the beach or the track and involves scrambling over granite. National Park entry fees apply.

South-facing directly into the Southern Ocean with nothing between here and Antarctica, which is exactly why the swell arrives with no warning and no shelter. Large, unexpected waves — king waves — sweep the rock platform, and they arrive on days that look calm from the car park. The rock everybody fishes is not level: it slopes toward the water and it is slippery when wet. Autumn brings the salmon and, being autumn on the south coast, also brings the biggest swells. Check the swell forecast before you leave Albany, and be prepared to turn around.

Life jackets are legally mandatory for anyone going onto the rocks at Salmon Holes, whether fishing or not — a Type 1 jacket to AS 4758, ISO 12402 level 100/150/275 or AS 1512 — and infringements are issued, with a modified penalty of $200. Thirteen people have died here. King waves sweep the platform without warning on days that look benign, the rock slopes toward the water and is slippery, and the bay behind it is deep and cold with a strong undertow. Never fish alone, never turn your back on the water, watch a full set cycle — fifteen minutes — before you commit to a position, and choose the beach over the rocks. The life jacket rule is credited with saving lives, but it has not made the place safe: in April 2025 a 29-year-old was swept off the rocks here and never found, after three days of searching by police divers, boats and aircraft.

Yes — it is legally mandatory for anyone going onto the rocks at Salmon Holes, whether you are fishing or not. It must be a Type 1 jacket: AS 4758 or ISO 12402 at level 100, 150 or 275, or AS 1512. Infringements are issued for not wearing one, with a modified penalty of $200. The requirement began as a trial in 2019 and was made permanent, and compliance is high — 432 of 449 rock fishers observed during the trial were wearing one. It has not made the rocks safe: a man was swept off them in April 2025 and never found.

It faces south directly into the Southern Ocean with no shelter, so large unexpected waves — king waves — sweep the rock platform on days that look calm from the car park. The rock everybody fishes slopes toward the water and is slippery when wet. Thirteen people have died there. The beach catches salmon during the run too, and it is the sane choice.

March to May, with the autumn schools moving along the south coast. Herring and skippy hold year-round, and bronze whalers follow the salmon in behind the schools. Autumn also brings the biggest swells, so check the swell forecast before leaving Albany rather than just the wind.

Substantial. A long, steep set of stairs and a sand track drop from the car park to the beach, and the climb back out carrying gear is harder than the descent. There are no toilets at Salmon Holes — the nearest are at Frenchman Bay, 3.6km by road — and National Park entry fees apply. It is not mobility-accessible and not a good spot to bring young children.