St Mary Inlet & Point Ann (Fitzgerald River NP)

Point Ann is going no-take. The cape sits inside the Cheedenup Sanctuary Zone of the Mamang Maambakoort Marine Park, one of the four new South Coast marine parks, and the department's own description of that zone — which spells the cliffs Cheadanup — names Point Ann, the Cheadanup Cliffs and the offshore area and states plainly that no fishing is allowed. Sanctuary zones prohibit recreational fishing with no shore-based exemption, and the zone boundary runs to the high water mark, so the beach at the cape is caught along with the water in front of it. Zoning comes into operation in late 2026 and no more precise date has been published, so anyone planning a trip from 2027 onward should assume the cape is shut to fishing and check the zoning map before loading the rods. What stays open sits within walking distance: St Mary Inlet, 1.4km north-west, which the zoning leaves outside the sanctuary and open to fishing. Point Ann itself stays open to visit — the lookouts, sealed paths, toilets, barbecues and the heritage trail are unchanged, and from June to the end of October it is one of the best southern right whale watching spots on this coast. It is the fishing at the cape that closes, not the access.

Until the zoning commences the cape still fishes, and once it does the answer is a short drive or walk to water that stays open. St Mary Inlet, 1.4km north-west, is beach bait fishing off the sand near the inlet mouth, with a campground, toilets and a barbecue immediately behind it. Do not go hunting for open water south-west of the cape: the cliffs the sanctuary zone is named for are the cliffs at Point Ann, so read the zoning map on the ground rather than a name on a sign. The fishing itself is uncomplicated — herring, salmon and yellowfin whiting (sand whiting to everyone who fishes it) taking bait off the beach — and the honest framing is that this is a whale-watching and camping destination that happens to have a beach fishery under it. Small craft can be launched off the sand, but only roof-top boats under 3m, and there is no ramp.

Beach fishing on this side of the park is known for herring, salmon and yellowfin whiting taking bait off the sand, and that is the entire documented species list, so nobody should drive out expecting a deep species board. Australian salmon come with the autumn run at a 300mm minimum and four a day. Herring carry no size limit and a bag of 20. Whiting other than King George have no minimum size at all and a bag of 30, which is the only whiting rule that matters on this coast. Salmon sit inside a statewide nearshore mixed bag of 16 fish, while herring and whiting fall in the all-other-finfish category with its own mixed bag of 30. The South Coast demersal mixed bag has been four rather than five since 1 June 2026, with a bonus of four bight redfish, four yelloweye redfish and four swallowtail on top, though almost none of that is a beach proposition here.

Ring before you drive. The gravel roads into the western side of the park are often closed after rain and for dieback control, so call the department's Albany office on (08) 9842 4500 rather than finding a ROAD CLOSED sign 420km from Perth. Bring drinking water, because supplies inside the park are limited. Autumn and spring are the practical windows — autumn for the salmon, spring for gravel that has dried out — while winter is whale season and also the season that shuts the road. The dog stays home and the tyres stay on the gravel: 1080 baits are laid here on an ongoing basis, and this is one of the least dieback-infected parks in the south-west, a status that depends on it.

The road is the gate to all of this. The two-wheel-drive gravel network on the western side of the park runs in on Devils Creek Road off the South Coast Highway just north of Gairdner, then Pabelup Drive and Quiss Road, and while it is 2WD-suitable it is unsealed, corrugated and often closed after rain — ring the department before travelling rather than after. What waits at the end is the most mobility-friendly stop on this stretch of coast, with sealed paths to the lookouts and picnic areas, wheelchair-accessible toilets, barbecues, shelters and lookout decks. St Mary Inlet campground sits immediately behind the beach with toilets and barbecues, is non-bookable, and takes no caravans, because caravan camping in this park is at Hamersley Inlet on the far eastern side only. Campfires are not permitted at any campground in the park, drinking water inside it is limited, and no pets are allowed anywhere. Park entry fees apply and are currently $17.00 per standard vehicle carrying 12 or fewer occupants, $10.00 concession, $8.00 per person for a large vehicle and $10.00 for a motorcycle, with camping permit fees separate and paid at self-registration stations at the campsites.

Point Ann sits on the western, Bremer Bay flank of the park looking into Point Charles Bay, and the shallow, protected geometry that makes it a southern right whale nursery from June to October is the same geometry that suits beach bait fishing. It is still exposed to southerlies and to any big Southern Ocean swell, which the park's own safety notes say can arrive suddenly even on calm days. Winter is whale season and the wet season that closes the road, so the practical fishing window is the shoulder — autumn for the salmon run, spring for settled gravel. Rip currents are common right along this coastline. The tide range is small and largely diurnal, which leaves wind and swell direction doing all the work.

The park's own safety wording is unusually blunt and should shape the day: choose fishing and swimming sites with great care, the Southern Ocean is unpredictable, and huge waves and swells can occur suddenly even on calm days. Rock fishing and swimming are described as especially dangerous here, rocks become slippery when wet, and rip currents are common along the coastline. The park instructs visitors to wear a lifejacket at all times when fishing from rocks, and that is a park instruction and strong advice rather than a gazetted legal requirement, because Salmon Holes near Albany is the only such gazetted location under the CALM Regulations, and even there the rule bites on entering or remaining rather than on fishing. Stand back from rocky headlands and cliff edges, and treat the steep, rocky slopes as unstable underfoot. The department's own listing warns that coast risks and cliff risks in this park are significant. Meat baits containing 1080 poison are laid in and around this area on an ongoing basis, which is lethal to dogs and reinforces the no-pets rule. The access roads close after rain and for dieback control, and the four-wheel-drive tracks to Whalebone Beach, Quoin Head and the Moir track are frequently closed, while Trigelow Beach is four-wheel drive only and may close in wet conditions.

Today, yes. From late 2026, no. Point Ann sits inside the Cheedenup Sanctuary Zone of the Mamang Maambakoort Marine Park, and the department's description of that zone names Point Ann, the Cheadanup Cliffs and the offshore area and states that no fishing is allowed. Sanctuary zones prohibit recreational fishing with no shore-based exemption, and the boundary runs to the high water mark, so the beach is included rather than just the water. No more precise commencement date than late 2026 has been published, so check the zoning map before you go.

St Mary Inlet, 1.4km north-west of the cape, stays open to fishing under the same zoning scheme. The inlet sits inside the St Mary Inlet Special Purpose Zone, which exists for cultural protection and places no restrictions on recreational fishing, so a coloured zone on the map is not a closure here. Beach fishing in this part of the park is for herring, salmon and yellowfin whiting on bait, off sand with a campground, toilets and barbecues behind it. The department's zoning map is the thing to check before a trip, because the zoning decides it.

Yes. It is the fishing that closes, not the access — the day-use area, sealed paths, wheelchair-accessible toilets, barbecues, shelters, lookout decks and the heritage trail are all unaffected. The Point Ann Heritage Trail is a short easy loop with views over Point Charles Bay that follows a section of the rabbit proof fence, and the Mamang Walktrail runs from Point Ann to Point Charles. Southern right whales congregate in the shallow bays from June to the end of October and are visible on most days through the season, which is what most people are really here for.

Suitable for two-wheel drives, but unsealed, corrugated and often closed after rain. The western network runs in on Devils Creek Road off the South Coast Highway just north of Gairdner, then Pabelup Drive and Quiss Road. Roads also close for dieback control. The four-wheel-drive tracks to Whalebone Beach, Quoin Head and the Moir track are frequently closed, and Trigelow Beach is four-wheel drive only and may close in wet conditions. Ring the department's Albany office on (08) 9842 4500 before you travel.

Park entry fees apply, currently $17.00 per standard vehicle carrying 12 or fewer occupants, $10.00 concession, $8.00 per person for a large vehicle and $10.00 for a motorcycle, with a park pass covering entry. St Mary Inlet campground is right behind the beach, has toilets and barbecues, and is non-bookable, with a separate camping permit fee paid at a self-registration station. Caravans cannot camp there — caravan camping in this park is at Hamersley Inlet only. Campfires are not permitted at any campground in the park, no pets are allowed anywhere in it, and drinking water inside the park is limited, so bring your own.