Ceduna Jetty

Ceduna Jetty is the last big jetty before the Nullarbor, and it fishes like a town that knows it — the species list is the longest on the far west coast, from the famous King George whiting and open-season calamari through blue swimmers, gar, tommies, snook, trevally and leatherjackets to silver drummer, sweep and a genuine if occasional chance of mulloway. The timber deck was built in 1902-03 and runs about 380 m into Murat Bay from the foot of McKenzie Street, sheltered from the prevailing southerlies by Thevenard and the islands of the Nuyts Archipelago. Every westbound caravan in Australia stops here before the crossing, and half of them end up on the jetty at sunset — at golden hour it is as much a camera platform as a fishing one, and the fishing forgives the company.

Whiting are the money fish — peeled prawn or cockle on a light paternoster dropped beside the pylons, worked patiently along the deck until you find the sand between the weed; the far-west fish run bigger than their gulf cousins. Squid take 3.0 jigs in natural and cloth patterns along the weed lines, best on a rising tide. Drop nets do the blue swimmer work on calm mornings — visiting crabbers are unanimous that it is a before-the-wind game, and the breeze reliably arrives by late morning. Small lures pick up trevally and snook, leatherjackets mug baits around the pylons, and a bigger bait soaked off the end covers the mulloway chance without promising one. Seals and cormorants work the jetty regularly — a seal at the pylons is charming right up until it is your squid it takes.

King George whiting are the headline at 30 cm minimum west of 136°E with a bag of 10, and quality is the point out here. Southern calamari are open — the West Coast escaped the gulf closure — at a bag of 15, boat limit 45, no size limit. Blue swimmer crabs go 11 cm across the carapace with a bag of 20 and total protection for berried females; garfish run 23 cm with a bag of 30, tommy ruff a bag of 40, silver trevally 24 cm and a bag of 20, snook 45 cm and a bag of 20. Leatherjackets have no limit in SA — take what you need and no more. Mulloway are a real if occasional visitor at a hefty 82 cm minimum and a bag of 2, and sharks including gummies patrol the bay after dark. Snapper are closed on the West Coast, as everywhere outside the South East, until 30 June 2027 — catch-and-release included, so an accidental hook-up goes straight back.

Fish the mornings. The wind gets up by late morning on Murat Bay most days, and the crabbing, gar float work and light-tackle whiting fishing are all better before it does. The shark-proof swimming enclosure — built in 2018 and rebuilt as a fixed tiered platform in November 2023 after storm damage — occupies the northern side of the jetty roughly 75 to 135 m out, so the practical arrangement is the southern rail anywhere along the deck plus both sides of the outer section; it is the only public swimming facility in a town of about 2,000, so expect it busy through summer and obey any posted signage. Ceduna styles itself the Oyster Capital of Australia, a title Coffin Bay would like a word about, and the Ceduna Foreshore Hotel's front bar looks straight down the jetty — an empty bucket will have witnesses.

The jetty starts on O'Loughlin Terrace at the foot of McKenzie Street, with the main-street shops, pub and eateries 200 to 400 m away and public toilets about 250 m. The Ceduna Foreshore Caravan Park is roughly 350 m from the jetty rail, the BIG4 about 800 m, and the walk from anywhere in the town centre is flat and pram-friendly. The 2023 rebuild of the swim platform improved accessibility on that side. Thevenard, the working port 3 to 4 km around the bay, handles the shipping — gypsum, salt and fish trawlers — and its breakwall is the locals' backup spot for salmon, flathead and night gummy sharks on pilchard slabs, with working-port manners expected.

Murat Bay is sheltered from the prevailing southerlies by the Thevenard peninsula and the archipelago, so the jetty is fishable more often than the map suggests — but the daily pattern rules everything: calm mornings, breeze by late morning, chop by afternoon. A rising tide along the weed lines is the squid window, and dawn is the whiting and crab window. Sunset brings the photographers whether or not it brings the fish. No night lighting has been verified on the jetty, so pack a headlamp if you plan to stay past the last of the light.

The swim enclosure takes up the inshore northern side, and summer puts a lot of children in it — keep casts well away from the netted section and its walkway, and treat the split as etiquette enforced by parents as much as by fisheries officers. The wind arrives most late mornings and can make the deck unpleasant fast. Seals will take hooked fish and squid, and are not to be argued with. The Thevenard breakwall alternative is a working port with ship movements, the far-west sun is serious even by South Australian standards, and there is no verified lighting on the jetty after dark.

King George whiting, southern calamari, blue swimmer crabs, garfish, tommy ruff, snook, silver trevally and leatherjackets, with salmon, mullet, silver drummer and sweep in the mix and an occasional mulloway or gummy shark for the patient. The far-west whiting run bigger than gulf fish, and squid are legal here — the West Coast escaped the gulf calamari closure.

The enclosure sits on the northern side of the jetty roughly 75 to 135 m from shore. The sensible arrangement is to fish the southern rail anywhere along the jetty and both sides of the outer section, keep casts clear of the net and walkway, and follow any posted signs. In summer it is effectively the town pool, busy from morning to dusk.

No. The statewide closure covers the West Coast as well as both gulfs and runs until 30 June 2027, with catch-and-release targeting banned too. Only the South East zone is exempt, and that is a very long way from Ceduna.

Mornings, before the wind. The sea breeze reliably arrives by late morning on Murat Bay, and the crabbing, garfish and light-tackle whiting fishing are all better before it does. Squid respond best on a rising tide early or late in the day.

No. South Australia has no general recreational fishing licence. West Coast zone limits apply — whiting at 30 cm, calamari at a bag of 15 — and the free SA Fishing app carries the current rules.