Watermans Bay is a limestone-reef fishery dressed up as a family beach — breakwater, grass, showers, kiosk on one side, productive rocky outcrops with gutters and sand pockets on the other. It sits inside Marmion Marine Park, which protects a chain of inshore limestone reef from Trigg to Burns Rocks. The reef holds bait, the bait holds fish, and the rocks give you the depth and structure you can't get from the beach either side.

Metal slugs and small poppers worked over the reef are the go-to for herring and tailor — cast across the rock edges and work the lures back through the wash. In autumn, spin or tailor-gear the gutters between reef sections for salmon schools. Work squid jigs over the weed at dawn and last light through spring and summer. Sand patches between reefs hold whiting on light baits in the warmer months.

Herring and tailor over the reef (year-round for herring, autumn peak for choppers), Australian salmon in the gutters through autumn, southern calamari (Aug–Feb, spring/summer prime), sand whiting on the sand patches, skippy and snook on the edges.

Marmion Marine Park rules apply — no spear fishing within 1800 m of shore, and three small sanctuary zones nearby (Boyinaboat Reef, Little Island, Lumps Sanctuary) are no-take. Watermans Bay itself is open to normal recreational fishing. The rocks get greasy and swell can wash low ledges — wear grippy shoes, watch sets, and don't turn your back on the ocean. Big car park, but it fills on summer weekends.